When you are severely affected you may find that your body temperature seems to go out of control. Rocketing from freezing cold to boiling hot. The best way to control it, is to have lots of easily removable layers. Pyjamas and loose track suits are good, especially those with buttons or zips down the front of the tops.

You can wear cardigans back to front – this makes them easier to put on and take off and keeps your front warm, especially if you have problems putting clothes on over your head.

 

Make sure the material is soft and comfortable – cotton, fleece or satin. Clothes should be comfortable and loose fitting – nothing that cuts off the circulation when lying in one position. You may choose just to wear a few clothes and have the heating up high.

 

You may also find that your extremities get very cold and refuse to warm up i.e. your hands and feet.

 

Feet.

It’s a good idea to wear thick socks, sometimes more than one pair. It’s important that the socks don’t cut into your legs, cutting off the circulation. You can get special non-elastic socks from:-

 

 

Simplantex Healthcare Ltd,

145a Ashford Road,

Eastbourne,

East Sussex,

BN21 3UA

0800 9800 150

www.simplantex.co.uk

orders@simplantex.co.uk

Clayton Socks

17 Oakleigh Ave

Clayton

Bradford

BD14 6QE

01274 883833

 

H J Hall Flysafe Socks

Country Threads

The Gatehouse

Rake

Liss

Hants

GU3 7JH

02392 632060

 

Hands.

You may have to resort to wearing gloves, although this reduces the amount you can do with your hands. You can wear one glove on one hand leaving your dominant hand free to do things. Totes do gloves with grip strips, which give you extra control and grip. Gloves come in various materials and sizes, it’s a case of trial and error to find out what’s most comfortable for you. Muffs can be good because you can easily slip your hands in and out.

 

It’s worth stocking up during the winter period as you may find you still need them during the summer, when you can’t buy them easily.

 

 

Heads.

Your head can also get very cold, even during the summer, so you can either wear a hat or you can wear a fleecy jacket with a hood. Available from most mail order places, again stock up in the winter. If you get one with a full-length zip it makes it easier for the summer.

 

Scarves are good to keep your throat warm and you can get nice soft ponchos or shawls for when you are really cold. Look out for spring sales when winter clothes are reduced.

 

KEEPING WARM

• Hot water bottles, no matter what time of the year, are essential. You can have one for your feet and one for your hands.

 

• Have lots of water bottles so you can rotate them, allowing one to dry out before reusing it. Always keep an eye on the rubber, as continual use can cause it to wear and a burst water bottle in bed is a nightmare!

 

• If you wake up when people aren’t around to make water bottles, you can get your carer to leave them in a themos/refrigerated bag, as well as keeping lunches cool, they also keep hot things hot. This method may require being able to get out of bed and lift them though.

 

• Wheaties are good too – these are bags full of wheat that can be heated in the microwave and act like hot water bottles.

 

• You can get gel packs which have a capsule inside which when squeezed causes heat to be produced, they can be boiled and reused. Available from Boots or Argos.

 

• You may need to have lots of blankets on you bed – these can get quite heavy though, so you can get a blanket cradle available from care shops, or alternatively you can use a laundry basket placed on it’s side at the end of the bed with the covers over it and the hole facing you for your feet to poke into. The blankets lie over the top keeping them from pressing on your legs.

 

• John Lewis sell some nice soft fleecy blankets.

 

• Sleeping bags can also be good when opened out. This covers a larger area on the bed, stopping cold air coming in through the gaps at the sides of the duvet.

 

• Electric blankets are another alternative for warming the bed, but some can be quite heavy.

KEEPING COOL.

For some people this can be as much of a problem as keeping warm. If you can cope with the noise electric fans are good, especially if you can adjust the speed. Try and have a window open as much as possible.

 

• Use a water spray filled with cold water (like the ones you use to water pot plants!) to spay your face and body.

• Have someone sponge you.

• Magicool – this is a spray that can be bought at places such as Boots and also www.coolcomforts.com It is sprayed directly onto you, which not only cools you, but also the air around you.

• Dip your wrists in some cold water. This will cool your blood, which therefore cools your body as it travels around.

• Small portable air conditioning unit from B&Q.

• Soft pliable icepacks that are put in the fridge and can be reused.

• Wear as little as possible and keep calm and relaxed!

• Put a sheet in the fridge and when cool use instead of a duvet.

• Put your feet in a bucket of ice cold water.

• Wheat bags can be put in the freezer and then used to cool you down.

 

Don’t worry, your temperature won’t always be this strange; as you get better it will too.