Yes Yes Yes.
I moved to the Phoenix area from Seattle because of the cold/damp climate. I basically lived covered in shits, sweaters, scarfs, etc., while sitting by the gas/wood stove. Now I wear t-shirts and spend hours a day sitting in the sun. I can take some cold as long as it is sunny. The sun just relaxes my muscles. I lean forward to get a good sun massage on my back. I do get sunburned a lot, but that is better than shivering cold. My morning routine includes putting sun screen on then going outside and read a book in the sun. I do get too hot sometimes and need to get an ice pack on to cool me off. I also think it's part psychological. The sun just brightens everything up, including attitude. I feel better on a sunny 70 degree day than I do on a cloudy 80 degree day. And when the weather changes my body tightens up. Greg _____ The electric blanket thread got me wondering: how many of us on the quad-list have difficulty with hot or cold? Questions: 1. Did your temperature regulation/sensation change due to your SCI? 2. Do you now prefer hot or cold temperatures/weather? 3. Would you or did you move, after your SCI, to a preferable climate? 4. To what do you attribute your temperature preference? [e.g. circulation, sweating, etc.] 5. What methods have you found to maintain comfortable body temp [hotter or cooler.] This is fascinating to me. I grew up in chilly Wisconsin (northern U.S.) and once I had my SCI could no longer tolerate cold. I moved to Arizona because I love heat and sunshine. I believe I get cold easily due to lack of movement [circulation and calorie burning affected] and sweating issues, but I also believe there may be a psychological component of the SCI sending incorrect temperature messages/feedback to the brain. I do have problems cooling down when it's 110 degrees here, but I MUCH PREFER that to being cold--any temperature below 70 degrees feels cool to me now! I dress in layers and use the heater in my car when I'm cold. The one thing that 'normalizes' my temperature sensation is alcohol. I prefer red wine, and have a glass most evenings. Don.
