Adaptations
In life post My Stupid Leg (trademark pending) and the Chiari diagnosis, I've learned that to minimize my pain, I have to modify things. For instance, the wearing of the ugly but comfortable Crocs, having an ottoman under my desk at work and various other modifications.
Since returning to school, I've yet to have a comfortable studying situation. I need to keep the leg elevated, the neck and shoulder need to be supported, but achieving one was nearly impossible without irritating the other. We got ottomans to replace the coffee table and it was a 'meh' solution. So, I'd sit at the table and the neck and shoulders would get some support, but the leg would swell. My usual nook would be the couch, where the leg got the support, but the neck would be aligned poorly.
For over a year, I'd toyed with getting a chaise lounger. There had been one when I worked at Pottery Barn that was perfect, but the $1,200 price tag was not. However, this semester, in the budget, I earmarked money to get a 'study' chair that met my needs. I hadn't had the time to visit the various furniture retailers to do it.
Lately, the pain from stress we're dealing with has made it impossible for me to study. It's a vicious cycle. I hurt, so I don't study, so I stress that (on top of everything else) I can't study. It's pretty bad when I decide to take something for it and the medication does absolutely nothing (except give me an upset stomach).
Yesterday, I decided it was time to try to do something about the comfortable study chair, in the hopes that it would at least help on some level. There were four local retailers that had chairs that were possibilities, but when you're buying it to resolve pain and make sure it provides the needed support without aggravating the tender spots, sitting in them is required.
My first stop was a store that didn't have prices listed on their website. In fact, I'd emailed them in early August for a price quote and never got a response, so I wasn't optimistic. Imagine my surprise when the salesperson listened, took me to the catalog to make sure he was clear on what I was describing, had me try out the other chaise in the collection (they had one as part of a sectional, not an individual chair), then quoted me a price that fell at the low end of my intended price range.
Even better, everyone else's chairs only came in one color, but I had a choice with this one. Let's just say it will be 'Scamp' colored. Alas, it will take about four weeks for it to show up, but at least I know the relief is coming.
The coolest part? I walked out of that furniture store about 20 minutes after I walked in. That may be a record for making a furniture purchase.
I've been warning people that I will pull a Sheldon on them if they try to usurp my chair. The cat, however, will probably try to claim it when I'm not around, which is probably why I tried to get the closest color to his fur.
Since returning to school, I've yet to have a comfortable studying situation. I need to keep the leg elevated, the neck and shoulder need to be supported, but achieving one was nearly impossible without irritating the other. We got ottomans to replace the coffee table and it was a 'meh' solution. So, I'd sit at the table and the neck and shoulders would get some support, but the leg would swell. My usual nook would be the couch, where the leg got the support, but the neck would be aligned poorly.
For over a year, I'd toyed with getting a chaise lounger. There had been one when I worked at Pottery Barn that was perfect, but the $1,200 price tag was not. However, this semester, in the budget, I earmarked money to get a 'study' chair that met my needs. I hadn't had the time to visit the various furniture retailers to do it.
Lately, the pain from stress we're dealing with has made it impossible for me to study. It's a vicious cycle. I hurt, so I don't study, so I stress that (on top of everything else) I can't study. It's pretty bad when I decide to take something for it and the medication does absolutely nothing (except give me an upset stomach).
Yesterday, I decided it was time to try to do something about the comfortable study chair, in the hopes that it would at least help on some level. There were four local retailers that had chairs that were possibilities, but when you're buying it to resolve pain and make sure it provides the needed support without aggravating the tender spots, sitting in them is required.
My first stop was a store that didn't have prices listed on their website. In fact, I'd emailed them in early August for a price quote and never got a response, so I wasn't optimistic. Imagine my surprise when the salesperson listened, took me to the catalog to make sure he was clear on what I was describing, had me try out the other chaise in the collection (they had one as part of a sectional, not an individual chair), then quoted me a price that fell at the low end of my intended price range.
Even better, everyone else's chairs only came in one color, but I had a choice with this one. Let's just say it will be 'Scamp' colored. Alas, it will take about four weeks for it to show up, but at least I know the relief is coming.
The coolest part? I walked out of that furniture store about 20 minutes after I walked in. That may be a record for making a furniture purchase. I've been warning people that I will pull a Sheldon on them if they try to usurp my chair. The cat, however, will probably try to claim it when I'm not around, which is probably why I tried to get the closest color to his fur.
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