Scleroderma Information » Scleroderma » Tips for Keeping warm
Question:
On 26 Oct 1999 17:55:34 GMT, surviv…@aol.com (Sherry Messick) wrote: >Colleen I love the hair dryer tip. That is a good idea. >Sherry Messick >Visit Surviving Scleroderma >http://SclerodermaSupport.com >The Scleroderma & Autoimmune Digest Email Support List >(Subscribe Today) http://SclerodermaSupport.com/digest >"We are all Beacons of Light for each other" >Oprah Winfrey
Being a former mailman in Massachusetts where the temperature can get as low with a wind chill factor of -30, and having CREST, I had to be very concerned about keeping warm. Fortunately, unlike the old days when a carrier was on foot from the time he or she left the office until return, most carriers today have vehicles to shelter them between relays. Although for many years I had a Jeep which wasn’t too much better than being in a metal box, it was better than nothing. That is to say when the heater worked. Recently, the USPS purchased a fleet of Ford Windstar vans. It was like a dream come true, as the heater was like a blast furnace and provided fast recovery from numb fingers. Due to the nature of the job, being a letter carrier and having CREST is a bad combination. Along with the usual bundle of letter and magazine sized mail, we had a second and larger bundle of automated letter sized mail. We had to hold both bundles in one hand and use the other hand to finger thru and pick out letters from each bundle to pop into the customer’s mail box. Add to that, on most days we had to deliver flimsy store flyers. Quite simply, it was virtually impossible to handle this mail with gloves on. We had to do it with no gloves, or at best, with one glove on the hand that held the bundles. Needless to say, the hand that fingered the mail was sans glove and exposed to a lot of severe cold temperatures. Further added to this problem was the fact that I lost the tip of my right index finger due to a worse case scenario of having Raynaud’s. I assure you that for the last couple or so years before I retired, I suffered and lived in a state of virtual hell both on the job and at home. Because of many factors which included the stress due to the fear of my next work day, I bottomed out and missed a lot of work. You couldn’t believe how afraid I was to go to bed anticipating the next work day. It was like I was spinning a web because my stress level was making the condition of CREST worse. As much as I didn’t want to leave my route which I had for over 20 years, I, my union and my managers worked out a special deal where I was given tasks that did not require undue exposure to the elements. Where I had less than a year to go before I was eligible to retire, it was a win-win situation for everyone. However, such an arrangement was a courtesy and not a right, I could have been fired if I wasn’t so close to being of retirement age. Since August, I’ve been retired and feel a hell of a lot better and more functional. I did learn a lot of tricks as to keeping warm. The most important thing is to dress in layers and be covered from top to bottom. Often times, when it was very cold yet dry, I’d still wear rubbers on my shoes to give added insulation from the cold. After all, the feet are constantly on the cold ground. As a kid, I never wore a hat, but this became necessary as I got older. Although I am a smoker, I tried to refrain from smoking during my street time. Also, I didn’t take in coffee or alcohol. Since I am a non-drinker, this posed no problem. People are mislead to believe that alcohol and cold weather go hand in hand. I disagree with that notion. But, what is most important and necessary to deal with the cold is to maintain a proper diet and have a substantial meal for lunch. It makes a difference, because I used to go thru the route before having any lunch and learned that eating mid-route helped as far as cold weather and energy. Both go hand in hand. Blow dryers are great, because I had one in my vehicle for times when my fingers needed a good blast. There were plenty of places on my route to plug it in to use. And as far as hand warmers go, like the American Express commercial says, "Don’t leave home without it." I had six of them and staggered the use so I’d constantly have two that were warmed up to stick in my outter jacket pocket to keep my ungloved hand warm. I know that I just wrote a sequel to War and Peace, but having Raynaud’s, SD, CREST, does warrant a long story. In order to help my brothers and sisters survive with any degree of physical well being and sanity, I’ll spare no words. God Bless Bob – alle…@tiac.net ICQ 6418621
Response:
Cokey, I can’t wear gloves either due to contractions and I hate wearing gawdy lookin mittens to. Sherry Messick Visit Surviving Scleroderma http://SclerodermaSupport.com The Scleroderma & Autoimmune Digest Email Support List (Subscribe Today) http://SclerodermaSupport.com/digest "We are all Beacons of Light for each other" Oprah Winfrey
Response:
As i stated I wear my gloves when I go to resturants. I cant eat with mittens. so to solve the problem of tight finger tips, when I buy a pair of antique gloves, I hand wash them then insert wine corks or over stuff the fingers with cotton balls to stretch them while they air dry. This helps alot. If I have any ulcerations on the tips, I dont go out. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Cokey R wrote: > >I cant wear mittens > I can’t wear gloves because of my fingers. The gloves on the finger tips is > excruitiating. > Cokey R > Friendship is the best gift > a human can ever give to another person.
Response:
Below are helpful tips, hints and information on adaptive devices to help you keep warm. Many of us suffer with Raynaud’s which makes this a very important, yet hard to accomplish task. Probably the best tips I could ever give are to purchase the following two items. Automatic-car remote starter!! A car phone is a good idea. How far could you walk for help if your car broke down? Especially in winter? Keep a Survival Kit Easily Accessible: Probably one of the best tips (reprinted with permission) I could ever share here on this page was given to me by Doris R. "In the winter months, I always keep a survival kit in my trunk in case I get stranded or have car trouble. It includes a sleeping bag, blankets, water and crackers, socks and matches. Don’t forget the disposable hand warmers." Hand Warmers made by Grabber Mycoal "In seconds, the packet released the most wonderful heat and consequently for the next three hours relieved my discomfort. These are slightly bigger than a sugar packet and be kept in a wallet or purse all year long and pulled out when needed. Purchase $5 worth of these disposable items and you’re stocked for any unseen event or Raynaud’s fit." Grabber
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