BLASTED COLD!

By the end of my first year of post-grad studies, all my mates know my stand where air conditioning is concerned. God knows how many times I fought in that room because it was just too cold. And up until now, I still don’t get why we can’t just turn it off and let the breeze from outside in, it’s not hot anyway, is it? NO! But alas, I had to suffer through, fight through, seize the remote control sometimes, and turn it off without asking, cos it was becoming just too much! But hey..lol! They’ve got used to me now, bless their hearts! What I’m trying to say is, cold is my enemy!

And now, my body has been reacting so violently to the change in weather, it is NOT funny. This week, I had one of the worst ever flare ups i have ever experienced, and I, together with my able partner in love (*wink wink*), figured out almost immediately that it must be the layered stress my body is going through – the stress of the cold, the stress of being frustrated about the cold, and the stress of dealing with all that.

Sometimes it gets very animated, describing what type of pain I’m feeling at any point in time. Thing is, it is not the same every time…sometimes a mere touch kills me, sometimes it’s like drilling works in every joint, sometimes it’s like the muscles are being shaved off my bones, like a car crash in which you get mashed up with the metal and you’re not dead yet, so you feel all the pain…no, really, there is no way to describe them! Sometimes, it is a combination of all the types, and that…that…that!

I have read about how bad it gets for FMS sufferers in parts of the world that have winter periods. It offsets a flare up and leaves some wheelchair-bound for weeks! It is because of how sensitive our bodies are, you see. Light, sound, smell, touch…

“A study published in the journal, Pain Research and Treatment,suggests that changes in brain chemistry among people with fibromyalgia may be linked to sensitivity to stimuli such as sound and smell. Imaging studies have provided visual depictions of this altered response to sensations. In some respects, the brains of people with fibromyalgia may be hyper-responsive to even the possibility of pain or discomfort.”

credit: everydayhealth.com

And that is why our bodies react to changes in weather that way. A change in weather means a change in temperature – too hot or too cold means trouble, a violent reaction that stresses the body, starting a vicious cycle that brings on the ancestor of all flare ups! Blasted cold!

I am learning, though. I made a list of stuff I need to buy today, and a pair of socks was up on the list. Aside all the cardigans and shawls I own and use shamelessly, a girl has got to invest in pairs of socks as well, cos when the cold gets my feet, I’m toast! Or is it Popsicle rather? Ha!

For real….blasted cold!