coping in the heat - shall we gather good ideas?

[norberte]

i don't know if anyone'll see this, what with glitches in the new site

but if anyone does, am i the only one who got completely floored by the heat?

i ended up fainting with heat exhaustion & have been in bed with fans on, ice packs & no compression garments

so, bright ideas?

- drink loads of water (cool but not cold is best)

- spritz cold water on the compression garments & some of the heat'll evaporate off with it - easier on arms than torso!

- wear loose, cotton or other natural fibres clothing

- stay out of the sun!

- keep windows open & curtains closed during the day - helps rooms not heat up so much

- ice packs - as well as the reusable ones you can get instant single use ones that are great for when you're not near the freezer, eg cars with no air con, i get mine on ebay & it's cheaper than a new car!

- lie in a cool (but not cold) bath

- use a lighter moisturiser

- get the supermarket to bring the shopping to you instead of lugging it home yourself

- have a sheet on top of you at night, then you can pull the duvet over that if it happens to get cold

- beg, steal & borrow favours to get heavier jobs done that can't wait till autumn

- dunk your wrists in a basin of cold water, or anywhere else with a strong pulse point, helps cool the blood back down

- & i have sat on the settee with a cold, damp tea towel on my head, but that might be a step too far for some people

all that still wasn't enough for me, & apparently there's more hot weather to come

who can add to the list?

bigleg, i imagine you on your boat, making a wonderful ozone-y sea breeze, laughing at this!

[Ginsing]

Hi Norberte

I managed to read your post firstly you have had a bad time in the heat I am so sorry and secondly what good ideas you have listed to keep cool. I had not heard the one about the pulse point brilliant. I am a tea towel warrior too I find them so soothing You say there is more weather to come of the hot variety how wonderful it is better than the freezing cold xgins

[norberte]

hi gins

nice to know there's another tea towel warrior out there - one on the back of the neck's great, too, isn't it?

& as far as i'm concerned a bit of snow would be lovely!

but i can't complain too much - you sun worshippers don't get a brilliant deal

so when it gets hot again you enjoy yourself, & i'll retreat back to the bath!

[Taffia]

Some brilliant ideas there. Thank you. The only one I can add is to put compression garments in a bag in the fridge over night. They are then soooo lovely to put on in the morning. Works for me!!!

[norberte]

taffia, what a great idea, thank you

i'm immediately going to chuck all the food away, fill the fridge with compression gear & put it on its coldest setting!

[Taffia]

Norbete,- steady on -you might be cool but you'll be hungry!!!!!

[norberte]

don't worry - the freezer will be 1/2 full of ice packs & 1/2 full of ice lollies!

bigleg - don't worry, they'll be home made ones!

[Poddles]

Hi Ladies, I found some good tips here wikihow.com/Sleep-Comfortab...

[naominorthenellis]

big leg your point about diet is spot on; eat clean foods; keep the protiens simple and drink lots of water (cooling and delicious with slices or strips of cucumber) or herb teas. Avoid anything crammed with sugar and additives like ice cream and fizzy drinks (and flavoured water). Trying to keep calm is really important; the more we huff and puff about being too hot; the worse it becomes - try some deep breathing to slow everything down.

[norberte]

poddles - what a find, thanks very much, some great ideas there

& naomi & bigleg - absolutely - can't imagine eating 'heavy' processed foods in this weather

& when you're doing your deep breathing, put a fan on & sounds of waves (loads on the net - try youtube) then close your eyes, visualise yourself at your favourite beach / cliff with a cool breeze blowing on you & the fresh salty ozone-y smell of the sea

& if you don't know how to do 'proper' deep breathing, push your belly out when you breathe in then let it deflate gently as you breathe out (or look for 'diaphragmatic breathing' instructions on the net) - also helps move lymph that's stuck on your torso

[reetpetite]

Some great tips and thankyou for the giggles this morning!! Will be trying to get my arm into a wine cooler sleeve! tee hee

[Bemmyboy]

