I got an eReader for Christmas, and not only do I love it, I've discovered several benefits for someone with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Convenience. If you've got insomnia, like me, it's great to be able to download a book at 2 a.m. It also saves you a trip to the store, which can be taxing for us.
- Light weight. My hands often get achy from holding onto a book, especially a heavy one. My eReader is easier to hold, and when my hands get tired, I can lay it on a lap desk or prop it up on a pillow - something that doesn't work with a book.
- Search feature. How often does brain fog strike while you're reading? I frequently find myself coming across a name and not being able to remember who that character is. Now, I can do a quick search and refresh my memory.
- Less clutter. We certainly don't need more stuff laying around, gathering dust (which many of us are allergic to.)
Of course, there are some possible drawbacks to consider. eReaders are expensive to buy, but if you read a lot you'll eventually save money because books are cheaper. You do have to learn the technical aspects, which can be difficult for the foggy headed. If you aren't tech savvy, you might want to have someone show you how to navigate. I haven't had any eye strain from the screen, but I know some people do better with paper. For me, since it's not lit up like a computer screen, it's a nice relief from my laptop or the TV.
If you're interested in getting an eReader, here's information to help you decide which one's best for you, from About.com's Guide to Portables Jason Hidalgo: eReader Reviews.
Do you have an eReader? What do you like about it? What health-related benefits or drawbacks have you found? Leave your comments below!
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More advantages:
1. If you put your e-Reader in a plastic zip-lock bag, you can read safely and easily in the tub. You can search on ebay in the shipping products section for recloseable bags that are the right size for your reader.
2. You can increase or decrease the font size as needed when your eyes are feeling wonky. Some days, my vision is simply better than it is on other days.
3. Most readers have a built in dictionary! Click on the word, and it pops up the definition. This is a huge aid in understanding things, particularly when you’re feeling a bit too foggy to work things out from context.
4. There are many many free books available to download. Think old classics: Dracula, Little Women, Great Expectations, Hamlet. But also, authors and publishers often make their books available for free or heavily discounted for publicity.
I highly highly recommend buying a cover for your ebook reader to protect the screen when it’s not in use. (And if you’re prone to lose things, make it a brightly coloured one, because it makes it so much easier to spot!) I sat up in bed once and my weight rested on my elbow which was accidentally on the screen. Amazon let me have the replacement at less than half the price of the original, but it was still an expensive mishap.
I love mine. lots easier to hold and see. my library also is now “lending” books for the different readers. not that hard to download and its free!!
I am currently formating a number of e-Books especially designed for people with cfs to read. They are easy to dip in and out of, interesting without being too demanding and are mulit-media with a combination of pictures, maps, drawings, letters and diary extracts. I’ve tried to make them fun and inspirational too.
Let me know if you’d be interested in reviewing any of them!
http://sophieneville.net/books-by-sophie-neville/
Hi i have an ipad2 which does the same thingas ireader bit bigger cant believe the difference in weight when reading in bed, i also like to read when im soaking my aching body but never thought to put itin a zip lock bag i have a stand for it but would still be nervous when in tub going to try that thank you Happy xx
Its difficult when you have a limited income tom buy an ereader. I hope to be able to get one soon.
Yes to all of the above! I got one finally just before Christmas. I’d been reading e-books on my phone at night which seemed to work better for me than real books – it made me tired faster and I could read with the white text on black background with the lights off and it didn’t bother my hubby or my eyes. Once we realized it was easier for me to fall asleep reading that way hubby jumped on board with buying me a Kindle Fire. It has been so nice to have. If it was water-proof I could totally move away from paper books.
I had an ereader but then my hubby surprised me with an IPad. I love both. I will say if you can get either get it with 3G if you can, otherwise you will need to be constantly looking for WiFi. Now the way I resolved that was by having my smart phone have HOTSPOT capability. Problem resolved:)
Yes, love using my Kindle, had it about a year or so.
It is great that you can also read outside in the bright sunlight something you can’t do with a computer. Not sure if the Kindle Fire or iPad works in the sun though,- perhaps someone can comment about that.
You can get the older models or refurbished Kindles that are now quite cheap and in a very short time you will save the difference in the cost of books. Not all books are available on Kindle yet but many are and it is great not to have to prop up a big heavy book. There are lots of FREE books too, most of the classics and many more. Great to carry your whole library on one book.
I also love to read, but have dropped from 4 to 6 books weekly down to maybe one or two a month. Have been considering an ereader for a couple of years. Reading and research were also my biggest passions. Love both so much and now, well, it is really hard to enjoy reading a book. I still have my laptop or desktop computer, but they are not designed for reading a book easily. Once in a while I still do some research but it takes me so much longer to find things than it used to do. Cannot concentrate long enough or remember why I was looking for something. Thanks for the article and the comparison site. Have looked for a comparison site with little success. Most will only rate one or two at a time. Again, thank you.
