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How Are You Battling The Heat?
The heat is getting intense, especially is certain areas. How are you handling it? Are you making sure you are staying hydrated? Don’t forget how importance of shade and sun screen! Tells us about your struggles with the heat and some ways you are enjoying it.
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13 Replies
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Yes, the heat and humidity are here in Texas, as usual, @colleensteele. It certainly adds to my SOB and swelling. Because of my fluid restriction, I also have to be careful not to drink too much but drink enough. (That sounds like Goldilocks and The Three Bears-hehe)
We have also had rain and thunderstorms for almost a week. Yesterday we had a peep of sunshine, and I sat out back in the shade by the pool. It was nice to get outdoors. I have not been outside this past week as much as usual.
Summer in Texas, I often limit time outdoors and stay in the AC. If outdoors, I tend to take breaks in the AC often to help and also keeping hydrated. I like to add coconut water to my smoothies to help with hydration, too.
Sunscreen is also another essential tip. Certain meds, as we all know, can cause sensitivity to sunlight, too. I have a sun hat that I call my “vacay” hat that I also wear for protection.
Are you staying hydrated there in the heat?
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@jenc I’m sure the Texas heat is worse than ours. Glad to hear you do your best to hydrate and protect yourself.
WA heated up since last week and we don’t have air conditioning, just fans. It’s making Cullen feel sick. He has breathing treatments he has the option of doing on days when he feels like his lungs might need some TLC…he’s been dong them every day in this heat.
He doesn’t go out in the sun at all. I mowed the lawn this weekend and had an asthma attack. Brian was not happy that I didn’t know exactly where my inhaler was. My asthma is usually coughing but once in a blue moon, like this weekend, I have an attack where I can’t catch my breath. (I found my inhaler, drank some water, cooled off and I was fine.) I just know now that I need to practice what I preach!
I envy the fact but am also happy for you that you have a pool and shade near it to relax. That must be a nice tension reliever!
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Our weather in Wisconsin can be a wide mixture of absolutely beautiful sunny days of high 70’s to very low 80’s, to very hot and humid sticky days that I can’t get enough oxygen to be able to breathe. My wife likes to go for walks and she pushes me in my wheelchair and lately I will walk for a little pushing the chair to build my strength. I have to stop when my oxygen level drops to low, but found I can make it for 6 to 10 minutes if I set it at 8 liters. I try to do a couple of those on our 4 to 5 mile trek. My goal is to at least make the 6 minutes so I can be ready for that test when at my appointments. If it is too hot and humid we can not even think about venturing out which I really miss.
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@bill-jones I am very familiar with the WI weather. My husband is from there and I moved there for the first 7 years of our marriage until his job transferred him to WA state. I just had this discussion with my son that on days that the weather isn’t too hot or humid he should make a point of taking his dog for little walks. Exercise definitely has it’s benefits and I applaud you for your efforts.
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We have been having quite the heat wave here in the northern tip of West Virginia, believe it or not. For weeks now it’s been mostly in the high 80s or low 90s. But thankfully the humidity has been relatively low. I can handle all kinds of heat, but I can’t handle much humidity at all. It makes me feel as if I’m suffocating. There have only been about four days this summer that I couldn’t go out of the house due to humidity. I don’t know what everybody else’s humidity threshold is, but I seem to be ok all the way up into the mid-50%. Once it hits 60% (unless it’s due to rain) I begin to struggle. The minute I step back into the air conditioned house, I begin to recover quickly. I’ve been enjoying my garden, the swimming pool, and my new space for meditating — the serenity garden. (Oh, how I wish there were a way for us to post photos!) I, too, have to be very careful when walking that tightrope of fluid restriction and not getting dehydrated. To stay cool, I try to take a couple of frozen water bottles outside with me. I can hold them against my face and neck and even against my inner wrists and inside the elbows to cool me off quickly. We have a couple of fans on our deck that move the air. That really helps as well. One of them sprays a mist of water. If you don’t have one of those, it’s a great summer item to keep from overheating.
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Oh no, @colleensteele. I feel bad for you and that asthma flare-up. Manny often has flare-ups when he is mowing the grass. I, too, often have to find his inhaler as I always tell him to keep one at work and one at home. I usually have him carry it on him if the allergy season is terrible, and he is already having allergy and asthma symptoms. Please be sure that you stay hydrated and take breaks if you are mowing the grass.
I was just sitting out by the pool as I am commenting on the forums. It was already starting getting hot and humid, so Sasha and I came indoors. I do often sit by the pool or float around just to have some relaxation. Most often, I spend more time out there from March to early May. Didn’t you say that y’all had a pool at one time, too?
