Tenacious ME
Tackling disabling autoimmune disease with obstinance and humor.
Best Gifts for Rheumatoid Arthritis 2021 Edition
We polled 100’s of RA patients to find out what tops their 2021 holiday wish list. Here’s what they asked for! From gifts to keep them warm and toasty to gadgets that will help them get things done, our readers had a ton of great ideas! Read on to find out what your arthritic loved one would be overjoyed to unwrap this year!
The number one item on the wish list of RA patients this year, health, healing and relief. They are tired of doing battle with their own bodies and just want their old lives back. They want to be well. They long to be able. That longing for healing doesn’t stop at their own bodies, they also ask for healing for those they love, and for our world. Unless you happen to possess real magic, health is probably not something you can deliver this year, so what can you do? You can offer them help, understanding, kindness, and some lovely gifts to help them feel a bit better (or at least more capable).
Coming in hot on the heels of wishes for health and healing, were pleas for help. Our readers are exhausted, overwhelmed and stressed out by the upcoming holiday season. The best gift you can give, help getting through their to-do list. Offer to assist with cleaning, cooking, or gift wrapping. Want to really wow them? Spring for maid service to get their home shipshape and give them the gift of being able to devote their energy to other things. Anything you can do to take some of the burden of holiday preparation from them will be greatly appreciated.
No time to give before the holiday? No problem, your chronically ill loved one could use help year-round. Time to print a coupon book filled with offers to help with the housework, cook or bring food, gentle hugs are also appreciated.
The next most requested thing on the list was also not a thing…mobility. Your loved one with RA longs to be able to do whatever it is that they enjoy doing. They also want to be capable of caring for their own needs. While you cannot fix their mobility issues yourself, perhaps you can help them reach their goal with a little creative planning and the help of some new tools. A quick search for ‘arthritis tools for (insert hobby name)’ will most likely get you on the right track for finding the things they will need to do the what they want to do. For help caring for themselves check out this list of 10 great self care items for arthritis sufferers.
Speaking of suffering with arthritis, relief from pain and fatigue are also high on the wish list of those with RA. Chronic pain being one of the primary symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, anything that will offer them a bit of relief would be greatly appreciated. The remedies that RA patients swear by include many mentholated creams, like Biofreeze. The most frequently asked for topical remedies were CBD oils and creams.
To chase away the pain, those surveyed also asked for hand and foot massagers, massaging chairs, and my favorite request, “a heating pad that covers my entire body”. Want to really make their day? A gift certificate for a massage is sure to bring them comfort and let them know you want them to feel their best.
For relief from fatigue, well sadly there isn’t one item to be bought that can help with that. It isn’t something caffeine can chase away. Vitamins won’t touch it. The only thing that helps with fatigue is rest. A little help from you or an invitation to do some deep couch surfing while you handle things are the best remedy you can offer.
Whether you give them a full body heating pad, a handy gadget, or the simple gift of your time and assistance, one thing is sure, choosing to give something from this list is sure to let them know you understand and wish for them to feel better.
Happy Holidays from the TenaciousME family.
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