Heat

With the fourth of July now past, it feels like we're already halfway through summer. That also means the warmest part of the year is at hand. When living the quad life, you have a love/hate relationship with heat, sometimes simultaneously.

Having a high spinal cord injury means you can't regulate your heat or generally sweat. Therefore, my fellow quads and I are often on the chilly side. I have friends that can be in an 80° room, wearing long pants, with a blanket over their legs, and be quite comfortable. So when summer warmth comes, it feels great to have the warmth of the sun on your face and let the rays come at you. However, you can get too much of a good thing.

High injury levels also deal with a dangerous condition called Autonomic Dysreflexia (AD) that if left untreated can lead to a stroke and possibly even death. One of the ways AD can start is by overheating, which is different for every individual. Another friend of mine can be in a 73° room, just wearing his birthday suit, with a cold pack under his neck, and still be hot. I have been on both ends of the spectrum and am not always sure what direction my body will decide to go.

Outside getting some sun.

In my younger years, which is getting to be too long ago, I was always cold. I loved summer temps and couldn't wait for an 80° day and to sit in the sun and bake. Every year I also had trouble with AD, but I learned the warning signs as I grew older and when to find shade and a cold drink. A few years ago though, my body switched temps and I now more of the opposite.

I still prefer warm weather, but I AD much faster than I used to. In early May, I was out watching a parade on a sunny, warm day. Their was a large crowd due to the nice weather and kids were happily running around in just t-shirts and shorts. The high that day was only 70°, but combined with sitting in the sun, I started to AD pretty badly after a fairly short time. In my experience though, it wasn't too hard to remedy.

Now, when I'm outside, I park so that my legs and maybe arms are in the sun, but my head is in the shade. If there's a nice breeze, I can stay comfortable in this position for quite a while, especially if I'm near active railroad tracks. I don't know what the next few years will bring, if I revert back to being cold or not, but it just keeps me on my wheels (or toes) while living the quad life.