Maddie may Than you for mentioning the Gtech I have dithered back and forth for months between that and the Dyson cordless and have had opinions on both on other threads I have been going towards the Gtech but am still not decided . Like others here spending has to be justified as I am a pensioner on a low income and travel costs and other medical related spends take a large chunk out of the budget .
The roomba mentioned by Kittie is a good idea but can't do stairs .Recently Shark have brought out a range of vacuums with a five year guarantee which seem very highly rated . One has a light lift away pod for stairs so if anyone has experience of those I would welcome your views . As another option I could keep using my beloved little Henry whose little face makes me smile on the bedrooms and opt for a hand held but both the gt and d have mixed reviews on those . This is a daft thing to be dithering over but I can only do it once .
Enjoy your holiday and thank you for taking the time to post
polly

Larumbelle I do agree with you about the waste of perfectly good things that could be useful to others . When I first moved here 40 years ago every one mucked in we lent and borrowed in return all the tools and equipment that weren't needed everyday . We had food cooperative and barter of skills and time was the norm . Now all but 4 of us are left and we seldom see any of the newer inhabitants and barely know any of their names . I have always been of the reduce , reuse , repair and recycle mindset and miss the like minded community .
I noticed in one of your earlier posts you said you didn't feel you had any tips to offer , your thoughtful posts so far have been very helpful and to me thought provoking so thank you and keep it coming x
Suki While I am processing the posts you mentioned you wished you had a diagnosis . I do find this a concern as myself and others have suffered from the same situation - your choice and your business love but if you need to talk on here feel free . This is not just tips look on it as a quiet place to park your worries and joys and whatever it is all part of being human and trying to do your best to manage your day to day life with the tools to enable you to carry on x
polly

Hello! Great thread!

I am another poster who is an old-style money saver with 'indifferent' health....I am Autistic, with severe dyspraxia, skin problems that range from eczema to pustular psoriasis (and aint THAT fun when it flares up!!!!), social anxiety that can leave me s/elective mute...and a host of minor issues that like to crop up from time to time just to stop me getting bored or complacent!

I am currently on ESA (support) and DLA (lower both components...but care is probably medium by now)...I tell myself that I get DLA for a reason, and it is not wasting money to actually use it to ease my life!

I have the e-cloths mentioned earlier from Lakeland....and Lakeland are a fantastic company for kitchen help!...I can no longer safely use knives, so I have a small electric chopper...some days I cannot safely pour a cup of water from a kettle - so I have a one-cup boiler that simply boils one cup of water and dispenses it directly into a mug.

I live in a small flat - so no stairs to vacuum, but I have a MorphyRichards vacuum cleaner which is surprisingly light and can be used as a standard upright, or the cleaning bit detaches and can be used as a hand-held which is useful.

I like to keep my fingers busy (some days it seems that the hands are the only bit of that works properly!...and then some days they go too!!!)...so I always have my basket of knitting and my embroidery workbox near by....Disability means I am slow - so I start my projects early...this year's Christmas cards are almost done!...and I knit for Operation Christmas Child Boxes - a great way of using up any odd scraps (I use them for puppets)....I do colouring too - you can get some nice Adult Colouring magazines.

I'm a great believer in doing as much as I can...but always remembering that I am disabled so try not to be too hard on myself when I can't do stuff....it is really DIFFICULT sometimes...my lovely Mum is my carer, she will be 90 this year and she comes and does stuff like cleaning my kitchen/bathroom floor (I can't wring the mop, and the chemical smell of the cleaner is too strong for me). I can't help feeling guilty sometimes as she should be taking life easy! (She is partially sighted , hard of hearing and has sever arthritis!)

I've mentioned on other threads something that Mum taught me from an early age....disability may be a part of me, but it will NEVER be the boss of me!

Prinzess I hope you can call you that . I did have a moment last night when I considered giving everyone a number !!! my memory is terrible .
I really enjoyed your post and thanks for joining this little band of nice people . Well done on keeping your hands and mind busy my daughter is planning to cross stitch her decorations this year . She has found sewing , knitting and colouring very calming and enjoyable .
Give your mum a very gentle hug from me and have one yourself x
polly

lovely to hear so many people's stories and tips - really useful.
Polly my son has a Morphy Richards cordless vacuum - he said it was £40 and it's really lightweight but good - thinking of saving for one myself, as currently using a stiff brush rather than lugging Henry around - he really hurts my back, and I tried a regular upright but it wasn't much help!

Didn't know there was an over 50 forum - shall search for that later!
Beautiful red sky here tonight over the Loch :-)

This thread is moving so fast , I need to make notes to remember everyone and all the info. Lovely brave people.

My way of cleaning the stairs - use a stiff clothes brush to brush all dust downstairs, then vacuum hallway (actually OH vacuums downstairs, I do upstairs) Oh and every time I go up stairs, I check them, and pick up any bits of thread, grass etc. I see.

Spider I will look at the collapsible walking sticks, but OH is getting so attached to the old shabby one he uses (it belonged to my uncle who died 25 years ago!) He is also deaf, so that is another reason he avoids going out, he can't hear announcement s or conversation. His hearing aid seems to be real burden to him.

Anyway, next week we bite the bullet, we are booked for a day trip on a heritage railway. I will have to plan carefully, but hope to have a good day out.

It has been humid and raining on and off all day. I haven`t done anything strenuous or untoward but my shoulders and arms are aching. Drat, it must be humidity related, well it means a poor sleep ahead tonight. Lots of people seem to be affected by humidity

WCS, I understand your pain at being unable to knit. I am certainly getting that way too

I have been moved to tears by some of the stories I have heard here. I cannot believe how resilient and brave you are.

All I have ever suffered is CPTS which was bad enough but doesn't even touch what you are all living with.

