Help around the home
The following are a selection letters received from members of the public which were originally reproduced in arc's quarterly magazine, Arthritis Today.
Views expressed in the Hints Box are those of readers, not those of arc.
Comfortable in bed
One thing which could make arthritis sufferers feel more comfortable in bed is to buy a mattress topper. These are different to mattress protectors, and a good one has a cotton cover over about an inch and a half of padding.This shields the body from a hard mattress with springs or buttons. Mattress toppers provide asoft comfortable surface to lie on.
A Wills, Ruislip, Middlesex
Another letter in praise of the Superkettle
I feel compelled to write about something that is rare these days: a product so well-designed and easy to use that it will be a boon to many people who have difficulty using their hands. It is not often my wife Pat gets excited about anything these days; her arthritis in one hip and both hands has deteriorated considerably this year. When I received a leaflet about Superkettles Pat was excited - about a kettle of all things. It is a dispensing kettle in that you do not have to lift and pour it. Water is pumped out at the press of a button into a cup or teapot. The beauty of having constant hot water is that you can come home and have a hot drink within less than a minute, and unlike a conventional kettle you are not boiling up too much water all the time for a single cup. Pat’s excitement may have passed now but she is still benefiting from the ease and more importantly the safety of dispensing boiling water. We have no connection or affiliation with the company that supplies these.
Robin Houghton, Great Linford, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Rubber gloves to open jars and soothing eye bags
As a longstanding survivor of rheumatoid arthritis I am always pleased to come across things that can make the quality of one’s life better. For opening bottles and jars I have found the standard aids clumsy or difficult. However, I discovered by chance, that using my good hand I could open things with relative ease, thanks to the containing power of the rubber glove. Holding the jar on a secure surface and using the good hand to ease off the top works most times. For those of us with dry eyes or related conditions I have found the Eye Bag very soothing and helpful. It is a silky soft bag full of linseed that you heat to a comfortable temperature. You then put the bag on your eyes, rest for five minutes and then obtain some soothing simple eye massage, and your eyes feel “oiled” and rested. This can be bought from The Eye Bag Company at www.eyebagcompany.com or PO Box 699, Halifax, HX3 0WY. My eye consultant recommended it and I am very grateful.
Daisy Bell, Brighton, West Sussex
Keep hold of your walking stick
As a member of the walking stick brigade I have found a product called a walking stick holder to be one of the best inventions to assist people who find their sticks constantly falling onto the floor when being served at counters or when sitting at the table. It clams onto any walking stick with tools, and is non-slip rubber face grips the table top. The wrist loop is another useful item. These items can be purchased at £2 each from Kleeneze at www.kleeneze.co.uk
Dolly Gemmell, Dunblane, Perthshire
We love our Superkettles
Both my wife and I have arthritis in our arms and have trouble picking up even small things so a heavy kettle is a big problem for us. We have now bought a Superkettle and it is the best product we have purchased, as it has made out lives so much better, There is no lifting, we just press the touch switch and the hot water is delivered into the cup. It’s so easy to make a drink at any time without the worry of dropping a kettle, and there is no waiting. Superkettles are available by mail order from Newtonz Ltd on 0115 922 7077 or at www.superkettles.co.uk
Mrs S Clapham, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire
Cotton dish mop handy for cleaning shelves
Just a small tip that may be of use to other osteoarthritis sufferers like myself: it is to purchase one of the small cotton dish mops used for washing up. This is ideal for cleaning areas that are otherwise unreachable, ie the back of cupboard shelves, wet or dry, and slightly damp for skirting boards. I hope this tip can be of use to others.
Mrs B Van Russelt, Warrington, Cheshire
Tips for independent living
I have suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for 30 years and am now 60, and as people like me learn to live with it, I have found the easiest way to do things. I wash my hair with a long-handled brush as I can’t put my arms up. Also I find it hard to dry myself after a shower so I use a hand-held hair drier, it’s very good to dry between your toes, etc. I’ve also hung out washing with my teeth, and made my bed by pulling sheets up with my teeth. I have a lovely husband who does most things for me, but sometimes it’s nice to do things for yourself.