The last book I read this week, a thriller by Kellerman, was just so large and so heavy, I couldn’t take it with me. Am trying to get an ereader or ipad this month, they’re light and I can change the font, enlarge the letters.
Love the idea of reading without turning on the bedroom lamps and bothering my husband. Just waiting for son to give me his old one when he buys his new one.
New technology is behind the Arab Spring. One little smarty pants guy in Harvard has changed the world!
My “smart phone” has both Nook and Kindle. I like them both. I do use the Nook software more. Either one is much easier for me than holding a book, even a paperbook.
If you can’t afford to buy an e-reader, a lot of libraries are now loaning them out. I live in a small town and we just got a few. The books for e-reader are also available for free from the library.
Also, if you have a computer, you can download the books onto your computer. There are also the audio
books. The book is read for you. It’s awesome! (Those are also available from your library!)
I had basically stopped reading because holding a book would cause excruciating pain in my hands. Then, I got an eReader and I can read again! If my hands are bothering me too much, I prop my eReader on some pillows or a music stand so I can keep reading. Make sure to check your local libraries: Many libraries are now lending books for eReaders. Mine, for example, offers books for Kindle, Nook, and PDF readers.
As Kassandra said, check your local library. Ours has the Kindle, Nook and one other one which is nice so you can try out several before purchase.
Thanks for the info; many things I had not thought about.
My Christmas gift was an e reader. They have really dropped a lot in price since I first considered one. I agree about the benefits others have mentioned, particularly being able to read late at night and not disturb my husband’s sleep too much. And the lightweight is such a bonus.
It is quite economical because there are free books to download from Project Gutenberg for example. Have just finished Lady Audley’s Secret written in 1862, it was really entertaining. Mine allows you to borrow from the local library and that is a marvellous and cost saving idea as we. This can be done from home, another blessing for those who manage CFS.
I am delighted to read about the search function, which will be so useful when I just can’t recall who a particular character is. That will be grand.
I procrastinated on this purchase for so long. A good result was the reduction in price. But I do wonder why I took so long to convince!! The reading experience is very good for easily tired eyes and the capacity to change and enlarge fonts is just marvellous.
Can’t recommend it too highly as they say!!
Yes they’re great. You missed out simply being able to get books without having to leave home. I was really bad last week and simply borrowed an audiobook from the local public library – I was listening within a couple of minutes and didn’t even have to leave my chair. And that’s the other thing, ebooks are great but sometimes I can’t even raise the concentration required to read them. Audiobooks are even better at those times, I get some for free from the library, which has a limited selection, and some from Audible which has an enormous selection, but are a bit pricey, although still cheaper than buying a physical paperback.
I adore my nook color. Full screen touch pad, free books every friday, and with every upgrade it becomes more like a pad and less like a reader. I even like the backlight. My spouse has a regular nook, and his is nowhere near as flexible as mine.
I have a samsung Galaxy Tablet that I love. I have the Kindle, a grocery list which is great. It uses swype. I have all kinds of apps. Love to read on it also. I can’t hold books anymore
I have a couple of e-readers and yes, great for travel and better than my traditional books for the arms.
But I’ve found that a small netbook on top of a beanbag lap desk is even better for me. I can prop the reader at any angle, whether sitting or lying on my back or side, and I can change the screen angle (keeps me from adjusting my neck instead!). I prop my right arm on a pillow and just hit the ‘down’ key whenever I need to change pages.The slightly larger screen and backlighting helps my old eyes.
And, I can toggle to my email or task list any time I feel like it very easily, (I find I’ll suddenly remember something while I’m reading but don’t want to get up to write it down. And with my memory problems it might not surface again for a while!).
So – for now I’ve switched to my netbook and use it constantly for both work at home and for relaxing with a book, socializing online etc. This has really increased my ability to function even on bad days.
There are days I just can’t concentrate enough to follow a new story. I either pick a ‘golden oldie’ to enjoy (especially at 3:00 am, I’m looking for the comfort of an old favourite with a happy ending), or I just surf the net aimlessly and browse here or there.
Keeps me from dwelling on the fact that my brain isn’t working (either! which ironically means that it will work better. This is the weirdest malady, yes?)
Adrienne – thank you for bringing this up! I think ereaders will be a godsend to an aging population of readers, where having more time to read seems to come along with less ability to handle the physical demands of holding a book for long periods of time and deterioration in eyesight for some of us.
And so often we’re in the most need of the wonderful escape that a good book can provide.
(If you don’t like your reality, why not borrow someone else’s for a while? (-:)
Has anyone gone to a Fibro and Fatigue treatment Center? Can you tell me about your experience? Would you do it again? Did it help?
