Making It Work: Back in the Saddle - Stool

Image Credit: AphantasticDesigns - find them on Etsy

   Sometimes life isn't ideal. Let's face it, most of the time it isn't! So, we do what we need to, to make things work. In my "Making It Work" posts, I share life hacks and ideas that have helped me so that, maybe, they can help someone else too. I hope you enjoy!

 Over the last year or so I've been noticing a troubling trend. When I finish fixing dinner, I am often too exhausted and in too much pain to eat it. I have found that being on my feet for that length of time (1-2 hours typically) puts a great deal of stress on my spine in all the wrong places. Yes, I've tried body positioning, lifting my foot onto a step, moving as much as possible, and stopping to stretch as I go. None of it has helped. I was getting worried that I would have to give up fixing meals for my family (not sure what we would do then!) when I saw a wonderful post put up by Chronically Jenni on Instagram. She uses a saddle stool to work in the kitchen. I wondered if that could work for me too?

 So, on Prime Day, I kept my eye out and found a great number of these wheeled saddle stools on sale. I combed over the reviews and the bit that kept standing out to me was that shorter people mentioned that some of the stools were too wide, making the edge hit at an uncomfortable place on the back of their leg. I tried to pick the narrowest looking one, but to my dismay, when we unpacked it from the box it was MUCH WIDER than it looked in the pictures. Sure enough, when I sat on it, it was pretty comfy at first, but after about 15 minutes, it was very uncomfortable. Thankfully, I had made sure to purchase a product with Free Returns, so I logged on and filled it out right away. I had seen a number of reviews where people were upset that they couldn't return their stool because once it was assembled it was impossible to disassemble it and put it back in the box. Perhaps because of this, or because of the excessive shipping cost to return things, Amazon didn't even want the stool back from me, but promptly returned my payment.

 After another week of pain in the kitchen, I started trying to use one of the wooden bar stools we have, but I quickly found that this was not going to work. I tried adding a cushion, and that helped, but I knew that an adjustable stool with wheels was really what I was looking for. I also had a feeling that the round style just wasn't going to work any better, so I set about looking at a wider variety of saddle stools, not just the cheapest ones. I settled on one that was just about $10 more than the first one I'd ordered. It had great reviews and I was really hopeful. 

 When it got here, I was thoroughly impressed by the solid construction of the stool! The legs and center bits were thick, solid metal with really nice scooter-style wheels. I had quite a time with getting the seat attached, but once I pilfered my husband's supply of random bolts, I found a couple that fit better than the ones that were packed with it. The stool has a comfortable, cushioned seat, but after sitting in it for a while I do notice some discomfort on the inside of my sits bones. I think this is akin to riding a horse and having your body and muscles get used to new ways of doing things. I've been using it for a couple of weeks now and it has really made a difference!

 No, I'm not totally used to it, and it is still a little uncomfortable to sit on after a while, but I can get through making dinner without serious pain and exhaustion. I've had to learn to adapt a few things. For example, I cut things on the dining room table now instead of the kitchen counter because it is lower and gives me a better angle. I have to watch out for my dogs when I'm rolling across the floor, and I have to be aware of the position and angle of the stool when I go to sit down. All these things are reasonable and necessary for adapting to my new tool. 

Here's the Thing: Does sitting down to cook mean I'm giving up or quitting? No! Quite the opposite. Finding accessibility options that make a task work means you can keep doing the task instead of having to give it up. I like my little wheely stool, and I'm glad I have an option that decreases my pain and increases my enjoyment of life!