Arthritic Joints eBay Store is Now Open!

Arthritic Joints is now on eBay!  We currently offer Arthritis Awareness products such as a ribbon lapel pin, auto magnet, travel mug and tote bag.  Other arthritis related products will be listed as well!

To celebrate our opening, we are running a 20% off sale through January 31, 2010!  In addition, the first 10 customers will receive a FREE arthritis awareness lapel pin and auto magnet!

Check out our new eBay store while the sale is going on! 

If you are unable to see the image above, you can also see a listing of all our available store products by clicking “on eBay” in the ArthriticJoints.com menu bar.  It’s an easy way to see what we have before going to the store.

Arthritis Awareness Travel Mug

I use this travel mug everyday!  This steel-lined travel mug holds 14oz and keeps hot beverages warm for about two hours.

This arthritis travel mug has a large handle to accommodate swollen fingers and the lid goes on/off easily.  To put the lid on, simply push the lid down on the travel mug.  To remove it, simply pull off at an angle to ease the strain on fingers.  I find that it’s much easier than screw on lids or thumb-tab lids.

Use for coffee, tea or your favorite beverage.  Although this is a travel mug, I find that it is great to use in the home since it keeps hot beverages warm longer than a standard coffee mug.

Promote Arthritis Awareness while drinking your favorite beverage!

This Arthritis Awareness Travel Mug can be purchased in our new eBay store.

Arthritis Awareness Tote Bag

I love this tote bag!  This large tote bag measures 17 1/2″ wide by 14″ tall.  Pack it full of your necessary items and know that they will not fall out!  It has a zip closure with a zipper pull for arthritic hands. 

I use this tote all the time!  Take it with you to your doctor appointments (with plenty of reading material, of course), to meetings, arthritis expo’s, to the beach, birthday parties, sporting events/practices, trade shows…anywhere you need to carry items.  The best part is that you are promoting arthritis awareness while you use it!

This Arthritis Awareness Tote Bag can be purchased in our new eBay store.

Free Sample from Stopain!

Stopain is offering a free sample of their pain relief product.  The Stopain product is a topical analgesic that is said to provide “fast penetrating, long lasting pain relief” for individuals with arthritis or chronic pain.

If you are interested in trying the pain relief product, just fill out the sample request form on their website.

As always, don’t forget to clear this with your doctor prior to use.

Arthritis Awareness Blue Ribbon Pin

Wearing a blue ribbon pin is an absolutely easy way to promote arthritis awareness.  Pin to your jacket, lapel, hat/cap, backpack, tote bag, etc.

This arthritis awareness blue ribbon pin is outlined in gold-tone with a butterfly clasp on the back.  It measures 3/4″ long x 1/2″ wide.

Be an advocate.  Wear daily to promote arthritis awareness or wear to arthritis events in your area.

This arthritis awareness pin can be purchased in our new eBay store in various quantities.

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Arthritis Awareness Auto Magnet

Easily show your support for Arthritis Awareness with this car magnet.  This blue ribbon magnet measures 8″ x 3 1/2″.  The magnet is royal blue in color with white lettering.  Professionally made in the USA.

Place it on your vehicle, refrigerator, file cabinet, etc.  I use it on my own vehicle and always get comments on it.

Be an arthritis advocate.  Purchase for yourself, family, friends, events, etc. 

This arthritis awareness auto magnet can be purchased in our new eBay store in various quantities.

Save Your Cane With This Inexpensive Cane Accessory!

I recently went to an event that necessitated a great deal of walking.  Knowing that I would need assistance, I decided to rely on my cane for help.  Because I have been fortunate enough to not need the cane on a regular basis, I neglected to remember that it does not have a strap.

Through the course of the event, I dropped the cane several times while attempting to carry items, reshuffle items, take pictures, etc.  In the middle of that chaos, I also unknowingly left the cane propped up somewhere and didn’t even realize it.  Luckily, I was able to find it.

The end result…I was so worried about keeping up with the cane and not dropping it, that it took the focus off of the event.  I now have several chips in the cane, as well.

The sad thing is that this could have been easily prevented with an inexpensive accessory…a cane strap.  Cane straps fit securely on the neck of your cane and allow you to put the strap around your wrist when you need to use your hand for something else.  Using the cane strap prevents the cane from falling down and also prevents you from misplacing it.

Cane straps are usually anywhere from $2 to $6 each depending on the type you select.  You can find them on eBay, Amazon, in medical supply stores or cane suppliers. 