All I can say is that I hope you all love and respect yourselves because no one deserves it more.

Truly, I am in awe of each and every one of you.

I have made a list and will pray for you all by name. It may not seem much but it's all I can think to do.

x

Hello again and thanks everyone for stairs and vacs input I have done the stiff brush thing in the past , then a rubber hand brush which was effective but also hard going at one time I discovered over sized lint rollers which were good for fluff and hair . The stiff brush dealt well with the dust which as mentioned I brushed downwards into the uncarpeted hall and swept up . All options eventually became too hard on the knees , back , arms and wrists .
WCS I would be interested to hear if your sons works ok on stairs - no rush I envy that sunset , miss them so much . Knitting is becoming harder for me too . I am pretty well down to winter hats , scarves and the odd little cape or shawl so I have empathy with both yourself and Kittie on that one . I think those things are the ones that lower my mood but then I tell myself many people have much more too deal with and give myself a smack !
Kittie Very much agree about the humidity . Odd weather again today sunny , then a downpour followed by a thundery looking sky and now the dreaded humidity again . The study I mentioned earlier is already showing quite a link but I think many of us noticed a long time ago .
polly

Monna Thank you so much for popping into our little thread . I feel we are in safe hands now you are on the case .
love polly x

A few years ago I was sent some square knitting needles, they seemed to help. At the moment my hands are quite good, very little pain though I certainly know in knuckles and knees that the weather is humid at present!

I'll ask him Polly, but I do know it comes apart for a hand-held thingy, as he uses it in his car.
Kittie it was my "bottom line" when I got my diagnosis, the knitting. I'm absolutely gutted. I used to knit everywhere - it was always in my pinny pocket, and how I relaxed and earned a little money.
Crocheting just isn't the same is it? I may go back to weaving, and I stitch and felt, but knitting is just me, you know??? It has honestly had the biggest impact on my well-being.
Monna thank you for holding us all in your prayers
Shropshire Lass I think i'll try square knitting with something - eldest made me some massive needles that were square - they were old bed legs - great fun!

This thread has definitely brought a smile.

I'd like to join this happy band if there is room.

One of the most difficult things for me is feeling others do not believe how things are.

I went on a pain management course and one of the most useful things was being able to talk and laugh with others in the same boat. I find it helps sometimes to laugh at my accidents with others who can empathise.

Another thing I have found is that I do not like lots of noise and people so time my shopping at the quietest time. When we have been on holiday I always factor in plenty of lazy days as well as sightseeing. If I have to be in a big crowd, I like to get there early so I can place myself where I feel comfortable.

On a good day......... how many times do we say that? ..... I can heed the "pacing" advice but it all goes out of my head when those bad days come.

My best tip on those bad days I do chores etc when adverts come on TV. Those three minutes add up over the day to some small achievements.

I also record my day - weather, food, exercise, things achieved, medicine, bathroom visits, successes and issues. This has helped me to find triggers and things that work.

Be gentle with yourselves
Pauline

SL Thank you will have a look at the square needles .
WCS It's horrible isn't it when something that has been second nature is suddenly so difficult . It's the things that add up and you begin to feel unlike the person you were . Same with the growing and many other little but important parts of our lives . I know dear Mar is not at all well at the moment so I hope she can still sit by her fire knitting the never ending socks
I will google that cleaner and am glad to hear it has a lift off bit - sounds promising . Have been meaning to mention something you said on the other thread " A small life but meaningful " it has stayed with me and sounds pretty good to me . Monnas signature is also one I love and very true .
It must be nearly 48 hours since I made that first scary post . I actually woke yesterday morning and thought I had been dreaming !
Thank you to all who have joined in and also to those who read and I wish a peaceful night and a better day if possible to you all .
polly x

Welcome Pauline Always room for another new friend . Much of what you say resonates so much . Both myself and my daughter have long passed the point of being bothered by the opinions of those who think we aren't helping ourselves or making enough effort if we would only try . Motto here is "Those that mind don't matter and those that matter don't mind " you soon sort out the wheat from the chaff !
polly

Does the e-cloth mop work as well as a traditional mop? Is the e-cloth different to a microfibre cloth? I have looked at amazon but it didn't have enough details really.

TMD The ecloth is generally thicker and longer lasting although there are some decent copies out there and some rubbish ones ! I find it doesn't seem to shrink as the others can and stands up to washing better .
The mop has a flat head so doesn't get in out of the way nooks and crannies as a string type one will . The pad is pretty thick and padded so is pretty good at washing floors . The pads are easy to take off as they are held on the head by velcro , I just give out of the way bits a wipe with either the pad or a damp e cloth .
I like the fact that either for washing or sweeping the large head covers a fair bit of ground and also can swivel to get under things . The fact it doesn't need a bucket or detergent is also why I like it - just rinse the pad under a tap as you go .
Hope that helps , I spent a lot of time wondering whether to try it so understand totally .
polly

I even tried to get used to a knitting belt. I have a friend, diagnosed with lupus and she has taken to tapestry weaving, like a duck to water. Also a good way to use up odds and ends of yarn and can be small enough to carry around. I am thinking Scottish scenery on little tapestries. She stands hers on a table at home and just loves doing it and her hands can cope

Toilets are a bugbear with me. I am so scared of being caught short that I avoid activities like group walking and outings. I was caught short twice in France and it was awful for me. I don`t have much muscle control down there, I blame the massive tear that I had when oldest baby was delivered. I manage fine thses days as I know my limitations

Does anyone else do jigsaws? I find they take my mind of how i'm feeling, but are easy on my joints to do. I don't really watch tele much, and like to have my mind engaged, otherwise I sit and *think* (for which read feel sorry for myself).
Kittie i'm going to start a new tapestry this evening, and get my wee loom out at the weekend.