12 apps for Life(Not just management) with Chronic Illness.

“Technology makes things easier for people without disabilities, but for people with disabilities it makes things possible” - IBM

I love and agree with this quote so much its insane. Technology opens so many routes for people with disabilities whether or not it’s intended. I always see posts on “Apps for people with chronic illness” being solely management/illness based but there are also apps that can help you compensate for lost abilities and in other aspects of life and I think those ones are just as important because we are still people.  So I decided to make my own list of awesome apps that help me as a chronically ill person or ones that’d I think would be beneficial.

   . Lyft/Uber Rideshare apps.

Some illnesses take away our ability to drive safely.  Rideshare apps are much cheaper than taxis and less strenuous than the bus. Although they can still be quite pricey it adds independence to your life. It can work vise versa as well, if you lost the ability to work but not to drive then you can use rideshare apps to make some pocket money. You could also do something like splitting the profit with someone who can still drive if you became disabled after driving age and have a car.

2. POF, Tinder, Jaumo, Dating apps.

Chronic illness makes it difficult to go out and meet new people. To quote an article from the mighty “Everybody needs people! When you’re sick and isolated, online is your people!” Online dating is so popular these days it’s ridiculous. We don’t have to worry as much that “the only people who use online dating are predators” Because it’s likely your neighbours, grocery store workers, and  so on use it - everyday people use it.  While there are still struggles of actually meeting your date and finding a suitable partner that is understanding of illness, it’s helpful and takes down that first hitch in finding someone. & if you’re not up to finding a partner it’s always fun to flirt and have ‘Skype dates’.  & always remember never ever say “Yes” to plans. Always say “I might be able to/I’m not sure I’ll let you know” you won’t come off as much of a “flake“ because you never said yes in the first place.

3. Bumble,Patook / Friendship Apps

Just like I said above, meeting people new people can be hard! Many people with chronic pain are left by their platonic friends and because it’s so difficult to go out and socialize we end up being isolated. A lot of spoonies make online friends in support groups but we can’t meet them because they are often so far away and for most of us traveling is hell. I knew an app like this had to exist! One where you can physically meet new platonic friends in your city and they do! Bumble (BFF) is a great app to try. It’s a combination friendship, dating & networking site that has TONS of users, unlike most apps they section off the types of connections you want to make. I always found that making strictly platonic friends on dating sites that have the option to state you’re looking for friends/hang outs is incredibly difficult. The only minus to BumbleBFF is that your only matched with the same gender. Patook is also a good app but there aren’t nearly as many users on as bumble, it does allow you to meet different genders platonically though. I have met 2 people from Patook and 1 of them is a very good friend of mine whom I hang out with at home regularly. It was difficult going out enough times to see if I could trust her enough to visit me at home but it was definitely worth it! 

 I’m new to BumbleBFF so I haven’t met someone physically yet but I’m sure I will.  & just like above never ever ever say “YES” to plans with healthy people. They don’t understand the concept of being sick long term; they don’t understand your body has more control in your life than you do. Our illnesses are a 24/7/365 occupation and can make us busier than jobs do so treat it as such.  Similarly to dating apps, I find it helpful to disclose upfront. On these apps I write that I have to stay indoors more often than go out & that I am disabled upfront.  Why deal with people who you can’t keep up with whatsoever or don’t want to associate themselves with you?

4. Instacart / Grocery Delivery

Any type of delivery service is a must! Grocery shopping can be difficult and being able to do it from the comfort of your home can save you some spoons and stress! Instacart has a $10 minimum and has delivery fees, but I feel like this is definitely something great to use to take a task off yours and your caregivers shoulders!

5. Night Owl

I’ve written about this before in my article about modifying your electronics for light sensitivity and you can read more about it here. But I really love this app it’s a MUST for chronic migraineurs with light sensitivity. I find it helpful most of the time! Sometimes it does get to the point where 100% isn’t dark enough but most times it’s sufficient so I don’t have to be totally isolated/bored in bed.

6.       Skype / Video Chat

I LOVE Skype, I’m sure I’ve written that before. It’s the next best thing to a physical hang out and it requires less energy than one, it’s so versatile and with a little tweaking allows you to share movies, music and WebPages. It’s a fun little way to catch up with people in between actually seeing them; it’s like that brief coffee or brunch date.  & if things get too hard you can cancel or leave the call early without feeling as guilty. Skype is a great way to ward off isolation and it’s a great way to connect with people you already know physically and people you met online whether that is through friendship apps, dating apps, or support groups. I love using it as a supplement to my social life; I generally just have people come over.

7.       Google Maps/Google Earth

Street view is a great way to compensate for not being able to go outside as much as you’d like. They have this function where the view turns as you turn so it can feel like you are there. You can keep up with new stores that may have popped up or places in your city you may have never seen.  I love having “virtual mall visits” where I explore outdoor malls and check out their collections online. I also really enjoyed using street view to explore my neighbourhood when I moved to an upstairs apartment that I can’t get out of independently. I found a local park that I was eventually able to visit!

8.       Ever note

Ever note is great for brain fog and short term memory problems. I had a point where I lost 5 months of memory and every since then it’s been difficult to recall things that happened recently. Ever note has been my second brain.

9.       AliExpress ,Joom & Offer Up

If you can’t work due to vestibular migraines or any other chronic illness AliExpress is your new Amazon. It’s basically the same thing except most of the virtual stores are in the Orient and therefore everything is a whole lot cheaper. You can literally just collect coins and use this site because there are thousands and thousands of items under $1.  I got my cane for $6 on here.

Another great one is Offer Up, it’s an online garage sale and I see good deals on mobility devices there amongst many other things, I got a back support pillow for $6 on there and my wheelchair was just $15. I hope one day get a powerchair which I usually see for around $200-300 I’ve even seen stairlifts on there as well.  I highlyyyy recommend these apps.

10.   ICE / Emergency SMS

I think anyone especially those with severe health problems should have an In Case of Emergency Paramedic app.   Just keep things filled out and updated and accessible to the paramedics. Emergency SMS apps are great if you get to the point where you can’t type out a whole message. Apps like these generally allow you to make pretyped messages & you can write something that says “This is an automatic message I cannot respond”

11.   Migraine Buddy / Flare Up

Tracking your symptoms and pain can be beneficial for you or your doctor. Having an accurate record of when things get worse or better can help you find a better path to pain/illness management. I’ve also heard apps like these are helpful during applying for SSI/SSDI.

12.   UberEats, Beyond Menu, grubhub, postmates: Food Delivery

All delivery services are a must!!  Sometimes we don’t have the energy to cook and if you’ve read my “transitioning to adulthood with severe chronic illness/disabilities” post then using that emergency fund can come in handy if your alone, unable to cook, and hungry. Other than that, I think having a cute dinner date from a restaurant that uses postmates or other apps with friends’ family or dates as a back-up plan for not being physically able to go to the restaurant is always great idea. 

My next post on apps will be some apps that are great for distraction!