I finally got organized by making a cute new medical cart
I store everything I might need for Cushing's disease and other conditions
I looked around my apartment last week and realized I had medication everywhere. My coffee table had piles of pill bottles, my counter was full of Sharps containers and syringes, and my drawers were chock-full of vitamins. Everywhere I looked, there was something related to my Cushing’s disease.
I’ve been trying to take some responsibility for things from my husband. He works so hard to do everything for me, and I can’t help but worry about the toll it’s taking on his mental health. I take Cushing’s medications and other drugs and supplements several times a day, and my evening meds make me especially tired; I often ask my husband to get them for me.
Recently, I haven’t been able to do much because I hurt my foot, am in the middle of having my annual MRI and CT scans, and am recovering from COVID-19. I can’t surprise him with a spotless apartment because I can’t stand on my foot that long. I struggle to make food because my fatigue from COVID-19 is lingering. I decided that one thing I could control was my Cushing’s medicine, so I finally took the plunge and created a “Cushing’s cart.”
Putting the Cushing’s cart together
I bought a utility cart with three shelves and wheels. You can find these at many stores, including Ikea, Target, and Amazon. I picked a pink one because I wanted it to be as cute as possible, since it’d take up a decent amount of room in my apartment.
On the bottom shelf, I store anything that might be used for subcutaneous injections. I take Mounjaro (tirzepatide), so I have needles, gauze, Band-Aids, and alcohol pads. I also have some leftover material from a recent in vitro fertilization cycle that I put there, too.
Noura Costany’s brand new medical cart. (Photo by Noura Costany)
My middle shelf is full of nonemergency items or things I don’t necessarily use every day. My transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machine, compression socks, ankle and wrist wraps, laxatives, certain vitamins, and a first-aid kit all live on this shelf. There are also pain relievers and medication for colds, the flu, and COVID-19.
The final shelf is the top one, which is full of all the medications I take every day. There are several vitamins, including Synthroid (levothyroxine sodium), ketoconazole, spironolactone, and my emergency medication, hydrocortisone. I also have all of the vitamins I take every day, including berberine, N-acetyl cysteine, vitamins C, D, and E, iron, and more.
I decorated the medical cart with a bunch of stickers. One of my best friends got me an epic sticker book with a ton of adult stickers that look more like art. I used it to spruce up my cart so that it felt a bit more like me.
This medical cart has been a game-changer for me. I placed it next to the couch so I could just reach over throughout the day and grab whatever I needed. Everything is in one place, so if I’m looking for something, I know exactly where to go. Now that I have the cart, I can’t believe I ever lived without it.
The best part of my new cart is that it can be wheeled around. If I’m spending the day in bed, my husband can bring it to me and I don’t need to get up. When I’m working on the couch, I can lean over and pluck whatever I need. The convenience is unbeatable.
If you’re eyeing one of these, go ahead and make it your own! You can paint it, add stickers to it, and even change how it looks over time. Having a cute medical cart just makes the whole thing feel a little less clinical.
You can also follow my journey on TikTok and YouTube.
Note: Cushing’s Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Cushing’s Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Cushing’s.
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