10 Ways To Make It Through The Summer Heat While Chronically Ill

10 Ways To Make It Through Summer

Where I live it gets extremely hot during the summer, and the summer lasts a looonnggg time.  

 

My illness causes organ failure.  And the first organ to go is the skin.  This means that my body can no longer regulate temperature the way it should.  Usually, if you get hot, the heat escapes through the skin.  But my skin no longer serves that function efficiently.  So the heat gets trapped under the skin and I can’t cool down. My core temperature rises.  And I can no longer function.   

Coping With Chronic Illness - Exercise Part 2 - 5 Myths And Facts About Exercise While Ill

5 Myths and Facts About Exercise and Chronic Illness

As I said in my last post (Coping With Chronic Illness -  Exercise Part 1 - Is It Good Or Bad?), we live in a society that thinks of exercise primarily as being a weight thing – or something that makes one more physically “uniform”.  But it is so much more than that!

For us, exercising to lose weight is not the main goal.  It may possibly come as a side benefit.  But for us, the main goal is to be able to participate in life.  To be able to move about our homes, maybe to work, go grocery shopping, play with our children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews, to enjoy nature or a social event.  We just want to have a semblance of a life, and to make a difference in the lives of others.  The more strength we lose, the less of life we can enjoy.

Energy Economy - How To Attend Important Events While Chronically Ill

I want to start off by saying that there are levels of illness which do not allow for attending any events – no matter how important they may be to you.  I have been that ill before.  I will likely get there again.  I am so sorry if you are currently in such a state. 

However, just a degree or two better and it is possible to attend at least part of an event if you follow these suggestions below.  Of course, some things will depend on the type of event you are attending. (I used these suggestions for my sisters baby shower, which was really important to me, and the only party I have been to in the past 2 years – and for a 2 day convention holding 1,000 people which was also very important to me.)

Coping With Chronic Illness - Exercise Part 1 - Is it Good or Bad?

Is Exercise Good Or Bad for the Chronically Ill?

If you have a chronic illness you know you should exercise, right?  You know it, I know it, we all
know it.  Healthy people should exercise.  Sick people should exercise.  Old people, young people.  Everyone should exercise.  It’s good for you.

And yet… it’s just not that simple.

The challenge

Sure exercise is beneficial – but how do you do it, where do you even start when you are:

Feeling completely and utterly horrible?

Too weak to stand, walk, or even sit up for any length of time?