live your best life – disability hacks and advice for neuropathy
Being a full time leg brace wearer can be annoying & frustrating at times, but I’m grateful for them as I would not be able to do all that I can do without their help. So, when it comes to AFOS, the good definitely outweighs the bad, especially when you know hacks to make them more tolerable. What follows are 7 common Afo & orthotic problems and their solutions.
It is never easy asking people for help to do seemingly easy tasks, but sometimes we lose out when we don’t. Check out my special recipe for how to get just what you need.
For the past year I’ve been talking at nauseam about turning 50. I’m not sure if it’s because the number seems so unreal to me that I need the constant reminder, or if by saying it out-loud I’m hoping others will respond with shock & amazement & give me the, “Really? You don’t look it!” obligatory compliment I’m clearly seeking. Probably both.
Does anyone else wish we could press fast forward on Summer 2020?
With camps & pools closed & all summer activities canceled due to Coronavirus, our only real respite from the claustrophobia of quarantining for months indoors is time spent “socially distanced” in the great outdoors. So of course, it’s literally the most uncomfortable summer ever here in Michigan with weeks on end of 90+ degree temps & high humidity. Ugh! Can’t we catch a break?
Did you know that each day the average person has about 60,000 thoughts? Some researchers say that this number is actually closer to 100,000. Although math isn’t exactly my strong-suit (My kid’s stopped asking me for help with their math homework after 4th grade), I’m thinking that irregardless of the exact number, our brains are really busy. I know mine’s been working overtime ever since my kids became teenagers.
Dating sucks. It sucked in the long ago landline days before the Internet, Match.com, and Tinder, and it sucks now.
Dating is a teeter-totter of emotions. One minute you are feeling up, energized, full of hope, anticipation, and excitement. The next minute, you are crashing down to the ground feeling hopeless, confused, and paranoid about the Whys? and What If’s?
Before launching Trend-Able, only my immediate family (and a few men I dated postdivorce -TMI?) had actually seen me in my afos (ankle-foot orthosis). I mostly kept them hidden under my clothing, not so much out of shame (age & Xanax helped with that) but more because, here comes the cliché, they don’t define me.
Do you remember those Choose Your Own Adventure (CYA) books from the 80’s 90’s? I know I’m totally dating myself but I was soooo into them (for about a minute) in between Judy Bloom books (hijacked copy of Wifey not included) & the Sweet Valley High series.
The Holiday Season isn’t all jingle bells and sleigh rides when you have an invisible disability. As temps begin falling and your calendar starts filling, the stress and worry about how the hell you’ll make it through it all, rears it’s Scrooge like head. Of course this time of year can be stressful for everyone. There is a ton of pressure to be merry and create picture perfect, Norman Rockwell like moments, to then post on Facebook of course.
I have an inherited neuromuscular disorder called Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (type 2A). Although CMT Disorder shows up differently for everyone, it generally causes a slow deterioration of a person’s peripheral nerves and muscle strength.
Hello my name is Lainie and I have brain fog. Brain fog by dictionary definition is described as: “a usually temporary state of diminished mental capacity marked by an inability to concentrate or to think or reason clearly.”
Cori Fischer is a college sophomore studying to become an occupational therapist and a part-time intern at Trend-ABLE. Cori has a movement disorder that affects her legs and hands, making everyday tasks difficult. Despite her various physical challenges, Cori epitomizes positivity and perseverance.
