Tips/Hacks

With MS you frequently run into difficulty doing something that was easy the day before. Saying some equivalent to “Errr” will not make it suddenly work. It will help to get the frustration out. But then you are facing the need to do the task/activity or skip it. Sometimes skipping for now works. If now is not one of those skipping times, then what? Time to MacGuiver!

There is more than one way to do everything. First, identify your goal. Then identify your  current problem. Think about another way to do the current problem step. If needed, you may need to find another plan to reach your goal that does not need the problem step.

For example, say you need to get a package outside your front door in but it is just out of reach and your balance is not having a good day. The expected bend down to pick it up is not going to work. The goal is to get the package inside without bending over which is the current problem.

Your options are to ask someone else to bring it in, see if you can ‘kick’ it in, or see if there is a way to pull it inside. If no one else is around and getting the package in can’t wait, then on to options 2 and 3. If the package is too heavy, fragile, or in a too awkward of a position to use a foot, then check out option 3. What do you have to pull it in? Your inventory has a cane, a long handle picker upper, kitchen tongs, and a long handled bendable duster. These are all promising! Take a look at the package shape, size and weight to see which looks best. Start there and if needed, move to another choice. 

This time’s winning tool? The long handle picker upper. See that white stick at the end? It easily pulled in the top box. The bottom box needed a little rearranging. I tipped the box on end and let it topple inward. I knew this box was not fragile. McGuiver worked. I was able to get my packages inside myself!

For more of my MS tips and hacks, check out My MS Tips/Hacks page.