“There ain’t no cure for the summertime blues” especially when living with Multiple Sclerosis. Research reports that memory and cognition melt in summer and not even air conditioning can help.
“cognitive scores were 70 percent lower among MS patients on warmer days — those with an average temperature of 66° F (18.9°C) — than on days when the mercury hit a mean of only 33°F (0.5°C)”
Research was done by the Kessler Foundation in West Orange, NJ, “where reseach and program centers are linking science and grantsmanship leading to discoveries that are changing the lives of people with disabilities”.
While Jersey Shore tourism must be wondering how the Kessler Foundation missed the memo about ‘promoting’ summer, anecdotally our worst attempts over two decades to create MS family outings have involved hot weather. Of course, in those earliest days the only research available to us was ‘trial and error’.
While MS changes everything, surviving is about adapting to change.
Walking, pushing, and rolling through the cool of a summer morning is not unlike enjoying an ice cream cone before it starts to melt.
Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer
web site: caregivinglyyours.com
videos: www.youtube.com/daddyleer
Hi, Patrick, I think we're all thinking about the arrival of summer! I just wrote yesterday that quite often, I'm more affected by the cold than I am by the heat, but I understand that's not the norm!
ReplyDeleteRe: the shore -- I actually think the "Jersey Shore" could have reflected badly on that location (more so than Kessler.) I love the shore -- the southern beaches are the best!!
Peace,
Muff
that is hard, Patrick, dealing with the approaching summer heat and trying to plan fun activities that won't cause Patti to "wilt" in the heat. But I know by experience you are very creative in coming up with ways to have Patti enjoy activities within the confines of the hot weather,so I look forward to reading in the months ahead what adventures the two of you take together :)
ReplyDeletebetty
I keep a fan on me constantly, but nice to read this just now---my memory is, er, weak today. My writing is blah. MS is a beach. (I wish.)
ReplyDelete