Losing my life because of heat

[pballer76]

Iv been diagnosed for 6 years. I feel like I have lost most of my life outdoors. I cannot handle the heat. Its triple digits with high humidity again today. I have spent the last 5 summers living in air conditioning. I have a 4 year old son that I dont get to play with outside.
Is there anything I can do to make it easier to be outside in the heat? I live in Illinois and it isn't the temperature so much as it is the humidity.

[Lexie]

I am in the same situation and I live in Florida where it is hot and humid. I just thank the Lord every day for Air Conditioning. I wear a cooling scarf around my neck when I go outside and it helps but just for a few minutes. I used to lay in the sun for hours and now can't take it for 5 minutes. That's not the Florida life I grew up in!!!!

[asiel1]

I too have issues. I feel like a vampire. I live in North Texas and we have had 100+ temps for nearly three months. I cannot open the shades, go near the oven or dryer when it is running.

Heaven forbid doing something anything that requires I am outside for more then 5 minutes. If I push it I will spend the afternoon in bed.

I am counting the days til fall. It's so bad, I actually considered driving to Louisiana so I could hang out with my family during tropical storm Lee.

Lbj

[Blessings2You]

Have you checked into cooling vests? I've heard good things about them.

[terie-tk]

Illinois too

it was 104 degrees yesterday -- on my day off from work of course.

I schedule appts. & physical therapy on my day off so I have to be out at times in it.

In the MD's office (not neuro appt--GI doc), even in the AC, I noticed I was the only one having issues with temp of the waiting room-- I thought I was going to pass out. People were kind of staring as I was clearly uncomfortable & kept shifting in my chair & felt like my skin was on fire--- I thought I was going to have to leave..I wasn't sweating.

Last summer was the same thing... 95 degrees all summer here. I think I will have to look into the cooling vest. I've been avoiding that idea, thinking I could just tough it out.

[KatW]

I'm in north Texas too and this has been an awful summer. This morning was the first time I walked around the block since early June. It is slowly getting cooler.

[onlyairfare]

I have actually moved to a different state to avoid a problem climate. Even now, I am moving from temporary housing and have to choose between the town close to work (hot, dry and dusty, though at least no humidity) or the town 50 miles away and much more expensive, but cool and green.

I am doing everything I can to find a home in the cooler location.

It's a lot of trouble to move out of the heat and humidity, but worth the effort to have a life.

[BigA]

What about moving to somewhere with a more favorable climate?

[DianeD]

Giving up on summer!

Without a doubt, heat just isn't something I can tolerate and darned if I don't live in NC! Before this we lived in Florida and dh missed seasons so we moved to NC. We are originally from MI, but we don't want the winters there.

I was happy in Florida; I'd acceptesd the heat as something I worked around. A/C is everywhere in Florida and I also had a swimming pool, which was helpful. I learned to dodge the heat situation.

My house had a nice view of a natural area with a pond and I hung out in that room, enjoying the view, but aware that the reality was that it was 'cooking' out there.

It's tough to give up activities you love in summer, but it's often a big issue (heat) of MS. There are cooling vests (cumbersome and expensive) and even neck scarfs that you refrigerate and then wear to be cooler.

Ultimately you have to decide what you want and realize what your limitations are.

I get so tired of people saying I should 'try' to tolerate the heat. I just stand my ground, knowing MS is reality and that I have to find my own 'happy'. Its hard; we can't transfer how we feel and we have to watch that we don't harm ourselves due to someone else having expectations for us.

Best of luck..Diane

[poohb3ar]

excellent points!

wow! i know what you mean. the heat not only zaps me but also makes it hard to breath & gives me a killer migraine even if i just get the mail!

i also leave in IL! left thurs with record high of 102 heading to pensacola fl where it's actually cooler thanks to Lee! my coolant vest remains in the trunk. must say it is a life saver (used it for many years.)
it is bulky but they have feminine ones now.
this is from an email from MSAA. go to their website to get full info:

'MSAA now has a new line of cooling garments that can be worn under clothing. These smaller vests are:
Easily hidden for discreet use
Very comfortable to wear while exercising or on the go
Light in weight (because they hold less gel-ice packs, this reduces the time of cooling relief)
To help add to these smaller under-clothing vests, MSAA has packaged them into Cooling Kits, which include a variety of accessories to cool the neck, wrist and ankle. Such accessories can also be very effective for staying cool while exercising. These new cooling selections are featured in the newly revised MSAA Cooling Application accessed on our website here or by copying and pasting the following into your web browser:
support.msassociation.org/cooling'

hope that helps ya!
if you need more, just post again!

take care & God bless ya!

[Windwalker]

After doing amazingly well during June/July, the severe August heat wave in the AZ desert has caused me to have a major setback. Even being inside with A/C running is not providing total relief. My body temperature clearly remains above the line where bad things start to happen.

The electric bills are already topping $400 monthly, if I keep the A/C in the high 70's, they will approach $600+.

Still...this type of heat, 110+, sucks every bit of moisture right out of your body. I've got to get out of here somehow during the Summer's.

[asiel1]

I am also at my wits end with the heat in North Texas. I keep telling my hub that I cannot tolerate it, but he just does not get it. His "compromise" was to move home to Baton Rouge La because it is generally 10 degrees cooler there than here. ( but 100% humidity)

He really does not get how hard it is. I am only 45, and prior to progressing was an active athletic woman. Sitting in the house all day with the shades drawn waiting for cooler temps is depressing.

It has cooled a bit this week but in six days it will be back in the high nineties again. If he does not make a decision soon, I am going to buy myself a home in another state.. a cooler one, he can stay here in Hell.. I am done.

I too believe you have to be in a place where you can have a life, and here I have none.

Lbj

[onlyairfare]

After doing amazingly well during June/July, the severe August heat wave in the AZ desert has caused me to have a major setback. Even being inside with A/C running is not providing total relief. My body temperature clearly remains above the line where bad things start to happen.

The electric bills are already topping $400 monthly, if I keep the A/C in the high 70's, they will approach $600+.

Still...this type of heat, 110+, sucks every bit of moisture right out of your body. I've got to get out of here somehow during the Summer's.

Have you considered moving to northern Arizona? It is quite rare for it to be over 80 degrees in Flagstaff.

[Windwalker]

Have you considered moving to northern Arizona? It is quite rare for it to be over 80 degrees in Flagstaff.

Still have a daughter in H.S. (Sophomore) and she is doing quite well. Also my mother lives only 10 minutes away and has been a huge help. These are my obstacles.

The solution will have to be for me to find a place for the summer's on my own. Flag' is nice but San Diego has more appeal...better weather and med. marijuana so I don't have to be an "Outlaw" Windwalker.