Where do you keep all your medical equipment and medicines? And where do you do them?

[Taylor Hayes]

Hey,

I am going to school at SCAD for Industrial design.

I have cystic fibrosis.

I am designing a night stand/side table that holds and hides all of our stuff. Vest, meds, fridge (maybe), nebs, tube pole (maybe).

I have always hated having all my treatments exposed. Because right now i just have my vest sitting next to my bed and my nebulizer on top of that. I have all my meds sitting in a cabinet and my pulmozyme in the fridge.

I think it would be so nice if I had a side table that could store and hide all of these when not in use but when you need them they will be easily accessible.

I want to see if there is a need for this.

How many people have a need for this?

What and where do you keep and use all of this things?

Thanks guys!

 

[Ratatosk]

DS changes it up where he wants to do his vest treatments -- sometimes the bedroom where the vest fits in the night stand and the nebulizer sits on top or in our family room where I have an end table where the vest and nebulizer fit easily underneath when he's not using it. I think some people have used a cart or something on wheels so they can move easily from the bedroom to the office or family/living room.

As for drugs -- we have a cupboard in the kitchen that holds all the meds -- pills, vitamins, albuterol/atrovent. Extra neb cups, masks, pill cups and day of the week pill carriers. Neb cups are kept on the counter under the drug cabinet. Being that I wash/sterilize neb cups after each use, they don't sit around near the vest and I have to go to the kitchen anyway to retrieve them, so I get the nebulized drugs at the same time. I keep disposable neb cups for use when we travel in a huge box in ds' closet. Can't use them with Tobi, but when we travel I take and toss the disposable ones for the albuterol/atrovent and pulmozyme. Fridge drugs we have a shelf designated for tobi and pulmozyme and used to be for oral suspensions, too. So far no iv meds.

 

[bookperson]

I love this idea. I am a design-conscious person and I've been trying to figure out this same problem for several years now. I have hacked so many nightstands to accommodate cords and bulky equipment, made rolling carts so I don't have to be chained to one area of the house, and contact-papered my ugly mini-fridge to match the decor of my bedroom. I would love a piece of furniture that would be the ultimate med/equipment organizer, but i think it would be hard to make something that would work for all of the different needs of multiple CFers. Personally, my needs change depending on if I am on home IVs, whether I am on Cayston, etc. Also people have different Vest models/brands that require different storage spaces. I think it might be hard to make something that versatile.

I do love the idea of it and I'm excited to see what you come up with!

 

[Aboveallislove]

We get 3 month supplies of nearly all meds and keep where used most...so Zantac, Prilosec, enzymes, culterelle, mural ax milk of magnesia in kitchen. Xopenex hyper seal in cabinet close to compressor, clean cups and quarter together in dining room where they dry. Pulmozyme in frig. With 3 month supply all in one place would be bulky plus not easy if you do many orally. Like the idea but not sure how to make it work. Module might be best kinda like a computer desk that you can design to your needs but maybe round on wheels having outlets etc, but also need air circulating to not burn out engines

 

[juliefaler]

we used a plastic rolling cart with about 5 drawers (different sizes)

 

[Taylor Hayes]

Thanks guys keep it coming. This is great feedback. I was thinking of designing something that could be modular. and maybe have a part that can be detached to wheel around the house. I guess with me being in college and having roommates i like to keep everything in my room and that can get over whelming. Thats why i came up with this idea. So thanks for the feed back. Like i said KEEP IT COMING!

 

[Aboveallislove]

I totally see college as a unique situation so you'll want to design a n entire line! Module could work well in that way. This could be so fun for you. You could have different styles so the young college grad more area type Scandinavia modern. More tradiotnal wood. Also not sure it it fits for any designs, but I'd love a basket designed to hold beguiled cup parts at angles for dishwasher washing so that they don't just sit with water...and hold several ones at the same time...so a spot for the cap, the cup, the inset that holds firmly at an angle. Re the first thing...check out Ballard designs module stuff...I live their looks variations. And again...an entire line would be awesome so three month storage, daily use area, college, dorm, apartment and day trips!

 

[kosdancer]

I have two plastic sets of drawers from Target that I use - they do a really good job of holding everything. I also have a few drawer separators in there to keep things organized. It's worked very well!

 

[MichaelL]

I'm on long-term IVs, so my volume of supplies and medication is very large. We have a large storage cabinet in our living room. I have it crammed full of pills, inhalers, IV supplies, needles, syringes, etc. Because my nebulizer and flutter are washed after every use, I keep them in a plastic bin on the kitchen counter. I also have my IV medication and hypertonic saline in the fridge.

I do my medical routine in the living room on a chair. The nebulizer pump is on the floor and just stays there.

