Easy help for achy hands

[madamesilverspurs]

Came up with this quite accidentally. At the dollar store I got one of those long flexible rubber tubes (about four feet long, maybe 3" diameter), it's sold as a pool toy. I had a household project that I was going to use it for, but it wasn't right for it. But I got to looking at the thing and decided it might be able to help with something else.

Using my scissors I cut off about a four-inch length, then opened one side of the tube. The resulting strange-looking device fits neatly around the handles of my book bag, providing a grip that greatly lessens the strain on the fingers. It also works with those evil plastic grocery bags, and can carry multiples comfortably. Took me about three minutes to make half a dozen of these, and I keep them in the grocery box in the back of my car. Two of them went to a friend with rheumatoid arthritis, and she dearly loves them. So far it's turning out the be the best dollar I ever spent, wanted to share the idea.





Sometimes you just gotta love serendipity!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. Excellent -

sometimes we just need to change our perspective.

What a great discovery!

Take a bow...............

[jhain]

2. Thank you!

I will certainly be duplicating this!

[MineralMan]

3. Great adaptation of a common item to another purpose!

Finding alternative uses for existing objects is a sign of high intelligence.

Another use for those "noodles" is for fishermen, who can attach lures to the foam and remove them quickly and easily. I have a 3' length of it hot-glued inside my boat. When I'm fishing, I hook the fishing lures I will be using to the foam, letting me change them quickly without digging through my tackle box. The type of foam use for them doesn't hold the hooks firmly.

My hands often hurt from arthritis. I'll try your tip.

[havocmom]

5. I have a piece of noodle in my pillowcase to support my neck better

What did we do before they came along?

[madamesilverspurs]

8. Wish I could join you on your boat,

all my fishing attempts this year have been cancelled due to weather. Not a good scenario for my mental health!

Anyway, I've carried a small sponge in my tackle box for years, a quick place to secure hooks and lures while switching from one to the other. But I will pass YOUR idea along to my fishing buddy for use in his boat.

[MineralMan]

15. Sorry about your rained-out fishing...

I have the luxury of being able to wake up in the morning, check the weather and decide whether it's a good fishing day or not. There are a few advantages to being a geezer.

I fish only on great days and only during the week, when the lakes and rivers are quiet. I'm spoiled.

[havocmom]

4. WOOT! I have lengths of it on the handlebars of my stationary bike

Hurts too much to hold on otherwise. Since I need short spells of exercise and my balance is untrustworthy, I had to give up riding with no hands. Pretty sad when you keep falling off a STATIONARY bike! The foam tube are wonderful!

Will be putting some on my shopping bags now. Thanks for the tip. Should have thought of that myself.

[truedelphi]

13. I thought you said yesterday you had your cats

pedalling your stationary bike. Maybe they should give you some space so you no fall down?

[havocmom]

16. CatS? I only have one, she just seems like a feline army

And she is too busy keeping people out of the house for bike riding. I DO want to make her one of those cool kitty treadmills though.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5933976&mesg_id=5933976

[truedelphi]

24. That kitty treadmill video has everything -

Great soundtrack, drama of which cat will surpass the other in RPM's, and the suggestion of alternative energy just around the corner (From the litter box!)

Thanks for that.

[Lancer]

6. Get a patent on this baby before Shamwow Boy or Billy May can beat you to it.

(Smart idea!)

[madamesilverspurs]

9. Hah, I wish!

[havocmom]

26. Hmm, in light of very recent events...

:yoiks: that is sorta spooky

[Moondog]

7. Another use for "noodles"

Cut as described, but use it on the top of your side car window. About 12" - 15" long works best for me. Makes a great support for large telescopic lenses when photographing birds and other wildlife from inside your car. Works better than the high-end tricked out telephoto support gizmos that clamp on, etc, etc, and which cost a couple of hundred $$. The "fat" oversized noodles work a little better yet.

[havocmom]

10. a three inch length of it (with or without the cut) also makes a great...

CAT TOY!

[NJCher]

22. oh wow

I am always taking pictures of flower gardens as I drive around the suburbs of northern NJ. I have a problem keeping the camera steady so this will really help!


Cher

[Nay]

23. Dang. GOOD IDEA, Moondog! I've been using a slippery damn beanbag,

but now I will use your idea.

[BeatleBoot]

11. Made in China

If it came from the dollar store.

But I do understand the pain of arthritis.

If things keep going as they are, we'll probably end up getting those jobs back from China - at a fraction of the cost to the manufacturers.

Then we'll all be living under tarps.

[Ian David]

12. You can also try the foam insulation tubes used on PVC pipes. n/t

[MineralMan]

14. The noodles are much cheaper.

[havocmom]

17. and come in a variety of colors! (n/t)

[madamesilverspurs]

18. Have used that product

in other applications. One of my occupational therapists slipped short lengths onto the handles of my silverware when I was rehabbing after an illness that left my hands without feeling or control (temporary, I'm happy to report). That experience came in handy in helping Dad adjust after a stroke. Works for pens and pencils, too.

[alfredo]

19. Took an old vest, sewed pockets on the inside to hold ice packs. Gave it to

a friend with MS to help him through the summer months.

[havocmom]

25. Very clever

and most kind!

[alfredo]

30. He's an old friend.

[DemBones DemBones]

20. Great ideas in this thread! You all

have really been using your noodles. :D

We've only used our noodles in the pool but we'll be buying some extras now for other purposes.

[csziggy]

21. Pieces of garden hose can also be used the same way, though without the padding

Those 'pool noodles' provide. Around the farm, old bits of garden hose will last longer, though. We use them on the wire handles of buckets to reduce the pressure on the finger joints.

I never thought about using the foam noodles for the other non-farm things - they would even be nice on the narrow web handles on some of our older canvas shopping bags! If you need a semi-permanent form of this pipe insulation comes in various sizes and often is pre-slit with a glue strip inside the slit to attach them. Once they are in place, you just peel off a protective strip and push the sides together.

[donco6]

27. Now if I just had a way to get those damn clamshell things open.

I have arthritis in my hands and trying to pull those things apart is murder. I usually end up using kitchen shears and have to cut about 10 pieces to get the thing open. Once I cut the instructions in half. Grrrr . . .

Can a noodle help with that I wonder?

:)

[havocmom]

31. For that, you need the new Ninja Noodle

Sadly, Billy Mays bought the patent and ... well, you know.

[donco6]

32. Guess I'll just have to wait for probate.

Oh well. . . :)

[mamaleah]

28. Thank you! I am going to make some for my mom! nt

[proud patriot]

29. we use those in preschool as safety bumpers on corners