Post 48 - "No Sweat"

Usually, it’s a good thing to hear someone use the term, “no sweat” because it means that their task has turned out to be easier than expected or not so hard after all - a real ”piece of cake.”
Unfortunately, the phrase “no sweat” has a far different connotation to most MSA sufferers – a fact that I was vividly reminded of on Saturday, March 31.

Let me make it perfectly clear – I’m a big baseball fan - so when our condo community announced that they had tickets available for a Tampa Bay Rays – Boston Red Sox Spring Training game nearby in Port Charlotte, I was quick to sign up for tickets for me and Fran (who, like me, has become a real Rays fan) and two friends. Like much of this winter, yesterday’s weather turned out to be mostly sunny and warm. Our seats, which included lunch, turned out to be in full sun in the right field picnic area.

After spending most the afternoon in the full sun, we left the game after about 7 innings, dropped off our two friends and drove home. Once there, Fran remarked how red I was and then, when she got close to me, how my whole body was radiating heat. Like most MSA’ers, my internal thermostat is out of whack so I can’t tell if I’m overheating; plus – I don’t sweat like everyone else. However, by now I was starting to feel the heat myself and was concerned if I didn’t cool down, I was headed toward some form of heat stroke. So into a cool shower I went for about ten minutes. During that time I could feel myself rejuvenating and returning to my type of normal.

Another MSA lesson learned – almost the hard way. Always beware of prolonged exposure to heat. Just because there’s no sweat dripping down your forehead, it doesn’t mean you don’t need to take all precautions. In fact, no matter where someone with MSA may live - be alert to any temperature extreme. BTW, the Rays and Sox played to a 7-7 tie.