Heat

[ladysprite]

I have reached the point where staying warm is a full-time job.

Wake up in the morning, pull extra blankets on while umbran goes downstairs to turn up the thermostat. Shower (with all the hot water in the house), run back to the bedroom, and get dressed - leggings or silk long-johns, heavy socks, pants, sweater. Come downstairs, bringing microwaveable heating pads, and warm them up while starting the electric kettle for hot tea. Check the weather and where I'm working to figure out whether or not I'll need chemical handwarmers and stick-on heating pads to get through the day. Getting ready to go outside means ankle-length coat, scarf, wool hat, and gloves. Sometimes, if it's really cold, hooded sweatshirt under the coat.

Come home, turn up the heat. Swap my shoes for fleece-lined heavy-soled slippers and my coat for a heavy over-sweater. Put both heating pads in the microwave; one for my feet and one for my shoulders. Start the electric kettle again, and crawl under a stack of blankets until the tea is done; then clutch the mug until I can feel my fingers again.

Cold is bad enough when it's just cold. But now cold also means muscle tension, and that the spasms in my neck and shoulder that never resolved completely wind up even worse, until I'm almost back at pre-surgery levels of pain and depression. And add that to the equation of abuse-induced PTSD + cold = flashbacks, triggering, and anxiety and this winter has found the perfect formula to make me as miserable as humanly possible.....

Comments

[arachne8x.livejournal.com]

I've been there, you have my sympathies.
I can highly recommend thermacare heat packs for when you are on the go. They really last.

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

*hugs*. Sadly long-distance hugs aren't very warming. But if they were, all the warming *hugs*.

[evcelt.livejournal.com]

It's bad enough for me down here. I can only imagine how bad it must be for you up there.

::hugs::

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Oof. My deepest sympathies - I hope warmth sneaks in soon.

[matildalucet.livejournal.com]

I feel for you. I haven't tried stick-on heating pads yet. My rice bags and I have become exceptionally close this winter.

For chemical handwarmers, I can recommend Hot Snapz. They seem to work well and they can be reset/reused, which makes me feel better about them than if I had to use strictly disposable items. This winter, I learned that if I leave them in the car too long in extremely cold conditions, they will self-activate and then have to be processed before they'll do me any good. Who knew?

I have to believe we will survive.