Unless you fit yourself up with an IUD, I don't know that you'll really know just how sweeeeeeeet this is to contemplate.
I'm not looking forward to next week.
(via feministing)
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Ohhhhh Sweeeeeeeeet
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3 comments so far. What are your thoughts?
As soon as Karin stops nursing and gets her period again, I am so totally springing for an economy-sized package of those. It's like a hot-water-bottle she can take to work!
Posted by Patrick
Ah the old Thermacare push for more product placements and uses. These things Do have portability going in their favor. But Vs. the old standard issue water bottle, they are wickedly expensive on a per use basis. 'But I can't take a water bottle to work!' Yeah and I'm betting that most of the uses for this pad are done at home too. Very few will want to walk around with it on. Not at work. Not really. They've got a million uses for this 'revolutionary new technology' that's only, well about 50 years old. So by way of some amusement, I'm sharing this bit of useless trivia with you.
I have down in the basement a gross of what we might call the prototype product of such a 'heating pad'. Same sort of Iron filing & salt/charcoal activation mixture, except my pads are reuseable (Therma care is one use only). Just pour water on them and they'll heat up quick. Of course you have to wrap them with a towel, and the smallish case (about the size of a standard clutch purse in most respects), is not much to look at. It's not stylish, but they'll keep the heat for longer than most water bottles and since they have a larger volume than the Therma care pads, a bit longer still. And you'll get piping hot *instant* heat, no need to wait for the tickle down effects of the thinner pad, wich takes awhile to warm up.
So what did I pay for this modern day miracle? Army Surplus, $12 for about 24 pads. I kid you not. Korean war vintage GDR [West German], OD covers, again nothing cute or special to look at, but it'll get 'er done.
Another cheaper alternative that they took off the market once they realized that the product simply lasted too long are just the salt heat conversion packs like the old 'Sunbeam Heat to Go' packs 'Resuseable instant heat therapy system'. I think they're still selling on Amazon, but no drug stores still stock them. They make more money off of the silly, wateful one use system of Thermacare. There are many, many knock offs of the Sunbeam system, they are rechargeable in the microwave, and the only way to destroy them is to blow them up in said microwave. This is why they are more safely boiled to recharge them.
So for $12-20 you can replace your grammy's old fashioned water bottle with something that works better, and should last you nearly as long. This VS the 2-3 one use pads you can get from the 3M Thermacare corporate dolts that gave new life to their product division with planned obsolescence, pre-packaged for 'people on the go'. Brigade Quartermaster has a supply of knock off straight salt activation heat packs. I got the nifty vintage Ger. heating packs via the Sportsmansguide.com.
But yeah, if you're counting your pennies it's something to consider. And even if you're not, there are better heating alternatives out there. And if you really think you can use one (hey, or 2) I've still got those Germans in my basement. They do leak a bit of those iron filings though. Something no self respecting iron man or woman would complain about, really. I mean after all they put the same thing in your iron pills and the iron fortified cereals. Yep. Take a magnet to your Total sometime and see what you pull up. Same stuff, and it's good eating too!
Cheers, 'VJ'
Posted by VJ
I say: vitamin E (it's even scientifically tested ). Takes a lot less place and seems to remove much of the cramp. And a few pills are so much easier to fit in the purse :)
In short: 200 mg twice per day, from 3 days before beginning of the period to its third day. Well, it worked - astonishingly well - for me at least. (I've lived in constant fear of having too few painkillers at home for the last ten years... and after trying this the last time I realised that I may not longer have to)
Posted by Darjeeling
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