Pat Wells, Mullion, Helston, Cornwall
Soap in a net bag solved my showering problems
I have had surgery on my hands and wrists over many years which has resulted in my losing the function and use of my fingers. After a recent operation I found I could no longer hold a cake of soap as it was too slippery and liquid soap is no use to me in the shower as I cannot open or hold the container. Determined to keep as independent as I could, I thought of something to put the bar of soap in so I could hold it better, and came up with the little net bag you put soap powder tablets in for the washing machine. I find it absolutely wonderful as you can put the draw string around your wrist if you want or just hold the net. The net does not prevent the soap from lathering, it also acts as a mini-foliate of the skin, and you can also use the cake of soap until it is quite small. I now could not manage without it. If some of your readers use powder and not soap I think you can write to the customer services on the brand of powder they use (providing they do tablets) and ask for a net.
Jean Muir, Edinburgh
Raised flower beds help me garden
Raised boxes for my vegetable plot have been a life-saver this spring. A neighbour very kindly turned some disused rail sleepers into a waist-high box for me and gardening has become a pleasure not a chore once more. I can even sit at the bed and work that way. I would thoroughly recommend this approach to anyone with arthritic green fingers!
Janet Weston, Sutton, Surrey
Editor’s Note: Please click on the link to browse, order or download arc’s Gardening and Arthritis information booklet.
Help with thimbles
I read in the spring edition of Arthritis Today that Mrs Ryan from Bolton was looking for a thimble for arthritic hands. I find a sailmaker’s palm very effective, even when not repairing sales or canvas. They have a bit like a thimble in the palm area of the hand, held in place by a leather strap. They can be purchased for about £5 from most ships’ chandlers, and many do mail order.
Dave Freeman, Lamlash, Isle of Arran
Your contributor who wanted advice about being able to keep a thimble in place should try sucking her finger before putting the thimble on. It worked for me – in fact after years of frustration I had difficulty getting it off! Incidentally, the one I use is metal.
Paula Hayes, Sarisbury Green, Southampton, Hampshire
In answer to Mrs D Ryan’s problem in finding thimbles; last week I saw thimbles of various sizes in John Lewis.
Mrs O Parker, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
Battery-operated corkscrew is highly recommended
My mother takes great pleasure from an occasional glass of red wine but over the past couple of years she found that traditional corkscrews or even the easy-use ones (involving exerting pressure) really hard work. I found a corkscrew in John Lewis which is rechargeable and cordless, and takes all effort out of opening the bottle. It is made by a company called NScessity (01483 428989) and costs £20. It has made what was becoming an ordeal a great deal easier – highly recommended!
Karen Randhawa, Twickenham, south west London.
Woollen blankets help my osteoarthritis
Suffering from both extensive osteoarthritis and chondrocalcinosis, my sleep pattern was getting very disturbed. At the beginning of the past winter I recalled reading many years ago that patients with rheumatic fever were encased in woollen blankets. Willing to try anything once I slept between two pure woollen blankets all winter. The gentle heat from the wool was very soothing and materially improved my night’s rest. This may help someone.
Ken Orry, Port Erin, Isle of Man
Thimbles for arthritic fingers?
I have looked high and low for somewhere that sells thimbles for arthritis sufferers with no result. My fingers are very knobbly and I am fed up with sticking the needle into my hand. Could anyone help?
Mrs D Ryan, Bolton, Lancashire
Satin sheets and plastic bags aid ease of movement in beds and in the car
The following hint came from a book called Outsmart Arthritis, a Prevention Health Guide Number 2, priced £9.99, and first appeared in Hotpot, the Lancashire WI newsletter from reader Kate Heathcote: “If turning over in bed is difficult, why not indulge yourself with satin sheets or pyjamas or nightgown. After reading this piece of advice I took myself off to M&S and instead of my usual practical cotton, bought myself a satin nightgown and yes, it is easier to move in bed. I drew the line at satin sheets as I had a vision of myself turning over and falling out of bed!” It sounds like a simple, practical idea and reminded me of a suggestion made to me. Many cars have plush-type material on seats, and personally I find it very much of a struggle to get my coat/clothes into a comfortable position as I enter the car. The suggestion is to keep a good-sized plastic bag on the car seat. Sitting down on it means you can “twirl” around into position in the car. My friend’s elderly aunt recommended it to her, and for the past few months I have been using this tip – and it does work!
