It has been very hot lately as you in the United States know. July and August are Wisconsin's hottest months, so we make a lot of summer plans during those months. The southern states take it for granted that they can plan a lot of outdoor things most of the year, but here in the northern U.S. we never really know if we will get snow, sleet, wind, rain, hail, or a nice day. June weddings have been known to get ruined with frost on the fresh flowers, and by Halloween we could easily have our first snow or more.
But, the heat is very hard on people with Fibromyalgia and other illnesses. Wisconsin humidity makes up for our loss of yearly warmth by making it feel much hotter than the temperature. So when it hits 80 or higher, we start becoming very uncomfortable. Right now as I write this, a quick check on the new weather program on my computer tells me it is 90 degrees, but FEELS like 98 degrees. (The same thing happens in the winter, only opposite so if it is minus 10, it might feel like minus 20! Since this blog is about educating you about the personal side of Fibromyalgia, let me explain what I mean by the heat being hard on us.
First of all, I have never sweat my entire life until I hit menopause. (Now I do have night sweats, but still do not sweat during the day.) Instead of sweating, my face gets very red, and my body feels like it is going to explode. If I don't get relief, I have been known to pass out. I get migraines from the bright sunshine, because even my eyes are more sensitive than normal. It's like there is a heat limit that when reached, the body literally breaks down. I get severe diarrhea and feel very sick to my stomach. My legs get weak and I can barely stand. My hands and feet swell up so I feel a claustrophobic sense with clothes or jewelry or shoes. I get dizzy too and feel an urgent sense of panic to get out of the heat immediately.
I haven't mentioned the allergies because that is a different situation, but they also kick up worse if I'm outside. So instead of putting myself through those symptoms I stay inside most of the summer. I have learned to limit the outdoor activities to what I think I can handle, and according to priority. Fibromyalgia people are known to have lower Vitamin D levels, and in my case it is certainly true because I simply don't go outside while the sun is shining. (Being lactose-intolerant doesn't help either.) I will only think about doing things after the sun goes down, or if it is in good shade or in air conditioning.
When I do go to something important that requires some outside time, even if I don't overdo it that day, I still feel it the next day. I might get sick to my stomach that night and spend much of the night with diarrhea, and in great pain. The next day I'm exhausted and my body feels like it might shatter if someone touches me. I ache all over even if I did nothing but sit. I have to rest and feel like I am recovering from an auto accident or something.
I like winter better. Sure the cold gets in my joints, but at least I can bundle up and go outside. I seem to have more energy in the winter too, as long as depression doesn't join in with the dark days. I love to watch the snow fall, and to crawl under a warm blanket.
Summer to me is more like a passing dream. I see the beauty of the green grass and the bright colors of the flowers against a beautiful blue sky, but I am not a participant for the most part. Other people with Fibromyalgia may have a different experience, but this is mine. When I say the heat is hard on me, I am not exaggerating or making it up. I am not being lazy either. I am struggling to do the best I can, and after over 50 years in this body, I have learned to be careful in summer.
My daughter loves to tan, and get outside and walk, or bike, or whatever. My husband gets out there and sweats in the garden and mowes the lawn. In fact, he seems to come alive in Spring, while I get better in the Fall. Meanwhile, time passes for me as I wait the summer days out. When nightfall comes, I come out of hiding. It's not easy going against the daily schedule of everybody I know, but it's the way it is.
My plea is to have consideration for those who say they are not heat tolerant. We are not like you. God has a different plan for us and it does not involve labor or fun under the hot sun. We may have differences, but that's OK. Just because I stay inside doesn't mean I am anti-social. I love it when people come visit me on my turf. But as I always say, please don't show up before noon!
"Let us dare to be ourselves, for we can do that better than anyone else can." --Shirley Briggs
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