Summer and MS-related heat intolerance aren’t a good mix

The summer months and the central Texas heat have arrived, and I feel indifferent about them. As someone with multiple sclerosis (MS) who experiences related heat intolerance, I try to avoid spending an extended amount of time outside. That saddens me because most of the summer fun occurs outdoors.

Before I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS about eight years ago, I used to spend a lot of time outdoors and wasn’t nearly as sensitive to the heat as I am now. As a child, in fact, I practically lived outside in my grandma’s backyard. Whether I was helping my grandma tend to her beautiful yard and plants or playing with my toys, I never wanted to be inside. Many of my favorite memories were spent in her yard, soaking up the sun and feeling the breeze on my skin.

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As I reminisce about these fond memories, I realize just how much time I’ve spent outside without being highly affected by heat intolerance. During my preteen and teenage years, I spent countless summer days tubing on the river with my mom, aunt, and brother; going to Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio; or attending outdoor band camp. But now, after so many years living with MS, all of these outdoor activities are slipping through my fingertips, completely out of my control.

When I think about life before MS, I always gravitate toward my time in the high school marching band. We band members spent hours on top of hours outside, with minimal practice time inside. In addition to being beaten down by the heat during band camp, football games, and competitions, we were also masters of multitasking. We had to play our instruments well, memorize extended and complex pieces of music, march correctly and adequately, remember our formations and spots, and pay attention to our drum majors.

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Looking back, I can’t quite fathom how I managed to do all of that in the intense summer sun and heat. I don’t think I’m capable of that now, especially with my intensifying heat intolerance and my MS brain fog.

As much as I enjoy the air conditioning and being inside, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss spending much time outdoors. That’s not to say that I don’t go outside at all, but it’s challenging to bounce back from heat-induced fatigue. Even spending a couple of hours in 90-plus F weather is enough to take me out for a couple of days. Extreme fatigue, body weakness, and intense migraines come with the heat.

Sometimes I feel as though I’m trapped inside and a prisoner of these MS symptoms. However, as with most things in life, I need to find a balance and expose myself to the outdoors in moderation in a way that won’t significantly hurt me.

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