I too have an e-reader, and in addition to all the benefits listed by the commenters above, I love that I can easily tuck mine into my purse and take it with me! I find I spend plenty of time in waiting rooms, and I enjoy having my “book” to read while I wait. Also handy in my vehicle while I wait for my kid to get out of school, sports, etc. It is lightweight and slim, and therefore not cumbersome. I LOVE my e-reader.
A little off-topic, but people who enjoy audiobooks can download them for free from http://librivox.org . It’s similar to Project Gutenberg, in that its all volunteers, reading and recording books in the public domain to make available for downloading.
I also love my book reader, and have FMS. I have a Sony Reader (the gold standard), I have one of the pocket edition ones. I have found, too, as others have said, that e readers are so light in weight to hold, they will not hurt your arms, hands and shoulders to hold them up, even for a long time. And the different font sizes are wonderful for ease of reading, especially with the wonderful e ink technology that does not cause eyestrain. When I am in a flare, my Sony Reader is a wonderful source of comfort and distraction. It is wonderful that book readers are coming down in price, making them more affordable to more people. And, of course, all the sources for free e books (from web sites for free books to the public library’s free e books) makes them an even more wonderful invention!
I have a Kindle and I bought a cover for it that has a built in light that runs off of the Kindle’s battery. It is wonderful, I only have to charge one item and the light doesn’t take much power. The cover adds weight to the Kindle so I have to prop it on a pillow more often, but it is worth it.
I love being able to get books without leaving my house.
I just got the Nook tablet. I love it and being able to check out books from the library from home is a Godsend. It is nice for Fibro because it is light, be careful about your neck posture, use a pillow to elevate it so you don’t injure your neck. Gentle hugs <3
I have a Kobo touch. I love it. I got it in late summer and have read 200 hours on it so far. I bought the matching light that clips on the top. I can read half the night if I want and not disturb my Yorkies who sleep with me. We bought our son one for Christmas and he loves his.
I have a Nook Color and love it not only for reading but for doing all my banking, emails, etc. from the Nook in bed in the am while I’m getting ready to get up. It can do everything practically that my computer does, except for the typing without a keyboard. I like it a lot in the middle of the night when I wake up, I have the low light on and I read kinda boring news reports and my eyes close and I turn if off and go back to sleep. Never could go back to sleep after waking in the middle of the night before. I also check my emails in the am before getting out of bed to see if there is anything urgent –which takes stress off of starting the day. If I were to purchase one now, I’d get the new Nook Tablet. But the Nook Color is now much cheaper and does almost everything the Tablet does. Adrienne–you are a treasure!!
Here’s a website that has inspirational books and magzines that can be downloaded for no charge:
http://www.jw.org
My e-Book ‘Funnily Enough’ is FREE on Kindle this weekend – until 8.00am on Monday 30th January (GMT)
Please click on ~
http://funnily-enough.blogspot.com/
It is an adaptaion of the diary I kept when I went down with Chronic Fatigue, which I hope will amuse and inspire readers whether they are in a similar situation or have never heard of cfs.
Well, I have a Kindle and rarely use it. I thought it would be the perfect thing, but it hasn’t worked out for me. I find it hard to navigate because I’m too foggy to remember how to do it. It really hurts my hands to grasp such a thin item. I don’t know, I guess it’s just not for me. BUT – all your positive comments have inspired me to give it another try. Thanks!
I had to stop reading until I got a Kindle. I have so much arm,shoulder, back pain I can’t hold a book & turn the pages. I absolutely LOVE my KINDLE. I got a leather cover for it ( which is a must to protect the screen) plus it helps hold it up. I have numerous lap desks around the house which are also very helpful & I can prop my kindle up on them. You can download brain games , books, mag. & lots of things.
The kindle gave mea big part of my life back again.
Kindle has a speaking function, a little mechanical sounding, but good for those days when you just can’t concentrate on reading the words.
I actually stopped reading because of a traumatic cataract. By the time it was repaired, I had begun a cycle of health issues that culminated with a fibromyalgia diagnosis. My brain fog made everything I enjoyed so frustrating to attempt that I stopped trying any of them for a long time.
When I learned how to work around my various symptoms, I started reading again, first using a Kindle app on my laptop, then on my iPhone. After my daughter gifted me with a Kindle Fire this past Christmas, my reading really took off in earnest.
I’m on a limited income so I try to keep my book purchases to the lesser expensive books and use the public library site frequently. I totally credit the development of the e-book and the various e-book readers with my return to reading. I’m grateful for an easier way to handle books as my hands would cramp holding even paperbacks. I use the cover to prop my Fire if I’m too tired to hold it. I can’t really prop a paper book in any way. Reading is one little bit of normalcy I’ve been able to bring back into my Fibro life.