We found an excellent blog post written by fellow Frostie Tami Veldura. It starts out much like an AA confession: “Hello folks, my name is Tami and I have Raynaud’s Syndrome” and includes her 8-step program for minimizing attacks, the last one being the need to control her intake of alcohol (told you there’s an AA theme here!).
Tami proceeds to define Raynaud’s, shares some stats, and identifies major triggers for attacks. She’s certainly done her homework on the subject. The only point we take issue with is the reference to “there’s nothing painful involved.” Maybe Tami is one of the fortunate few, but for most Raynaud’s sufferers we do find the condition more than uncomfortable and inconvenient, it often involves real pain.
Here are the eight steps Tami takes to manage her Raynaud’s:
- Sheepskin-lined Boots – worth the investment
- Fingerless Gloves – lives in them indoors
- Space Heater – under her desk to warm frosty toes
- Stationary Trainer – regular exercise helps reduce and manage her symptoms
- Mid-day and Bed-time Showers – help stabilize body temperature after workouts & just before bed
- Yoga – helps lessen the severity of attacks and sometimes can cancel one in progress
- Food – eats every 2 hours to keep blood sugar steady; sticks to a healthy triathlete training diet
- Alcohol – controls the intake as it can release body heat and lower the core temperature
The post ends with suggested resources (including us!), and a recommendation to consult a medical professional. When you do, come armed with your list of symptoms and research on Raynaud’s, as there’s no formal test to diagnose it. While she references the possibility of being eligible for disability, that’s more likely for severe cases that are secondary to other more serious autoimmune diseases, or for those employed in occupations where exposure to extreme cold is inherent in the job, sorry!
She ends with an invitation to chat about Raynaud’s together on Twitter, so take her up on it @tamiveldura. Here’s a link to the blog post titled: