#91 - Is the Temperature Tolerable?

Since I have battled Addison's disease...a constant battle since it impacts every area of my life...I have found that I must be very pro-active with being exposed to temperature changes.

During my Pre-Addison's days, I could spend days at the beach and be happy in the sun and in the heat. Nowadays, I am unable to hardly walk outside where a blast of heat can literally make me weak, mushy, and as if I will collapse. My body simply cannot tolerate high temperatures any longer.

Going to the beach is no longer any fun if the heat makes you feel like you have the flu for the following few days. And getting a sunburn with this disease? The constant stress of the body having to deal with skin that is red and hurting is not a good thing for someone with Addison's.

Of course, a warm, breezy day would be a delight, but here in Texas, the past few months have given us too many days in the triple digits and those days are dreaded for most of us, but especially those of us with Addison's. We've learned to avoid the things that make us feel like crap and high temperatures are a problem-maker in my world, so I avoid the high heat. This means that I had to stay indoors nearly every day...only going out during the early morning hours or in the late evening. Which was not unusual when compared to my fellow Texans, turns out that many people in Texas were avoiding this miserable heat streak.

However, we are now experiencing pleasant temperatures and it is rejuvenating. Having the freedom to come and go outside, as I please, in mild temperatures if freeing. My body is happy and eager to savor these days while they last.

Just as I cannot take a hot day or a very cold day, the same goes for bath time. Before Addison's, I loved taking hot, hot, hot baths. The kind of hot bath that you could barely sit into because the steam burned you before the water ever touched your skin. I liked it hot. I miss those soaking baths that made my muscles feel like melted rubber bands of delicious relaxation. These days, I mostly take showers in warm water...not too hot, not too cold, but just-right temperatures to not stress my body into problems with my Addison's disease.

I have friends all over the world. Some of them are already battling cold weather. It's amazing to me as I sit here in my Texas residence and know that our winter is still a good distance away from being a reality. However, just as the heat makes me sick, the cold, cold weather can create similar problems with my Addison's disease. Any great change in temperature is simply a no-no with proper management of this disease. I don't just get cold and shiver with low temperatures, I shiver, become lethargic and feel the blood pressure start to sink and Uh Oh...there's trouble. Popping more HC is not always the proper route...sometimes you must learn to avoid the situations that would require you to increase the steroids. So, I avoid harsh cold weather.

This year, I plan on getting a new electric blanket to take the edge off the nights when I am literally frozen in place and unable to even speak because I am a tight mess of locked muscles. I've found that having an electric blanket ready to combat the chills is a big help during the hard cold months.

Temperature hardships are not to be taken lightly if you are trying to keep your Addison's disease regulated. You may not have to avoid it, but to decrease your chance of suffering through hard, sharp temperature difficulties might be helpful in your disease management.

Still, I enjoy a day at the beach...as long as it's not 105 degrees, and I enjoy playing in the snow, as long as the wind is not biting through my clothes...it's all about using our intelligence and knowing what is best for our bodies so that we can enjoy as many strong days as possible.

And this morning here in Texas has been delightful. So far, I've let the chickens out of the coop, fed them, let the dogs run around, and I cleaned the chicken nests in the coop of their mess. Now, I'm ready for more eggs to be laid in the clean nests and that means delicious omelets this weekend. Omelets taste good in any kind of weather, that's for sure.