Helpful Inventions for Fibro – and Suggestions for the Future!
There are some very clever and creative people in the world who have put their minds, money and skills together and invented products or services that make the life of a chronic pain sufferer that little bit easier.
Some of these things we take for granted on a daily basis and others we don’t use nearly as much as we should. And then there are those things that haven’t been invented yet, even though there’s a group of fibro sufferers waiting for it to hit the product line.
Inventions I Love
Aside from the 10 things I think all fibro patients should have, here are my top five fibro-friendly inventions. Whoever invented these, I love you.
1. The Lightweight, Foldable Walking Stick
Gone are the days when a walking stick was a long wooden stick that weighed a ton and couldn’t be hidden. Today my stick folds up neatly in my handbag, weighs less than an average paperback book and has little flowers on so it’s easy on the eye as well.
2. Hot Water Dispenser
For those of us who can’t lift a full kettle of water, the hot water dispenser is a dream. You place your mug under the funnel, push the button and let the dispenser do its work. No lifting and no mess.
3. Electric Kitchen Appliances
Cutting bread or roast meat is one of the most painful things in the world, unless you have an electric carving knife. Then it’s pure joy. Same goes for electric can openers and electric food processers, both of which make the cooking experience so much easier.
4. Internet Shopping
This needs no explaining. You lie in bed in your pyjamas, buy whatever you want and then someone delivers it to your door. Genius. Oh, and the same should be said of restaurants that deliver food to your door. Also genius.
5. Automatic Car
Automatic cars have been around for years, and for years I avoided them. Now I own one and I am absolutely stunned at how much it’s improved my pain levels and my ability to drive to work. It’s incredible!
Inventions I'm Hoping For
And now for the ones I’m still waiting for. You have my full permission to go out and make these, and enjoy the royalties without my interference. I would just ask that I get a discount when I purchase them!
1. Wheelie Shoes for Adults
You know those shoes with wheels on the back that kids often wear? I want some of those for adults, but I don’t want to have to lean back on the wheels to roll forward. I want to be able to flick a switch and have my smart flat work shoes turn into skates so that I can still move when my legs don’t work. It’s not an ideal solution but it would be great in emergencies.
2. T-shirt Electric Blanket
I know you can buy stick-on heat pads, but they’re never that comfortable and they soon wear off. I want to buy a t-shirt or sweatshirt that heats up like my electric blanket, but has air vents and a cool switch to help regulate fibromyalgia sweating at all times.
3. Robot Vacuum Cleaners – That Don’t Cost a Fortune
This is possibly a cheat because I know these exist, but they’re so expensive! I want someone to create a robot vacuum cleaner that I can leave alone to potter around my house and clean my floor. Oh, and a mop for the kitchen while we’re at it.
4. ‘I Have an Invisible Illness’ Badge
This is more of a culture change than a product or service, but I would like public transport providers to be more aware of people with invisible illnesses and disabilities. In the UK, pregnant women get given a “Baby On Board" badge to pin to their coat and it really works. As soon as people see someone board the train or the bus with one of these badges, everyone stands up to offer their seat.
I would like “Invisible Illness" badges to be just as common so that it was just part of the commuter culture.
5. Introducing Intervals at the Cinema
It’s perfectly common to have a half time break in sports games and intervals at the theater, but somehow we’re supposed to survive two hours of sitting in small, uncomfortable seats to watch a movie. I would much prefer going to the cinema if I knew I’d get a break halfway through to stretch a bit.
I must say, around half way through creating this list I realized I’m basically looking for cultural change or a little robot friend to do all my household chores! But then, who wouldn’t love both those things?
What are your dream inventions? Or what’s already been invented that you can’t cope without?