Making it Through the Summer

I've been surprised to find that I've made it through my first summer in the desert heat better than anticipated. After all, heat exacerbates MS symptoms for many. I fall into this category.  I was advised not to come out to Vegas last summer, as it was expected that I would have an increase in my symptoms. However, after being out here for a month during a visit last fall, I noticed on our drive back to Alabama that the closer I got back to the southeast, the more my symptoms appeared. I didn't realize until then how much humidity effects MS symptoms. I had only heard about the heat up to that point. So, going with that I decided to move out here this year mid-March to help my body acclimate to the desert heat as the temperatures rose into the peak of summer.

The hardest part of the heat and my symptoms that I've had to contend with is our fitness center. I had become pretty addictive (in a good way) to working out and was finally losing pounds, pounds that had piled on and decided to stick like Crazy Glue from all the steroids I had taken. But once May hit, my gym days came to a halt. I've only been in there a few times since. Why? I'm too hot and I'm feeling weak and dizzy as soon as I walk in the door. How can I even get started feeling like that? I spoke with the manager of the fitness center, who had two huge fans (don't have these in the rest of the gym....by far this was the most comfortable place to be in the gym.....behind the desk) blowing on him as he walked my way. He teaches me that swamp coolers (used out here in the desert as a mechanism for cooling) can't cool once it gets above ninety degrees. I'm wondering, what's the point since it stays above ninety here so much of the time.

I was quite concerned about not continuing my cardio and weightlifting program. Not only would my weight loss come to a halt, all muscle I'd built would turn to flab. This concerned me greatly. I decided to go to the refreshment bar they have set up in the gym and order me a frozen protein drink. That should help my body get cold, so I'll feel like I need to workout to warm back up. Didn't work!! I was still hot! Just a bunch of hot, trapped, stale air.

So where has this left me? I don't even want to know how many inches I've gained back but any muscle tone, I had gotten is gone. I'm back to wearing pants (tightly fitted now) that I had to keep pulling up in May and June. And it seems with my exercise habits, some of my healthy eating habits have hit the road as well. I find myself drinking more sodas again and craving more junk food.

I'm trying not to throw in the towel yet and totally give up. Although, I've gained back some weight, I'm still down ninety something pounds. I just need to "nip it in the bud" now as Barney Fife would say. But now may have to wait a few more weeks. We are moving the beginning of October to a location whose fitness gym has won an award for being one of the best. I'm keeping my hopes up that they can regulate the temperatures to a level that is safe for me to workout in and that they offer more fitness/aerobics classes than our current gym. Sadly, good habits are easy to break.  I will have to work hard to build back up the habit and desire of wanting to go workout.

Side note: I have noticed more pain and numbness this summer and hoping these aren't new symptoms, but appear more obvious, now that I'm not getting my endorphins from my workouts.