Top Eight Everyday Problems with Arthritis

Julie is today's guest blogger with a list of things that have become difficult for her to do.

1.    Opening child-proof medication bottles

2.    Opening squeeze type bottles that you have to get               started by squeezing - like toilet cleaner

3.    Opening anything that is securely wrapped in heavy              plastic

4.    Pull-Tabs on canned products where they can not be            opened by a can opener at the top or bottom.

5.    Dragging the large garbage bags out front for the                 garbage men - John has to do this

6.    Carrying things while using my cane

7.    Lifting anything that is very heavy

8.    Dropping everything on the floor due to clumsy hands

Julie can only climb a few steps - not a entire staircase - thus I have the chair/stair lift as we are in a two-story house.  I have a container that I can set in my lap to carry things up and down while sitting in my chair.

She also purchased plastic glasses that are sturdy but easier to grip.

Here's her jar-opener that is attached under a cabinet that is a life-saver for her. It will open any size jar. 

Under Cabinet jar opener Her son and daughter-in-law gave her an electric jar opener, but it took up too much room on the kitchen counter. "I have a small stool with a cord attached to step on when getting in her SUV - John made it for me.  I first step on the lower stool and then can slide my butt into the car.  Then I pull the step stool up into the car by the cord. You wouldn't believe the people that see that and examine it so they can make one for themselves."

I have been making lists too. Here are my own top 9 difficult things of everyday life

1. opening round doorknobs

My whole medical building has these

2 turning a key in a lock

3. Cutting vegetables like little carrots in half

4. Using tiny sinks in hotel bathrooms

5. Carrying a cup of tea upstairs (or anywhere)

6. Releasing the car brake
7. Carrying things due to weight or weak hands

8. Making the bed
9. Opening water bottles

Julie and I have quite a few things in common. I feel like sawing the top off of the toilet cleaner.

Meat slicer

This would come in handy for lots of household items.

In fact I heard a story about researchers who were visiting elderly people and asking them about problems in getting the tops off of their medications. One lady who was 93 said she had no problems at all. They asked how she did it, and she took the researchers into her kitchen and proudly showed them her meat slicer.

"I just run them through this to get the tops off."

Three guesses why housecleaning items are not on our lists...

Do you have any trouble with things that most people do easily? Feel free to comment.

Ideas to Spare Your Hand Joints - You'll Need Them For a Long Time

Here are a few things I use to save the joints of my hands and fingers.    I also have a collection of things that might help some day and others items that are useless and rather silly.

I collect water bottles that are easy to hold and easy to pick up without looking while I am driving. This was one of my best finds though ecologically bad. Here I am in Canada and we are shipping this water in from Ireland. It amazes me that any company would find that economically feasible. But it's good for me - all of those indentations give me a good grip. And also I am far less likely to drop it. Now if only the lids didn't keep rolling under the car seats...

I have actually worn one of these out since I first got diagnosed. I almost feel that I can open anything with it. For pop bottles, pickles (lie -I never open pickles) fruit juice and everything else I use this as an opener. This jar opener even works to pry up the vacuum sealed lids on mason jars of soup.

This is just a plastic sleeve that I have heard called a nobby.  It makes setting the dryer a lot easier.
Sometimes you don't realize how much strain you are putting on your joints until you make it easier.  These can be used on any knob or dial.  They are a little stretchy but you might need help to put them on the knob the first time.

Turning keys in a regular lock can be tough when your hands are sore and weak. Opening my front door has always been a problem for me.  I used to use the metal split ring on my keyring but it is MUCH easier using this keyturner.  I even bought another to use for the washroom door at my office.

If you would like to see more tips Auntie Stress has been posting 1 per day for the last 355 days.  What a lot of work that has been Marianna!  http://rheumfuloftips.wordpress.com/