I think it is important to keep everything organized. There are so many things to remember and the organization helps me remember to take my various medication and treatments.

 

[erock77]

I keep my neb/vest stuff in the living room between my desk & TV stand. I like having the option of computer and TV while I neb for 2 hours every day. A double cabinet approach might work best for the vest, with some cushioning on the bottom to absorb the vibration noise. (I'm a mech engineer btw). I keep all the neb solutions on a shelf in my computer desk. When company comes over I stack the compressor on the vest and throw a blanket over it. Ingenious!
For pills, I bought a breadbox last year. It's just big enough to stuff all my pills in if I want to hide them. Extra meds I keep in the linen closet in the hall.

 

[Taylor Hayes]

So to who all who answered would you be interested in a table or night stand that can store and house all off this so its easy to access and hidden when not in use?

 

[LittleLab4CF]

Taylor Hayes,

Congratulations on your school/career choice. Maybe Hannah, the potential drop out is reading your post. I'll play devel's advocate for your design ideas if you like. I have an unusual and varied background that might make it fun. My careers have spanned from a luthier to a geneticist and aerospace engineer and a poineer in modern robotics/automation. A night stand is a great idea, maybe with casters so people can have one at the office with appropriate office appearance. A person could roll it from their desk to a private room, sit on it and neb or whatever. While your at it design a common air source for running a vest or nebulizing, build in high power UV lighting to dry sterilize surfaces of a nubulizer or such. BTW do you know what CAD system you'll be using?


LL

 

[Aboveallislove]

An side table like next to a sofa if it fit our decor. And when des goes to college I can totally see it. But the key would be that the storage allows for ventilation for use or that it can easily pop up....kinda like old fashion sewing machines in cabinets where compressor pops out. Need to remember different size equipment. We have a big 50psi compressor and dart vest but there might be different sizes.

 

[Taylor Hayes]

Wow guys these are great ideas! I love it keep it coming.

Taylor Hayes,

Congratulations on your school/career choice. Maybe Hannah, the potential drop out is reading your post. I'll play devel's advocate for your design ideas if you like. I have an unusual and varied background that might make it fun. My careers have spanned from a luthier to a geneticist and aerospace engineer and a poineer in modern robotics/automation. A night stand is a great idea, maybe with casters so people can have one at the office with appropriate office appearance. A person could roll it from their desk to a private room, sit on it and neb or whatever. While your at it design a common air source for running a vest or nebulizing, build in high power UV lighting to dry sterilize surfaces of a nubulizer or such. BTW do you know what CAD system you'll be using?


LL

Those are all amazing ideas! I love the idea of being able to carry it with you. I will be using solidworks.

 

[Aboveallislove]

Given the small cf population, I'd also recommend you research other medical conditions and needs and design options...so diabetics, md, Pompeii, hemophilia, spina bifida, cerebral pulsey ...make it a medical storage furniture/ unit not merely for cf.

 

[Tisha]

I don't have a vest but all the meds take a lot of space. Some I keep over the chest of drawers, I also have 2 drawers devoted to medication and one shelf in a closet.
If you designed a cabinet I'd be happy to see how it looks like!

 

[Gammaw]

Maybe a cabinet for the basic configuration, but separately available modules for the different needs of different CFers. Like a module for nebbing, a refrigerated drawer module for meds, a nasal drawer/module for nebbing or flushing equipment perhaps with a pullout tray or shelf to sit your equipment on. . . . A drawer with a tray for a weeks worth of meds laid out like a pillbox (but removable for sanitizing) Etc. Think modules! One of my biggest issues has been storing the sterilized neb cups for easy access - right now it's a jelly roll pan on the kitchen counter covered by a clean paper towel so they can air dry....sheesh. There must be a better way!

 

[ms.rowan]

A wonderful idea! I currently have created a little system where my neb machine and vest and a box of medication all fit nicely into a wooden side table next to my bed. I am able to put a couple books, my computer, and a cup of tea on top of the table as well. The table is designed to hold magazine or books in compartment on the side and I stuff my vest and tubes in there when I'm not using them. This sounds a bit complicated but really its just a raggedy old side table. I store my medications hidden in a piano bench in the kitchen as well as a couple of drawers. Ive always wanted a good looking piece of furniture that had a place for my machines and medications, it would be nice to have a proper place for everything.

 

[Emer76]

I love this concept. A cabinet for everything would be great beside the bed. It aggravating to have a nicely decorated bedroom but have medical supplies everywhere. It would have to be ventilated as someone else stated maybe the back out or partially out where the vest and nebulizer would sit. Would love to see pictures if you get it done.

 

[Gammaw]

For venting, maybe a slide in and out panel, or even a hinged one that could become a tray. So it would be solid looking most of the time, but open when the vest or other compressor is actually running. Just a thought!