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Hi @bill-jones, I am grateful to see you pop in again. I do remember you sharing that you and your wife take walks, and she pushes you. Here on the Texas Gulf Coast w have had rain and stormy days for over a week. Otherwise, as you mention, the humidity gets to me.
I do have to give you kudos and your wife, too, for motivating you. This is how we take walks on nice days. I wish the days would clear up so we could start again. I love the idea that you try to do a total of 6 minutes to ready to do the next ^MW test. Well done!
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Hi @robin-webster, the weather in WV sounds perfect to me. I love sunny warm days. It is the humidity that I cannot deal with.
Your pool and garden sound lovely. I would certainly love to see the serenity garden. I also remember that you did some boating last summer. Is that something that you have still been able to enjoy this summer?
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@robin-webster a serenity garden sounds lovely! Can you describe to us what it looks like? Maybe you will inspire me to create one in my yard.
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@jenc we had an above ground pool for a few summers when the boys were in grade school. We purchased a dry suit for Cullen so he could swim with his Flolan pump. Those are wonderful memories. When his PH worsened swimming became too much for him and caring for the pool was becoming too big a task with his many hospital admissions. We eventually took it down. I would love to get another one but honestly, our backyard isn’t the best for one. The surface isn’t flat enough and there is limited space.
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Yes, Colleen, I’d be happy to! We had a 10 ft. by 20 ft. section of the yard next to my small frog pond that I dedicated to this. (I have to admit, my hubby did all the “heavy lifting,” but I did do a tremendous amount of planning, ordering, and “helping.”) There’s a wooden cedar path with an entrance and exit. It leads to and from a smooth, concrete meditation bench. The front section is filled with smooth, Calico river stones and the back and side sections are filled with red river rock. The far end of the land has a six-foot-high and ten-foot-wide bamboo fence to visually separate it from my vegetable garden. At the foot of the fence is a row of large stones (gathered for the landscaping by my late stepfather.) I’ve decorated the perimeter with just a very few select pieces in a semi-circle as viewed clockwise from the bench. First is a beautiful wind chime with the word “gratitude” on it to remind me to be grateful. Next is a cobalt blue, teardrop-shaped gazing ball hung from a shepherd’s crook to remind me to take time for reflection. Next is a cairn — a stack of balanced flat rocks often used to mark a path — to remind me to check myself frequently that I am on the right path. Next is a dish garden full of succulents to symbolize growth of living things (and remind me to strive to keep growing.) Next is a rock with the word “patience” on it, next to a purple calla lily that has refused to bloom since I planted it. (That’s a reminder to be patient with myself when my “growth” isn’t what I intend it to be. lol!) Next, in front of my frog pond surrounded by wild fern, hostas and other flowers is a clay strawberry pot filled with succulents next to a stone that says “beauty” — a reminder to take time to appreciate the beauty surrounding me. And finally, there is a flat rock with a small “resting” buddha and a rock that says “tranquility” — which is, of course, what I seek in my daily life. We also just planted four tiny musa basjoo banana trees along the back of the 20-foot section. If you aren’t familiar with them, they are winter hardy and they re-grow each summer season to a massive height of 12 to 18 feet and have huge leaves with a very tropical feel. The serenity garden runs alongside the length of our swimming pool, so hopefully these will give the area a beach vibe as well, because I’m very much a person who loves to be around water. When I sit on the bench and look across our yard, on the other side of the pool is our large frog pond and waterfall. The whole yard is surrounded by a giant tree canopy and is very private, so it is very peaceful to sit there and watch the birds and squirrels and do my meditation and some light yoga. I hope my description can help you picture it, but if anyone would like to actually see it for inspiration to create your own oasis, I’d be happy to email or FB message photos. (Actually, if anyone is on Facebook, if you do a search on my name, the serenity garden is the public photo that shows behind my profile pic! I guess I should have thought of that to begin with! haha!)
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Wow, @robin-webster, now, unlike @colleensteele, I would need to have you come to Texas to build mine. Your serenity garden sounds gorgeous and I do plan to look you up on FB.
It sounds like you took careful planning and this all took time. But it sounds oh, so lovely. A great idea that @colleensteele thought of describing it for us. Well done as I felt like I was out there with you.
How long did it take y’all to complete?
Edited- @robin-webster, I did not realize that there were so many Robin Websters, lol
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@robin-webster I felt at peace just visualizing what you were describing. I’m in awe of the beauty and calm that you and your husband have created. If I had something like that I think I would end up calling it my procrastination garden because it would be too tempting to stay there all day and not do anything else!
Thank you so much for sharing with us! I will look you up on FB!
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