Whether you have just been been diagnosed with myasthenia
gravis or have lived with the condition awhile, there are things you can
do to minimize the energy you have, especially if you are homebound.
For those that work, you know you have to pace yourself.
When you get home, there are still things that need to be done but you can
do these things using different techniques to save your strength.
There are some things that you can do in order to make
your life a little more bearable:
Join a support group. This can either be newsgroup
post such as
Bette's Myasthenia Gravis support group on Yahoo, or some form of
chat such as the one we have every night at
Brainchat. There are many helpful ideas and tips that people
share...never know, you might hear something you can use!
If you need a
wheelchair,
get one. Many insurance companies will pay for them. Even if you don't
need one for mobility in your home, this would be extremely valuable
when shopping or going places. You might also consider getting a
scooter
of some sort. There are even foldable scooters,
some costing less than $1000 and can be customized.
Utilize the power of the web; shop online with places
you trust, such as Walmart.com
or Kmart.com. With
properly encrypted sites these days, buying online has never been safer.
Take necessary precautions, such as making sure there is an https (that
S at the end says it is secure) in the URL line before submitting your
credit card information.
Shop when your energy is high and store traffic is
low—usually early morning or late evening. Statistically, shopping on
Tuesdays and Thursdays are less busy days.
I'm going to mention coupons. Utilize them when you
can to save money. You can even real coupons from the web!
Real COUPONS: Print them from your computer..
Here's another site: Click here to save up to $1000 on groceries - GUARANTEED!
If you can take someone with you for a shopping trip,
do so. Show them what you normally buy. In this way, if they have to
shop for you or pick up something during their own shopping trip,
they'll already know how you shop and brands you use.
Do chores while sitting. Things such as folding
clothes and even doing dishes can be accomplished by sitting in a chair.
Sure, it might take a little longer but you've conserved some precious
energy.
Coordinate with a neighbor or other family member to
help clean house. Either barter with them by giving them a meal,
cookies, etc. or offer to pay a little if you can for someone to pick up
the house. Even if this is just once every 2 weeks or so, it will still
be a lot of help!
Order prescriptions online from places such as
Drugstore.com
that deliver. Most pharmacies such as
CVS and
Walgreen's have the ability to
order refills through the internet. Doing this can save valuable energy
because once ordered, all you have to do is pick it up.
For many of us, our computer and the internet
is such a lifeline...if your computer isn't working properly, getting
it to a shop can be a major endeavor with MG, not to mention expensive.
IF you are an MG'er with computer problems and
you take part in our chats
or are a member of Bette's Yahoo group, then I will be glad to do what
I can to help you resolve the problem. I am a Dell certified technician
(among other certs), have 20+ years experience and have managed several
computer technical help desks, including support for a major internet
provider. We can do this by chatting with an IM program like Yahoo or AIM, email,
and/or remote control (requires download).
If you live in the Birmingham, AL vicinity, you can
bring it to me. This is my way of giving back to the MG community that
has emotionally been there for me.
