A Merry Sclerosis Gift Guide: 8 Gift Ideas for the Spoonie in Your Life!

On By Cat StappasIn family, health, love, wellness

Long lines at the mall, crowded parking lots, and the pressure to find the perfect gift can make holiday shopping very stressful. Any gift you give this year will undoubtedly be appreciated, but to help take a little bit of the stress out of the holiday season, I’ve compiled a short list of items that any MSer will love!

While shopping for someone with MS, add a personal touch by being mindful of their symptoms (and if you’re unsure, just ask!). For example, my worst, most consistent symptom of MS is fatigue, and I also live in the winter wonderland of Wisconsin. If I’m not starting to look like a giant sock when I’m bundling up, I’m just not warm and toasty enough. For me, you can never go wrong with some of the winter classics—hats, big blanket scarves, fluffy bathrobes, over-sized hoodies, etc.

Here are some other great ideas that will surely be a hit:

This post is not sponsored. Any products I suggest or link to are simply that–holiday suggestions for the spoonie in your life. 🙂

1. Pajamas

There is nothing more cozy than a great set of pajamas. While I love the whimsy of onesies, I prefer separates like these. Onesies, even with a flap in the back, are just too much trouble when nature calls–which can be fairly often when you have MS.

2. Slippers

Everyone has their preferred type of slipper, but my personal favorite is a “boot” style like these. They’re fuzzy, have memory foam bottoms, and can effortlessly be slipped on and off to help regulate body temperature.

3. Body pillow

I mean…look at this thing. Need I say more???

4. Cuss word coloring book

Living with MS can be rough some days, particularly during a flare-up, and sometimes we just need to let off a little steam…so why not make something pretty at the same time?

5. Hot/cold thermos

Speaking of steam, what MSer wouldn’t love a thermos capable of keeping a favorite beverage hot OR cold for extended periods of time? This one has a sleek design and is leak and spill-proof, making it a good option for weak or shaky hands. Just make sure there’s a restroom nearby!

6. Timepiece

MSers are good at preparing for and adapting to all sorts of situations, but sometimes a complication beyond our control can throw us off schedule. This watch has an elastic band, so you won’t have to mess with tricky clasps or buckles, and this one has high contrast, easy-to-read digital numbers.

*SHAMELESS BOOK PLUG, INCOMING*

7. A good book

Give a gift that gives back! Four articles of mine appear alongside many other writings from really great MS bloggers in the Something On Our Minds: Anthology of Multiple Sclerosis Writings (Volume 4), available in paperback (Kindle version on the horizon!). All proceeds benefit the Accelerated Cure Project.

And last, but certainly not least…

8. Your time

In addition to everything else it affects, MS takes a toll on our personal relationships, and it’s likely that the MSer in your life may have feelings of isolation and loneliness. This time of year can be especially tough. Your time, as well as a simple and (most importantly) heartfelt “How are you? What can I do?” is the most valuable and cherished gift you can give this season.

And a bonus gift: Those holiday parties and get-togethers that your loved one may be too exhausted or in too much in pain to attend? Invite them anyway. Even if you think they will decline, invite them. It means more to us than you may realize.

Whatever holiday(s) you are celebrating this year, I wish you a safe and joyful season filled with love, laughter, and happiness.

Happy Holidays from It’s Only A Bruise 

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15 thoughts on “A Merry Sclerosis Gift Guide: 8 Gift Ideas for the Spoonie in Your Life!”

  1. Hey, a fellow bruiser. :?) Just a few words on your posts. First, reading about your “cuss” coloring book about made me snort my coffee. But it’s ok. I love rinsing my sinuses with hot, egg-nog laced, french vanilla, Folgers instant. Lol. Could teach Navage a thing or two. Second, the gift of time is a good suggestion. As a former tanker driver, I know what it means to be alone 98% of the time. Since my diagnosis in 2009, I don’t drive anymore, but like you said, most friends have exited stage left with few to none to replace them. My lawn guy has been a great help but I still have to pay him. I live in the balmy (what am I sauing, it’s friggin’ hot) state of SC, where I don’t leave the house in the summer months. Winter bothers me too, but unlike you it’s the heat that makes me wilt like a daisy in the desert.

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  2. Umm, I wasnt ready to send yet. I had a blockbuster finish that will now, alas, never happen. If only I could teach my big, shaky fingers to stop hitting the wrong buttons, and my dry hands to stop dropping the phone (3 times).
    Oh, and by the way, “You’re beautiful.”

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      1. Hi, YVW. I’ve been messing with wordpress for several years, but I still get lost. I noticed you followed my stonebearlives blog. I don’t use that one as much anymore. (I have started, and keep hanging onto 17 blogs. Mostly, this time around I’ll be using my thebrokenstill.wordpress.com blog. A possible second will be my SurvivingMSblog. I’ll have to check on the exact address. Either way, I liked what you said and how you said it, so I’m looking forward to hearing more from you soon.
        Michael

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      3. I dont know if it made it to you, but I tried to send you the correct addy earlier. It’s thebrokenstilltravel.wordpress.com I hope to have a better domain name soon, maybe after the first. :?) Hope this halps. Lol

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  3. Carol S. Shriver

    8. Your Time.
    I can really relate to that statement. There is something about the holidays that make it worse for MSers, the loneliness and isolation really seem to close iin.
    I guess it’s jealousy watching others having so much fun and really having the time of their lives.

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  4. Pingback: 2017: It Can’t Stay This Way Forever – It's Only A Bruise

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  6. Pingback: Support Spoonie Businesses This Holiday! – The Zebra Pit

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