77 Degrees in February....What :-)! Planning early for and getting ahead of the heat.

By jdeabler

2 min read

Yesterday it was 77 and sunny here in Philadelphia. We went to the Phil zoo yesterday afternoon, in February...what :-) ?? It was a-mazing!! Loved it!! There was a nice breeze and when the sun clouded over it was a bit chilly...It is still February after all. Today it is 49 LOL..

Yesterday was a very out of the ordinary day for February, one of those "warm-ish" days that come, albeit not usually in February, before it gets too hot and humid for those of us with heat sensitivity and MS. Yesterday got me thinking that now is the time I-WE should start preparing, planning for the next day that will be more than just warm, it will be hot and humid...and my MS body, eyes, brain will not love it, at all.

Today I got out my cooling vest and scarf to double check that it was clean etc. and checked the cooling packs to make sure there were no accidental punctures and put them in the freezer to be ready for that first expected or unexpected hot day. Today I know I'm ready and will be ready to enjoy those outdoor activities by myself and with my family at any time, even if it's another out of the ordinary day for whatever month, heat wave. And I am glad I am.

Today I have my cooling products ready, I know they help. I would rather use them and live my life as an "insider" participating in life than not use them and always be inside staying cool, watching everyone else enjoy life. So that's my choice :-). What's yours?

How do you feel about the hot days to come? Do you have your game plan, your products if you use them ready for those days? Do you know how to get help if you think you can't afford them?

Today I looked into how someone could get help with cooling products if they would like to get them. Of the big three MS non-profits, the NMSS, the MSAA, the MSF, both the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America and the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation offer cooling programs for people to get cooling products. And very cool, the MSF offers a "fashion vest" for a bit more style and it's program is available Feb 1st through June 1st. Check out both these programs....

Multiple Sclerosis Foundation... https://msfocus.org/Get-Help/MSF-Programs-Grants/Cooling-Program

Multiple Sclerosis Association of America... https://mymsaa.org/msaa-help/cooling-products/

This was my personal public service announcement (PSA) to anyone interested...plan and prepare now, get ahead start, get ahead of the heat. And enjoy any day at the zoo :-)!

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stones16 Member
hello Sorry not sure your name ,been reading your interesting story ,i had rrms now progressed to spms now. I to suffer in the heat, I also suffer in cold these days. I use to have ice baths, they were life changing for me. I was walking with crutches before the ice bath, after the ice bath I was walking about 500yrds with no walking aids.this only lasted for 30 minutes. I stopped me having relapses. not had relapse since 2007. I was reading your story , I thought the ice baths may may work for you. I would just use cold baths at first , then add ice when you use to the cold water gary
1. jdeabler Member
 Hi Gary, Thanks for your reply. I too have moved on from rrms to spms although the cold does not bother me...other than it's cold and I don't like it LOL. The heat though is a different story, it can really drag me down quickly. vision, brain fog, leg weakness, fatigue- yep, I get it all. If I think about it, the heat probably does affect me even more now that I have moved on to spms. What that means to me is that I have to be more proactive about staying ahead of the heat and the symptoms it brings on. My cooling vest and scarves work really well for me that way. Your cold bath suggestion is intriguing but brrrrr 😀. I'm not sure I could handle that! A little MS trivia which you may already know....years ago the cold bath test was used as one of the ways doctors would confirm a dx of MS. If you were overheated, you were put in an ice bath. If your symptoms improved, then probable MS. The medical community were brutal back then LOL. Best, Jil
Erin Rush Community Admin
Hi JDeabler! Thanks so much for sharing! It's a great idea to start thinking and preparing for the hotter months right now. And thank you for sharing the links to programs that offer cooling vests for individuals living with MS. Now is definitely the time to look into such programs! I hope you are able to enjoy all the crazy weather that Spring has to offer. Thanks again for sharing! Best, Erin, <a href='https://multiplesclerosis.net' target='_blank'>MultipleSclerosis.net</a> Team Member.
1. jdeabler Member
 Hi Erin! Thanks so much for your response. It was wonderful to experience 76 in February, not so much 96 in the months to come. Hopefully, my friends with MS will say, "oh that's right, I thought about getting cooling products last year" now and be all set when we get that first really hot day. You mentioned "the crazy weather that Spring has to offer," that's certainly true this year, isn't it? Who knows when that first scorcher will be? And a quick reminder, the MSF program is that it only runs from Feb 1-June 1, which is great for those that plan ahead. MSAA's cooling program runs all year. Thanks again Erin! Best, Jil