Margaret Cobb, Carnforth, Lancashire
Double-handed saucepans?
I have rheumatoid arthritis and am having some difficulty in locating double-handed saucepans. Apparently they are very good at protecting the wrists. Does anyone know where I can get them from please?
Wendy Dunn, Sedgley, West Midlands
Solutions to opening troublesome blister packs
Betty West's request for suggestions on how to remove tablets from blister packs received a hefty postbag. A selection of responses is printed below:
I too have great trouble with blister packs because of rheumatoid arthritis. I have solved the problem with a blister pack pen, obtainable from Alphamarque, Unit 53, The Galleria Outlet, Comet Way, Hatfield, Herts AL10 0XR, tel: 01707 266262 website www.alphamarque.com I have tried lots of gadgets but these are the best so far and not too expensive – £7.95.
Susan Perkins, Shouldham, Kings Lynn, Norfolk
As an occupational therapist of many years standing, I have met the problem described by Mrs West many times and heard tales of cuts and bruises as a result of trying to get access to medication in this type of packaging. I have now taken some advice from a pharmacist and would therefore suggest to Mrs West and anyone else in her position to try the following: Speak to your local pharmacist where you normally have your prescriptions dispensed, and ask that, in view of your difficulties, would they dispense your medication into a user-friendly container. If they refuse you could quote the Disability Discrimination Act and the new Community Pharmacist contract and take your business elsewhere. If you have a small container such as a plastic egg cup with a stable base or even a weekly tablet container with a separate section for each day, try putting the foil strip over the tip of the container and using the back of a teaspoon to push the tablet out into the container.
Kathy Giles, Head of Occupational Therapy Services, Bronglais Hospital , Aberystwyth, Ceredigion
I agree that tablets in blister packs can be almost impossible to open with arthritic hands. I solved this problem very simply by asking my chemist to put the tablets into a bottle.
Judith Dobson, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
The RNIB's Everyday Living catalogue has a pill press. I have not tried this item but I hope this may help. The contact details are: 0845 702 3153 or www.rnib.org.uk/shop
Gwen Carew, Hayes, Bromley , Kent
A catalogue from Chester-care has two types of pill removers, contactable on: 08702 423 234 or at www.homecraft-rolyan.com
Mrs T Blurton, Orpington , Kent
Help with fastening necklaces
Having had great difficulty in fastening necklaces for years because of rheumatoid arthritis in my fingers, I would like to share my recent discovery; magnetic extensions which can be linked to normal hook eye fastenings, giving me independence and self-confidence when dressing. These can be obtained from House of Bath, four for £7.95, on 08701 457461 or at www.houseofbath.co.uk
Judith V Firth, Wakefield , West Yorkshire.
Tablets stuck in blister packs
Has anyone got an easy way to remove tablets from their blister packs? Lately it seems that the foil used is thicker. I know that my hands are not all that good but even my family have difficulty in pushing the tablets out. Could someone please help? I have already cut myself by digging at the foil with a knife.
Betty West, Southampton, Hampshire.
Easipull device – a brilliant find
I suffer from lupus, which has resulted in my having very severely painful arthritic joints. I am now registered disabled, and I have found a device that has proved such a great and enabling help in my needs – the Easipull. This is basically a circular handle which attaches to the back of the plug, enabling the user to put a finger or fingers though it and pull out the plug more easily. The use of it enables me to bend down and reach up in order to remove plugs from their sockets, a task that used to be both painful and difficult. I would highly recommend its use by all arthritic and disabled people. A brilliant find.
Diana Englefield, Thrapston, Northamptonshire
For more details on Easipull call 0845 2011353 or go to www.easipull.co.uk
Soap in a bag helps me in the shower
I have rheumatoid arthritis and am awaiting a hip replacement. When taking a shower it is always a nuisance when I inevitably drop the soap as I find it impossible to bend down and pick it up. I now keep my soap in one of the little net bags that come free with the washing tablets. If you run the bag through the washing machine a couple of times it makes it soft enough to use and I keep the string around my wrist. No more slipper soap problems!
Katie Prowles, Bournemouth, Dorset
Men's thermal socks help me sleep
I have psoriatic arthritis, and I have found that wearing men's thermal socks in bed helps to stop cramp in the night. Perhaps other readers would like to try this.
Madeleine Boys, Northampton, Northamptonshire
Helping to access parking tickets
Arthritis runs in my family, starting from childhood. My sister not only has arthritis but also mild cerebral palsy, which affects her right hand. Her whole right side is affected by arthritis, and she has extreme difficulty and pain trying to get parking tickets out of machines before driving into car parks. Any advice from your readers on how they cope with similar problems would be appreciated. She tried a "helping hand" but it wasn't suitable. She is left-handed but as the parking tickets are level with her car window on the right side she has to struggle to use her 'helping hand' for fear of dropping the ticket. There must be other people with similar problems?
L.M Gerard, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
Bicycle inner tubes make taps easier to grip
My wife found the taps on our new kitchen sink difficult to grip. I tried a simple and cheap solution and she now finds them much easier to turn. Method: For each tap I cut a short section from a discarded bicycle inner tube to make a sleeve. Then I stretched it a slid it onto our tap handle. The inner tube from a sports bike happens to be a tight fit for our taps so that it grips the tap handle tightly. The rubber surface of the inner tube is much less slippery than the shiny metal surface of the taps. Cost: zero. Time per tap: less than five minutes. Materials: one pair of kitchen scissors and one old inner tube. Note that it requires some strength to stretch and pull the sleeve onto the handle. My wife says that it has made all the difference, and she doesn't have to think about it any more. If only I can do the same for her ankle, life would suddenly be looking up….
Phil King, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Tip for walking stick users with arthritic hands
I have very bad arthritis in my hands and knees and found it difficult gripping a walking stick until I discovered that my local disability equipment shop sold contoured walking stick handles for arthritis hands. My hands and knees both benefit as I can grip the handle easier and therefore feel more confident when out and about. I am 82 years old.
Florence King, Harwich, Essex
Thimble ideas
In the last Arthritis Today Magazine, Jean Youdon asked for help looking for thimbles. If she contacts either of the companies below, she will find they stock an assortment of thimbles, some made of leather and some that stick onto the fingers:
Cotton Patch, tel 0121 702 2840, email mailorder@cottonpatch.net
Creative Grids, tel 0845 4507722, email sales@creativegrids.com
They will send on a catalogue. I hope this helps; it's disappointing when you can't continue with a hobby.
Eileen Howard, Oadby, Leicestershire
I think the lady who wishes to continue to sew but can't use a thimble might find a sail maker's palm useful. This is a leather strap with a hole for the thumb that fastens round the hand and has a built up, roughened area over the base of the thumb to push the needle with. I've used one to sew leather, canvas and heavy material and it needs practice as the action is different but there's no reason why it couldn't be used on lighter fabrics or even embroidery. You might find one at a really big haberdashery department or at a chandler's.
Janet Annand, Fareham, Hampshire
I too used to sew a lot (eyesight now prevents much). Thimbles did not fit my misshaped finger and I learned to manage without. I then found a quilter thimble which did go on my fingers, and used it when extra pressure was required. Perhaps one would help the lady. Mine came from a haberdashery shop for a few pence. I am now 90 and have had rheumatoid arthritis for years.
Kathleen Wheatley, King's Lynn, Norfolk
Hints to help my friend to continue sewing?
I have a friend, an elderly widow, who loves sewing, but can no longer put a thimble on her finger because it hurts too much. Are there any gadgets made that would solve this problem? Or does any reader have a tip which might help her?
Jean Youdan, Winchcombe, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Orthopaedic bed cured my painful heels
I have suffered from arthritis and PMR for several years, and had exactly the same symptoms as your correspondent Pamela Davies of Axminster ( Arthritis Today 124, Questions and Answers); a sharp pain in the heels which used to wake me at night. My GP didn't know what it was but sent me to a nurse at a local health centre, who said it was a circulation problem. She took the blood pressure at several points down my legs and prescribed elastic stockings, which I couldn't wear because I have eczema were perpetually hot. My feet are always hot and the skin tender, which I put down to taking 7mg of prednisolone a day. However, since I have had an orthopaedic bed, and sleep with my legs raised, the pain in my heels has disappeared completely.
Olive Stephens, Chatham, Kent
Wheat-filled mitt helps relieve the pain of my osteoarthritis
I have very bad arthritis, particularly in my hands and wrists. I have recently bought a Theramit, which is a wheat-filled mitt you warm in the microwave. My physio at the hospital recommended it to me, as I can no longer manage my wax bath at home. It has been wonderful and so easy to use; after one minute in the microwave, I put my hand in and the warmth soothes and eases my pain. I can then do exercises to keep things moving. For more details on Theramit call 01264 889225. They also have a website at www.theramit.
Rhoda Hide, Ludgershall, Andover, Hampshire.
Use a soup ladle to pick items up from the floor
I have a metal soup ladle with a long plastic handle, and I find this most useful for picking things up from the floor when I cannot reach them.
Rema Paddick, Maybank, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.
Pillow for the bath
I have osteoarthritis of the neck, and the only way I can lie down in the bath and not experience severe head and neck pain is by using the inner inflatable pillow of the GO Travel Pillow. This pillow is horseshoed-shaped, and fits around the neck, giving very good support. It can be found in luggage retailers and costs around £7.
J. Hallett, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
Can anyone help me to reverse without hurting my neck?
Does anyone have any suggestions of special mirrors which could help me reverse my car? I have osteoarthritis in my neck, and cannot turn my head very far without severe pain, which of course makes reversing very difficult. Any suggestions would be welcome.
Madeleine Harvey, Gendros, Swansea.
Reversing tips for drivers with painful necks
In reply to Madeleine Harvey's request for mirrors to help arthritis sufferers with a rigid neck to reverse their car (The Hints Box, Arthritis Today, October 2003) may I suggest a small mirror which is sold by Halfords for about £10. The mirror has a suction pad to fix it to the windscreen and two balls and socket joints which make it very manoeuvrable. My neck is fixed with ankylosing spondylitis so I speak from experience.
Hilary Unsworth, Whitwell, Isle of Wight.
The lady should buy a reversing mirror, which hangs in the rear window of the car. You then look in the front mirror and it reflects the mirror at the back and you don't have to turn your head. It's absolutely brilliant, and you can park within a few inches of the car behind. I bought mine from Halfords.
George Holden, Bristol.
Mrs Harvey should try to learn to reverse using the side mirrors, with an occasional glance into the main mirror. After all, this is what lorry drivers do, and without the central mirror at that. It is the method I use when reversing into my garage. Additional help would come from proximity detectors fitted to the rear bumper. They bleep ever more frequently as one approaches an obstruction, finally bleeping continuously when the gap is between six and 12 inches. Numerous car makers provide these, though the devices can be fitted to any car.
Ernest Grossman, Baslow, Derbyshire.
My company has just launched a product that would certainly help people who have conditions that make reversing difficult. The C2PARK Rear Vision System assists you to see obstacles behind you at a glance, using the latest CCD cameras with wide angled lens mounted on the rear of the vehicle. We have a range of systems to suit all vehicles and budgets. Introduction prices start at £199. Phone 01525 720730 for more information.
Keith Turner, C2PARK, Kempston, Beds.
I have reversing sensors fitted to both my cars, and do not like driving without them, as they are such a help in car parks and makes it safe to reverse without being a danger to others. The cost is well worthwhile. I have osteoarthritis in my back and elsewhere.
