Time To Add A Cooling Towel To My Postie Gear.

Living with a chronic illness is hard. I am always on the lookout for products that can help me deal with symptoms. Cooling towels are one of the best inventions for someone with a broken autonomic nervous system. My body has trouble regulating it's temperature. This causes heat intolerance. I couldn't wait to try Live Infinitely's Forever Cool Instant Cooling Towel to help me deal with the heat, even in the winter. 

When I opened this cooling towel there was an interesting chemical odor. I threw the towel in the wash, then hung it to dry. I also rinsed out the anti-bacterial case with soap and water to get rid of any residual odor. After doing so, the smell dissipated. When it is dry, the towel is very hard, kind of like cardboard. Weird right? I rolled it up, and was unable to fit it back into the case. Next time I will try to fold it differently, but I didn't want to put it away until it was dry. 

The color has faded in many spots after washing, but it is still pink, and I haven't noticed the color bleeding onto any surfaces or fabrics. The towel is pretty easy to use. You just wet it, wring it out, and snap it a couple times. It gets pretty cold pretty quickly. It also completely transforms from hard, stiff material to a soft, towel like form. I was able to wrap the towel all the way around my neck and it was nice and cool to the touch. A very welcome feeling when my body is overheating for no reason. 

The material is so strange, it feels damp, but it isn't wet. It stays cool for a long time. Once it dries out, you only need to wet it again. It is way more convenient then wetting wash cloths and dripping everywhere, just to have to run it under cold water again five minutes later. I give this product 4 out of 5 stars. I wish the case was a bit bigger, so I don't have to smoosh the towel inside. Overall, it's a really neat product and I would recommend it to anyone who needs to cool off after a workout, or for people with heat intolerance. This will seriously be a life saver for me in the summer months! 

Grab one on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious 

An Ice Bag That is Zebra Print! Sold!

As a chronic illness warrior, I am always on the lookout for products that can help with my symptoms, and anything that is zebra print! "When you hear hoof beats, think of horses not zebras". I was stoked when I saw this Hot/Cold Pack with zebra stripes by Naniga. I could use this to help with numerous aches and pains, swelling, and most frequently my migraines. This is way easier than soaking a washcloth in cold water every five minutes. 

This bag stunk to high heaven when I opened it. An awful plastic/chemical smell. I washed it with warm water

and soap and aired it out overnight. That resolved the issue. The cover is easy to unscrew and the mouth is large. I could fit a couple of my thin ice cubes at a time, and i could easily fill with water from the sink. When filled the bag covers a lot of surface area. It stays both cool and hot for a full 20 minutes which is the amount of time I like to apply hot or cold therapy. 

The main reason I wanted this particular ice bag was the "zebra" pattern, all lot of the color is warn away. A lot of the black is missing, or rather, displaced onto the white stripes. The bag has not leaked and hasn't even produced any sweat so I don't know why the pattern is ruined. The fabric is soft, and feels pretty durable, so I suppose its just a problem with the "paint". It's just a cosmetic issue, but it still bums me out.

I give the Naniga Ice Bag 4 out of 5 stars. The initial smell was awful, but after a wash it dissipated. If the paint didn't wash off/move around, I would have given this bag a perfect score. It's simple and convenient to use. It's portable, so I will bring it when I in my medical kit when I travel. It keeps it's contents warm or cool for as long as I need it. It doesn't leak and it's very comfortable. I would recommend it.

Grab one on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. My reviews are 100% my own, honest opinion.

~Crystal Vicious

Santa Medical SM-150 Fingertip Pulse Oximeter

I have this funky medical condition known as POTS. When you have POTS you get Tachycardia. My doctors appreciate when I monitor my heart rate. I have a more expensive Pulse Oximeter, but I wanted a second one as backup and for travel and whatnot. The Santa Medical SM-150 came with a pulse oximeter, batteries, a lanyard, carrying pouch and instructions.

It seemed pretty simple to use. Like all Pulse Oximeters, you just need to place your finger inside. I found it to be very testy about how far my finger was pushed into place. Unless I had it pressed very firmly against the back, it would not register my finger and would just shut off instantly. After getting the hang of placing my finger just right, the device worked satisfactorily.

I compared the readings of both the SM-150 and my more expensive Pulse Ox, and the readings were pretty much the same. As far as accuracy, it's pretty good, especially for it's value. The display is large, bright, and easy to interpret. I give this 4 out of 5 stars, and would recommend it. 

I purchased this pulse oximeter at a discount in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. 

Grab one on Amazon.

~Crystal Vicious