Heat Intolerance and MS

Recently the weather has turned hot and humid which usually spells disaster for me. Usually over the past few years during the summer I would wake up early and get as much done as I could before the heat really kicked in. If I had to be outside in the heat I would wear an ice vest and whatever other cold packs I could somehow attach to my body to help keep me upright.  Generally I could make it through outdoor activities as long as I was not in the direct sun for too long and didn’t participate in any physical activity. Saying this out loud I feel like a gremlin, except you can feed me after midnight!

Last summer I put together a Muckfest team with my friend Denise who also has MS, together with the help of our friends we raised over $5,000. Our big fundraising event was a huge Sunday BBQ in the park, a ton of planning and effort went into making it happen and I wanted to make sure that everyone got their money’s worth. Of course the day of the event it was close to 90 degrees and very humid but I had planned on it and was armed with bags of ice and the rest of my cooling gear. Even with buckets of ice and the precautionary measures I took I didn’t last and eventually became so dizzy that I got sick and had to be taken home and missed out on the ribs that Smith Clique BBQ had been smoking all day.

Fast forward to this summer and the weather is of course becoming hot and humid again but it hasn’t been bothering me much at all, is this another bonus of the paleo/Wahls diet? There wasn’t any hard labor involved but I got to enjoy some great summer activities this past weekend and I didn’t melt, I made sure to stay hydrated and found the shade whenever possible. I spent six hours standing around in the sun smoking ribs and this time I made it to the end and got to eat some, they were worth the wait!

Be a Warrior Today,

Donn

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