George Dampney, Wimborne, Dorset.
A tip for changing sheets
I sometimes feel I could write a book on gadgets to make life easier for those with disabled hands, but I have one little tip. When changing the sheets in the bed use a shoehorn (long or short), a ruler, or wooden spoon handle to tuck the sheets under the mattress. I use the long handle of my bath brush, which detaches, but not everyone will have one of those.
Dorothy Hawkins, Cottenham, Cambridge .
Brilliant letter opener
I am writing to recommend a brilliant little letter opener, which is ideal for everyone, but particularly for the elderly and people with arthritis. It is the size of a credit card and contains a tiny razor blade, which slits all letters open with no effort at all, much easier than conventional letter openers. It is called a "Zippy" letter opener from the Julie Hockin collection, and can be obtained in good gift shops, or by mail order from Cat and Mouse Gifts of Mousehole, (tel 01736 731854) priced £1.99 plus postage and packaging. Everyone I have given these to have been thrilled with them.
S Clarke, Caversham, Reading.
Easier cupboard stacking
I am 37 and have had JIA since I was 13. My tips are for kitchen cupboard access. If you put a lightweight metal basket or cardboard box at the bottom of your cupboards for storage, by pulling those forward it makes the cupboards accessible which are usually impossible to reach. I also use small corner mini-shelf racks for plate stacking. This allows a few plates per shelf, and avoids having a high stack of different size crockery, which then needs moving to reach larger ones near the bottom. Similar small shelves can also be used for groceries, to avoid stacking tins, etc. These are both available from main DIY stores or Argos/Index.
Sandra Wigram, Horsham, West Sussex.
Good gadgets to open jars
If unable to squeeze and turn bottle tops (bleach, toilet cleaner, etc) due to arthritic hands, try using a pair of nutcrackers. I find them ideal. Also, may I recommend a gadget called a Jarkey, which breaks the vacuum seal on jars, allowing the lid to be turned. I bought mine from Lakeland (£2.95) but I am sure they are available from most hardware shops.
Mary Rayner, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
Face flannels can help with bathing
If, like me, your hands, wrists and shoulders are weak through arthritis and you are unable to comfortably use a large bath towel when bathing, buy a supply of good quality face flannels to use instead. Put on a towelling robe or wrap yourself in a bath towel, and use the face flannels to dry yourself with. It's surprising how much a small flannel will absorb, and are far easier to use. Also, when trying to dry in between the toes and you find it difficult to use a towel, use a man-size cotton hankie, and pull it backwards and forwards several times – it works!
Mrs W. Alcock, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
Where
to get the Half Pint Mug
I was delighted to have brought to my attention a letter in your April magazine concerning an insulation ceramic mug. As the designer of the mug I was very pleased to hear that the writer, Mrs E Hansford, of Westbury, Wiltshire, found it particularly suitable for her arthritis hands. It hadn't crossed my mind during the design process to cater specifically for users with impaired grip, and it is serendipitous that the outcome has proved appropriate for such users. Mrs Hansford stated she received the mug as a gift and was therefore unable to inform users the name of suppliers. Without wishing to turn your magazine into an advertiser of gadgets, the Half Pint Mug can be obtained from product and furniture retailer SCP in Curtain Road, London, EC2, Paul Smith in Westbourne Grove, and the Design Museum, Shad Thames. It is also stocked by SCP concessions in Selfridges (Oxford Street, London, and Trafford Centre, Manchester).
Tim Parsons, Didsbury, Manchester.
It's cool to have a hot drink
I have arthritis in my hands, and am finding a cleverly designed ceramic beaker very helpful. It is insulated to ensure your hands stay cool although the contents stay hot (half a pint when full to the top). It looks pint sized because of the insulation, which makes it particularly good for soup. It is beautifully finished in white and more pleasant to drink from than plastic. It was a gift so I don't know any suppliers' names but it was designed by Tim Parsons and manufactured by Innermost.co.uk. Your page provides so many useful ideas for me, so I hope someone will find this helpful too.
