Not to complain or anything, buuuuut.  The single-most worst thing out of Sjögren’s for me is, hands down, the Raynaud’s.  Arthritis is a close second, but this being cold stuff is for the birds.  I assume that what I experience is more than just Reynaud’s, it’s more an absolute inability to control my own body temperature, but this is still what they call it.

Raynaud’s is, according to Mayo Clinic: “Raynaud’s (ray-NOSE) disease causes some areas of the body — such as fingers and toes — to feel numb and cold in response to cold temperatures or stress. In Raynaud’s disease, smaller blood vessels that supply blood to the skin narrow. This limits blood flow to affected areas, which is called vasospasm.”

But, basically, I am very rarely ever comfortable.  I have a very small window where I am just feeling decent.  Usually, I’m cold but I also get too warm very easily. But my feet are cold about 95% of the time.  I’ve gotten pretty good at ignoring it, actually.  I wear fur lined boots almost exclusively from October through April every year.

Sometimes this extends into my hands but I typically don’t get the white color of Raynaud’s, though who knows if my feet are white inside of my boots and socks at any given time.  I absolutely know that I am not anemic.

It’s the worst though.  My feet are so cold, I picture my bones as ice, and it hurts.  I’ve gotten good at ignoring it, for the most part, but when I notice it… oy vey.  Sometimes I have to just go to bed early, I can feel the all of the coldness of the ground and floor just seeping into me.  It is definitely the worst for me right now.

They did put me on a low dose med for this and it does help, in the summer time.  Winter time is such a battle, though.  In January, the last time the girl child and I went to El Salvador, we left -4 degree weather here for a week of wonderful 85-90 temps.  I was so sad to return to the below zero for a few more days.