I too have have suffered during this hot weather. I have ended up wearing lounge cotton baggies/gym baggies as my edema has worsened. The heat plus humidity is a nightmare. There is one bit of information that I got of the radio which I put into use was a godsend especially at night. If you put a oscilating fan in your room at night,don't put it in the middle of the room. Instead turn of the oscilating feature and put the fan in front of your bedroom window. The fan will blow in cooled air from outside instead of recirculating hot air that was originally in your room. It works on the same principle as car blowers, don't be surpised if you need to put covers back over yourself. Hope this helps

[naominorthenellis]

it isn't my intention to sell our lympha press product each time i comment; but it has so helped in keeping my swelling down - my therapist was expecting to find me with really big legs on her visit last week and was surprised at how i was managing. An hour daily on my lympha press - just fab. Pity it won't help my crushed thumb that I broke in the door frame when I was rushing to close the door as the heavens opened yesterday afternoon - fortunately the orthopedic surgeon I saw at A&E was very easy on the eye and I am quite looking forward to seeing him at the fracture clinic on thursday!!

[norberte]

reet petite, i'm worried that you're drinking warm wine!

& bemmy, great tip, thanks - & easier than the ideas in poddles' list about juggling ice cubes in front of the fan

naomi, plug away! that's as far as i'm concerned, anyway - the way i see it, if anyone doesn't like it they don't have to read your posts

i'm disappointed it doesn't sort out your fracture though (ouch!) ... next, you'll be telling us it hasn't got a teas-maid button either!

it's gone less hot here but keep this thread handy - apparently the hot weather's coming back!

[Dream_in_pink]

Hello Norberte,

I am finding swimming in an outdoor pool helpful - there are more of these open now and it's nice and cooling I wear my compression stocking in the pool and it seems to help.

Today has been another scorcher here!

[norberte]

what a good reminder, dream in pink, thank you

there are few things nicer than being in an outdoor pool in the rain ... until it comes to getting out!

the outdoor pool near me has bucked the trend & closed, unfortunately, but i'll investigate further afield

another hot one yesterday - i try to be pleased that sun worshippers are getting their turn to be comfy while i sjulk indoors using as many of these ideas as i can

[Ginsing]

I love the idea of going swimming but thought of wearing farrow wraps in the water - I dont think so! So I put my feet and legs in the wraps into my grandsons paddling pool wee how lush is that. I also wash the linning socks and replace them damp on my legs lovely! Been looking for a 10ft round pool but they are all sold out still I know what to do for next year xgins

[norberte]

great idea, gins

i go swimming in my gloves, sleeve & corset, all sticking out of the cossie very attractively (the corset even sticks out thru the leg-holes as well cos it goes down to my hips)!

only trouble is peeling them all off & getting dry ones onto damp skin afterwards - i have to take a paid carer with me, so don't go that often

[Zezes-nan]

My daughter saw a good tip on Good Morning, buy a cheap pack of baby wipes and keep them in the fridge then take out as needed and place on the back of the neck really helps you cool down.

[Ginsing in reply to Zezes-nan]

brilliant idea then you always have cold wipes excellent

[norberte]

yes zezes-nan, thanks for that one too, & thanks to your daughter

the bit of my fridge that doesn't have garments in (& the sleeves go on soooooooooo much nicer when they're cold) is now full of baby wipes

they don't stay cold as long as the tea towels dunked in cold water, but start off colder & are definitely less drippy

i'd better start saving up for a bigger fridge!

[norberte]

hi everyone

i was just looking thru the list of ideas we've collected again

what a fantastic resource! & even though it's not as hot, now, i still find garments straight from the fridge much nicer

should we get this turned into an lsn leaflet / info sheet? what does everyone think?

[HazieC]

probably the wrong answer here but I don't bother with the stocking I have to wear, but will occasionally put them on at night if need be. I aim to drink more water but at night when I'm sitting down I put ice packs onto my legs feet and ankles and within 20 mins they look better and feel better. I am a bit in denial regarding the garments as yes I know they are for a reason and yes they work but I like to feel the sun on my skin.