If you have not purchased a cane yet, then when you are in the market for one, save yourself some trouble and purchase the cane strap at the same time.

Here are some cane straps currently on eBay:

Try Warm Whiskers Wraps to Help Relieve Juvenile Arthritis Pain!

Warm Whiskers has a fun line of products that can provide hot or cold therapy to those suffering from arthritis pain and stiffness.  They offer neck wraps, body wraps, slippers and body pillows in various adorable animal-shaped designs.

These aromatic products can be heated in the microwave to provide soothing warmth to sore joints or muscles and can also be frozen to provide cold therapy as well. 

If you’re child has juvenile arthritis, try using Warm Whiskers products instead of a traditional heating pad.  Heating pads are great for adults, but they are difficult to control the temperature.  Warm Whiskers offer a safer method of warming sore little joints.

Kudos to Warm Whiskers for these child-friendly products that offer a solution to serious pain! 

Warm Whiskers gives back too!  Last year, they gave away “Laraby Lab” pillows to 400 children at the 2008 Juvenile Arthritis Conference.  You have to love the smiles on the kids’ faces!

Through March 31, 2010, Warm Whiskers will donate 5% of each sale to the Arthritis Foundation.  Now, that’s a win-win situation!

Whether you have a child with pain or you are a child-at-heart, these Warm Whiskers products are bound to brighten up a sore day!

You Don’t Look Sick: Living Well with Invisible Chronic Illness

I just finished reading the book, You Don’t Look Sick: Living Well with Invisible Chronic Illness by Joy H. Selak and Steven S. Overman, MD, MPH.

It is a true story about a woman, Joy, who goes through many experiences with her illness.  The experiences include becoming sick, searching for a correct diagnosis, realizing that her life is different now, learning to live with the illness and learning to live well.  Through the process, Joy learns how other people perceive individuals with invisible chronic illness and how to deal with it.  She also chronicles the difficulties encountered with medical and disability insurance companies and how she handled it.

It is difficult to live with an invisible chronic illness, not just for those that have it, but for those that are around the chronically ill as well.  There are many experiences in this book to identify with and learn from.  In addition, Joy’s doctor, Steven S. Overman, MD, MPH, provides his knowledge and perspective throughout the book which is helpful.

Having arthritis for many years now (since I was a child), I found that I could easily identify with Joy even though our situations were different.  I learned from some of Joy’s experiences and was reminded about some of life’s lessons as well.  I am very thankful I read this book.

This is a good book for those recently diagnosed with a chronic illness or for those who have been living with a chronic illness.  At about 145 pages, this book is a quick and easy read too.

Have You Been Ridiculed for Using Handicapped Parking?

Lets face it…There are many people that use handicap parking spaces who have no medical necessity to use them.  This has made many normal, physically-abled people angry.  Some are so angry that they lash out at people who do not appear to be handicapped or disabled.  Has this happened to you even though you have a legitimate (legal) need to use handicap parking?

It is sad to say that this does happen.  While I’m thankful that some abled individuals are being somewhat protective of the handicap spaces, I am disturbed by those that assume you are perfectly fine and healthy if you do not exhibit physical limitations.  It makes you wonder if their verbal accusations will manifest into a physical nature.

Additionally, young individuals with disabling arthritis are often ridiculed when parking in handicap spaces.  Frequent accusations are that you are using your grandparent’s handicap placard.  Having arthritis at a young age is difficult to say the least.  Who needs someone yelling at them, leaving threatening notes or damaging their vehicle over a parking space?

So, if this has happened to you, I’m sorry.  I have been on the receiving end of this and it makes you lose faith in people and makes you feel worse about your situation.  I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.  Now, you know you cannot educate everyone about why you are using the space, nor should you have to.  But, you can have some fun with it and put a sticker or magnet on your vehicle that makes you feel better.

I came across two bumper stickers that I wish I would have had years ago when I was in this situation.  The first one is “No, I’m NOT too young to park here!“  The other is “No, It’s NOT my Grandma’s placard…it’s MINE!”

I personally do not like a yelling tone, but I think it gets the point across.  Don’t you? 

Maybe the stickers will help.  If not, just know that there are other people out there going through the same thing and we’re here to support you. 

If only we had a superhero that could swoop down and take care of those individuals that ridicule us for something that we have a right to do.  Hmm, maybe RA Guy will make an appearance during one of his adventures and save you!

If you have been the target of ridicule and accusations for using handicap parking, share it with us.  How did you handle it?

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