Mrs E Hansford, Westbury, Wiltshire.
Cushion trays are helpful
I needed something to rest my book on when sitting in my armchair. Cushion trays are available in the shops, and you can even adjust the angle to suit your purpose.
Jill Sims, Southampton, Hampshire.
How to ease neck pain in the bath
I found lying down in the bath most uncomfortable due to spondylosis in my neck until I hit on the idea of fitting a dry sponge in my shower cap. This helped greatly.
Mrs P Boyd, Monifieth, Dundee.
How to enlarge your wedding rings
For the past 20 years I have had increasing problems with Heberden's nodes -spreading to all fingers and thumbs, increasing is size, and now becoming painful at times. Two years ago I decided to have my wedding ring removed and enlarged - it had never been off my finger in more than 40 years. A jeweller friend removed it by using a tiny saw, and protecting the finger underneath with a small plate of metal. The ring was enlarged, and I have been able to wear it for a further two years. I just wonder whether ladies who suffer in the same way know how easy and painless it is to have a ring sawn through for removal, then re-joined and enlarged.
Margaret Cobb, Carnforth, Lancashire.
Listening books are a real lifeline
Every day is a treat for me. Why? Well, just as people take pleasure in ordering from a mail-order catalogue, so I look forward to my rest-times with Listening Books, and to the arrival of another boxed set of tapes/cassettes in the post. I contracted rheumatoid arthritis in 1966 overnight, when I was 32 and had two infant sons. I discovered Listening Books in a dentist's waiting room, and since them my life has a new dimension. I choose from a list of 3,500 titles covering autobiography, biography, classics, historical novels, humour, plays, poetry sci fi, short stories and travel. All the books are beautifully read by the likes of Dame Judi Dench and Martin Jarvis. These are not books for the blind, but are a lifeline for people with special needs.
Pauline Woollam, Banbury, Oxfordshire.
Listening Books can be contacted on 02074079417.
In Hot Water
I must tell you so it may help others, of the marvellous improvement I have had in my arthritic fingers in the past 12 months. I put my hands in as hot water as possible and squeeze a squash ball in each hand for five minutes three times a day, topping up with hot water. The improvement in the flexibility has been remarkable, I can now do so many things that I had difficulty doing before; I think that perseverance with this exercise is very important.
From Bernard Amy, Fermain, Guernsey.
Soapy Flannel!
I have a double hip replacement and have fractured two of my humeruses also in the hip, and have limited movement as a result. I have found when using a very soapy flannel when washing my neck that if I rub it six times, gradually raising my elbows, I can get my hands round to my spine, thus keeping mobility in my shoulders. I find the six washes, rinses and drying is an exercise you can't forget to do, as it becomes part of your daily ablutions. Another thing I have found useful for so many purposes is about 2'6'' of a broom handle with a large cup hook at one end, which I use as a picker-upper. Along with my long handled dustpans and brushes for inside and outside, it is very rare that anything defeats me.
Grace Brand, Plymouth.
Shoe laces you don't have to tie
Coiled shoe laces that don't have to be tied can be very useful for arthritis sufferers. You simply lace them up through the eyelets in the usual way; however the lace ends don't need to be tied, No more double knots and no loose ends to trip over. The laces are currrently available by mail-rder at £4.99 in various colours, from NG Enterprises, 4 Swan Mead, Ringwood, Hants, BH24 3 R D.
Nancy Grant, Ringwood, Hants.
Special pens, anyone?
My husband suffers badly from arthritis in his hands and has great difficulty in holding a pen and writing (which is very frustrating because he enjoys doing the Daily Telegraph crossword!) We believe a special pen is available for such sufferers by have been able to find one. Can anyone help please?
Mrs L.M Netting, Grays, Essex.
Arthritis pens
Most pens can be adapted by having a three-side piece of plastic slipped over them. They come in packs of three and are sold in stationery shops.
Miss C.M Peel, Manchester.
A biro pen pushed through a practice golf ball enabled a friend of mine to keep writing. It made all the difference to her, as she found it much easier to grip.
