Useful Things For Someone With SMA

With spinal muscular atrophy, you know the easier something is, the better off you are. When you struggle to do the silliest task, having items or tools there to help you make things easier is a great asset. A lot of things in my life are difficult from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep. But I’ve found a lot of things throughout my twenty-nine years of life with SMA that can assist with my daily living and make my life that much easier.

Assistive technology

Lightweight phones

My iPhone 13 Mini and iPad Mini are two big things I use every day. My iPhone 13 mini is just the right weight for me to be able to hold at roughly 7oz. It’s similar in size and weight to the iPhone 7, which is what I’ve had previously. With SMA, those ounces really make a difference in being able to hold my phone. I use both of these devices to make calls, watch movies, draw, read, and do virtual appointments. The devices are touch screen and work with even the slightest of a tap.

Smart home devices

I’ve since gotten Smart Bulbs for my bedroom and synced them to my phone so I can control the lighting whenever I want without having to ask for help. My phone also has a universal television remote on it to control my tv with just the tap of a button. You can find a lot of different assistive apps for devices in the Apple App Store.

The right-sized gaming controllers

Personally, I love to play video games. But since I broke my right wrist a few years ago playing has become more difficult. To combat that I purchased a Nintendo Switch that has tiny controllers that are super easy to remove from the gaming system and manipulate them to make them work better for me.

Adaptive Footwear

Due to SMA I have thick feet and contractures in my ankles and toes. That makes it nearly impossible for me to find shoes that comfortably fit my feet and actually stay on. Billy Footwear is a completely adaptive footwear brand that I found doing research online. They have amazing shoes for men, women and children. There design allows you to zip the shoe onto your foot and leaves you with more room. I actually have a pair of winter boots that fit because of this company now!

Heatholders socks are also a really great thing to have on deck if you’re always cold like me. You can buy socks or even little silica gel packs to hold in your hands to stay warm.

Comfort Items

This is a no brainer but my heating blanket is out all year due to my body being cold all the time. I can’t live without tons of blankets. They’re great to have for reposition purposes.

Kitchen Aids

Plastic cutlery

As I’ve gotten weaker I’ve found it harder and harder to feed myself. I figured out that plastic cutlery is so much easier to use and lift. Plastic plates and bowls are also a lot easier to manage and move for me as well. It’s little things like this that make daily tasks like eating so much easier.

Lightweight water bottle

If you’re anything like me you probably want to be a Stanley girlie with your cute tumbler of water. For me personally, a Stanley is just way to heavy and cumbersome for me to handle. But, I found a great alternative, an Owala WaterBottle! While these look large they come in small sizes and are lightweight and have a built in straw which I think is super disability friendly and easy to use! I place my water bottle on my desk and can easily get a drink just by leaning down. When I’m feeling adventurous I can even tip it up and guzzle the water too.

These are just a few really simple things that make my day better! I’d love to hear from you about what you use day to day that helps assist you!