What states seem to have the best conditions for us MS'ers?

[ladiefury]

I'm looking to move within the next few years. I currently live in Pennsylvania but am open to relocation if it means feeling better. Does anyone know if certain states with less humidity seem to work better with the MS/heat fight?

Appreciate any and all thoughts on the topic!

[DogMa]

Humidity vs Temps

I don't mean to complicate your info request but can I interject this wrinkle please???Even though I feel much better when the humidity is lower, I worry about super high or super low temp. and how that might make me and my MS feel. When I look for low humidity, it seems that so many of the places might complicate things with great temperature swings. Are there any "temperate", low humidity places anyone can suggest?

[bwmorris]

California is an extremely large state, especially compared to those in New England, so bear that in mind. There is much variation in California.

I'm aware of three places in California that seem to do pretty well at meeting the criteria:

1) The San Francisco Bay Area. I lived in the East Bay for 8 years. You can drive 5–10 minutes and run into another micro-climate with a difference of 10° F, but there are not big extremes within a comfortable range of 55°–80° throughout most of the year.

It's about 40°–90° overall, but most homes don't even have air conditioners because it's only hot enough to use them 2–3 weeks out of the year. Therefore, if heat is bad for your MS, don't assume the place you're thinking of living in the Bay Area has a.c. Also, you can't go far inland, or you quickly lose the temperature-mediating effects of the ocean. That goes for each of the places below, too.

Oh, and California's expensive. Around 2003 in North Carolina, we paid around $650/month for an 850 sq. ft. "luxury" apartment. Then we moved to the Bay Area, and the cost almost doubled while the square footage almost halved ($1200/month for 450 sq. ft.).

There is fog, but the humidity tends to be low because much of California's coast is technically a desert, or close to it.

2) The "Central Coast". Early last year we moved here, to Lompoc ('lahm-POKE', like 'pom'-'coke'). Because of the way the mountains fold inward (are "transverse"), it has the same kind of air/temp. flow as the Bay Area. This makes it good for growing wine, incidentally, just like the North Bay (Area).

There's little a.c. to be found here, and for non-MSers, there's little need.

Less expensive ($675/month for a 500 sq. ft., totally non-luxury apt.), but also not nearly as culturally rich, interesting, or economically viable as the Bay Area. We wouldn't have moved if we had the choice.

3) San Diego. I've never lived there, but I hear it's lovely year-round.

My friends there insist it does get "hot" there, but I think they've become spoiled like I have. I was born in a state that gets 10 feet of snow piled up at a time, and I've lived in the Midwest and South, where temperature variation and heat & humidity, respectively, disrespect you. I love my California weather so much!

Again, though, it's a huge state. Even though the SF Bay Area ("Northern California") is only slight above the middle of the California coast, and Lompoc is about halfway between the bottom of the state (San Diego) and the Bay Area, the Lompoc area is still called the "Central Coast". Most people just ignore the real Northern California; search for the "State of Jefferson" online for interesting info on this region!

Anyway, I know it's expensive in San Diego. As with the Bay Area, you "pay for the privilege of living there". I don't know how anyone could survive on federal disability payments there. If you've got buckets of money, though, my view is that there's nothing better to spend it on than quality of life!

[wheeliegirl]

I live in the high desert in California . Can say that it would be best to avoid this place . Its extremely hot and muggy now temps from 98-115 . Winters can get very cold here with some snow. And a real dust bowl.Plus high winds.

If it weren't that I need to be here now I'd live elsewhere .

Have also lived in Vegas . Don't recommend there cause of the heat.

Lived in Illinois and Michigan where you have high humidity/heat in summer and very very cold winters.

In the US the weather now is up and down everywhere.
Avoid at all cost any states in Tornado alley .
My husband has it in his head to move to Montana some day . lol He doesn't realize that the winter months there are brutal. Not good for me. Although its beautiful there.

bwmorris is so right about San Diego . Its sooooo nice there but at a HIGH cost of living. But if you have the money its worth it.

My family lives in Texas by the bay area and love it.
Hopefully others will write in. Wish I had more to tell.

[onlyairfare]

I've lived all over the US and I have found western Washington to be the best climate for me. Like California, near the coast the climate is moderate, rarely hot, rarely very cold. Seattle area is fairly pricey like the Bay Area or San Diego, but other areas are less so. I think the climate would be similar along the Oregon coast. Though there is of course some humidity being near the coast, I found it was not nearly so bad in a cooler area.

[palmtree]

California is great if you have money. The climate and real estate prices go together. One of the best places to live is Bel Air or Pacific Palisades, Calif. It's not too hot, not humid, just a gentle ocean breeze. The only catch is that you need a few extra hundred million dollars laying around.

San Francisco Bay area is also beautiful. There are many places north of San Francisco like Napa that are exquisite. Palo Alto to the south is also very nice. All have a very high cost of living.

One thing about California is that I think there are more medical care options. From reading this website, especially the stories from the limbolanders, I am very grateful that I live in this state. I was diagnosed immediately, put in the hospital as soon as I had symptoms of ON and as soon as I had pain I was sent to a pain management doctor.

However, I too, think maybe I should move somewhere else. Where I live it is 90 degrees most of the year. It was 100 this week when I went out to a 1:45pm doctor appt. There may be no humidity but when it's that hot it's HOT! It's never cold here that's for sure. Maine sounds wonderful to me.

This is an interesting thread. There should be some good input.

[knuckle]

Portland, Maine

Low humidity, not too hot, may be a little cold in the winter but that's when you take a vacation south.

[nursefairy]

I have heard that Hawaii has perfect weather. It's warm but not extremely hot. I am willing to be the guinea pig if anyone wants to send me there to check it out for a while

[ladiefury]

Maybe I should clarify a little... I have negative buckets of money and am on disability...so San Diego is out. (Believe me. I'd move there in a heartbeat if I could!) I hate moving far from my elderly parents here in southwestern Pennsylvania but I really need to consider my health. I was thinking Montana (but mostly because I love how open it is there and land is cheap!)

[DogMa]

I agree with the OP; cost is a factor so that puts CA out of consideration. Personally I'd love to live in the Portland, ME area, even though I can't afford winter vacations, any vacations really, but in checking real estate in the area, costs are going up.

I think "best conditions" has to include climate and cost of living, not to mention access to care when MS folks look around for places to live. Then there's the question of "stairs" but I won't go there...

Back to the original post "what states seem to have the best...?"

[Tracelyn]

I have been thinking about the best place to live as well.

I have been looking into pan handle of Oklahoma and South East Colorado.

The heat is not as bad as here in Texas, and the winters are not too cold.

Heck, I think I would be fine in the cold, because I can layer it up and stay warm, when you are hot... there is only so much you can take off before scaring everyone, or being against the law.

[hsmaldo]

Montana/Idaho

Montana winters can be pretty harsh, I grew up in the southwest area near Bozeman.

If you're looking to move there, I would recommend the Flathead valley/Missoula area. Weather there is more temperate in the winter.

Personally, I want to move to Idaho to the northern area near Coeur d'Alene.

In any of those areas, it gets HOT in the summer, but the humidity is non-existent and everything cools off as soon as the sun goes down.

There are a lot of wild fires, so if you have any sensitivities to smoke, I would think twice.