Mrs A MacGregor, Linlithgow Bridge, West Lothian.
The Disabled Living Centre at St Loyes College, Exeter, supplied a large biro to a friend of mine who was over 90 and a keen letter writer. No doubt other Disabled Living Centres stock similar pens. Alternatively, make a hole though a child's rubber ball and push the pen through.
Miss A Walker, Pinhoe, Exeter.
Editor's Note: Big Pens with finger grips (£2.99 for a pack of three) are available in the ARC Fundraising and Promotional Catalogue. Call ARC Trading on 0800 515209 for a copy.
Soothing Cushion
I am writing to tell other readers of a product that has improved my quality of life. I suffer badly from aching fingers, stiff neck and stiff knees. I used to have several hot baths to ease the pain - but no longer. I bought a Coushtie Cushion, which is a wheat-filled cushion with essential oils in it. The cushion can be heated in the microwave, or frozen in the freezer to provide relief for many symptoms related to arthritis. It has also helped loosen up my joints and given me extended pain relief. The oils smell wonderful, and I have had more restful sleep since using it - not to mention reducing my water bill!
Alison Adams, Refrewshire.
(Coushtie Cushions are available on 0870 6080003)
Pain Gone?
I would like to share with readers how pleased I am with the results of my new Pain Gone pen. I have had cervical spondylosis since 1993 and I am in continual pain. I have regular physio and acupuncture which give relief from pain, and I also use a TENS machine. The TENS machine gives good temporary relief but is awkward to use by myself. The great advantage of the Pain Gone is that I can use it without help and it gives immediate benefits within minutes. I would recommend Pain Gone to anyone who suffers from continued chronic pain or for others users such as sports injuries and general aches and pain.
S. E. Grant, Kidderminster, Worcestershire.
(The Pain Gone pen is available from UK Care Products, Sheffield, on 0114 2315050, priced £49.95.)
Difficulty with ring pulls
With increasing dismay I have encountered more and more ring pulls on cans of fruit, vegetables and soup. The rings hurt my fingers, but more importantly, when one has arthritis in one's most often-used hand, pulling becomes extremely difficult and painful. Therefore, it was with some relief that I discovered that if I turn the cans upside down I am able to use my magnetic tin opener, without difficulty. I would like to ask manufacturers to keep their cans dual use, and to consider those with manual disability, even slight such as mine.
Mrs J. D Ward, Much Marcle, Ledbury, Herefordshire.
Ring pull assistance
Re Mrs J Ward's request for suggestions to help her open ring pull cans with arthritic hands, may I heartily recommend the Ring-Pull Can Man sold by Lakeland Ltd, Alexandra Buildings, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1BQ, tel 015394 88100. At £3.50 it's not unbearably expensive and I can confirm it works very well. I have no shares in Lakeland Ltd but have always found them an ethical and straightforward company to deal with.
Philip Bour, St Ives, Huntingdon.
Bridge assistance
Please can someone help me? I want to play bridge, but unfortunately the arthritis in my hands makes it very difficult for me to hold the cards. I wonder if there is a board similar to the one in Scrabble to hold the cards upright. Here's hoping.
Mrs P.M. Watson, Leiston, Suffolk.
Help for bridge players
Mrs P.M Watson asked if anyone could help her with card-holders to help her to play bridge. We reproduce a small number of the large resulting correspondence below.
Mrs Helen Everton, Redhill, suggests a "card curve" available from The Nether Wallop Trading Company, Maltings, Nether Wallop, Hampshire, S020 8EW. Tel 01264 782450.
Mrs Olive Robinson, Darlington, bought hers from The Card Fan, 7 Well Street, Messingham, Scunthorpe, DN17 3RJ. J de Prochnow, Charmouth, Dorset, suggests a moulded plastic lightweight holder from EBU, The Bridge Shop, Broadfields, Bicester Road, Aylesbury, HP19 3BG.
Mrs S Page, Potters Bar says Boots the Chemist stocks cardholders in its Active and Independent catalogue.
