The Cold
I joke about wanting my summer back quite often, but the truth is I do want it back. Family hears me complain at times about the cold (quite a bit of the time for my husband and children). I want to explain something about me and the cold. The cold hurts.
I have arthritis in my upper spine, lower spine, both hands, wrists and all of my fingers, both of my hips, my ankles, my knees, and my shoulders. The cold flares these up and it hurts. It makes doing anything impossible. I hurt to sit, I hurt to move, even laying in bed hurts. Some tell me to take Motrin, or Advil or even aspirin. Well, that is something most can do, but I cannot. With esophageal barret disease and with the medication I am on for acid reflux, I cannot take any of those. I can only take Tylenol and as you know, that does not help with inflammation which is what arthritis is. This is why I do not like cold weather. Yes, breathing in the cold, crisp air makes you feel alive, but I feel it is killing me. Oh and breathing in that cold, that is another thing, I have asthma. After years of growing up being told, it is chronic bronchitis, I have now been told that many children were misdiagnosed back then and that it was actually asthma. I was always sick in the winter. Turns out cold weather is what triggers my asthma. So on top of being in pain, I cannot breathe.
I know it could be worse. My poor sister has fibromyalgia and hurts year round. I only have to deal with this during the winter months. I get a taste of what my sister and others with the same condition go through all of the time. I can be paralyzed and not feel anything at all.
I am not asking for pity or anything like that, although prayer is always nice. I am just wanting you all to be aware that when someone is joking about the cold (or the heat) and at the same time complain about it, there is a reason.
I don't like cold weather. I don't like winter, but I have a good reason for that. I don't like to hurt and I like breathing. Pray for those in pain, both physical and emotional. Pray for those with medical issues. Pray for each other. We all can use those prayers.
Happy New Year everyone. Try to stay warm and for those of you that do enjoy the cold, I am happy for you. God did make us all different, yet the same. In a little over 5 months, I will have my summer back. :)