I thought I would post a few things that in the last year since I first had symptoms has helped me cope with things. maybe you could respond with any really good ideas you have had for coping with this disease as well..
1, Remembering medication, This one is a hard one for me. I take Celebrex daily, MTX weekly, and Humira bi-weekly plus a few other meds , but most of the rest are coping medications like previcid to counteract the damage Celebrex can do to your digestive system. I have finally gotten in to a groove with this with the help of my cell phone. yup you read right.. I got this new phone last year which I cam use my recordings as a ring or alarm.. SO I had my husband record "Baby, Take your medicine" and it plays once at 8 am once at 12 pm once a week for the MTX and by-weekly for humira. All thanks to the multiple calendar and alarm settings. Yes people think I am crazy if they happen to hear it, but I almost never forget a dose anymore and finally getting to the point where pain is under control.
2, Rice in a sock, (large tube sock, fill with white rice, tie at the open end, double up layers with other sock and tie again) this is an amazing device!! I warm this thing up in the Microwave for a minute and I swear it goes right to the joint and helps relieve pain during a flair.
3, Light weight fluffy pillow, and a man's tie. I don't know about anyone else but my knees hurt SO bad.. at night if they happen to hit enough other while turning in bed (something I do a lot of) SO I made this contraption. I cut a mans tie in to 4 equal strips. sewing them on either end of the pillow so they matched up. this gave me a way to tie it loosely to one leg or the other and keep from having them touch at night.
4, Thick pencils and pens, this explains itself, I just can't live without them. normal size hurts me so bad anymore.
5, The last thing I can think of at this hour would be a thick fluffy steering wheel cover.. another small things that makes life a little easier.
These are great ideas! As far as the rice bag, I use something similar as well. I use the bean bag heating pads that you put in the microwave and your right, they mold wonderfully to your aching joints. I use arthritis gloves or "edema gloves" ALL the time! They are tight on my hands which help with both pain and swelling. I have also found a new favorite. It is made by ace bandages. It is an elastic strap that fits around your body that stays with velcro. It has a little compartment that holds an ice/heat pack. It's great for those hard to stay places such as your shoulders or hips. For my feet I use memory foam slippers. But I also put in an extra memory foam shoe insert that makes your feet feel like you are walking on air when every bone in your foot feels like it is broken and you are dreading having to walk around the house. I use a new ergonomic pen that slips onto your finger so that you barely have to grip it to write. I also use key extenders as I have problems with my keys when I have pain in my hands or wrists. These clip right on to your keys and make the part that hold bigger and more easy to manage. Thanks for the great tips and the oppertunity to add a few of mine! Good luck, and best wishes!