Tuesday, 3 November 2015

No longer sensitive to the cold

Although it may not seem like a  big deal compared to some of the ther symptoms of anorexia, feeling freezing cold all the time was one of things I hated most of all about anorexia. When I went into hospital I was experiencing hypothermia which was truly aweful. I remember just having to lay there, my my bed with my electric blanket going all the time so that I wouldn't feel quite so freezing. This winter I didn't even have an electric blanket on my bed however!


After I got out of hospital, I didn't have serious hypothermia so much but I was still always freezing cold all the time. My fingernails always seemed to be blue and I couldnt do some things that I wanted to do, because Iwas so sensitive to the cold. Even in the middle of summer I couldn't go swimming at the beach or river with my sister as this would just cause me to become far to cold and once my temperature dropped, it wass a very difficult thing to get it to increase again.

One of the biggest everyday things that I have noticed since getting so much healthier is that I no longer feel the cold any worse then other people. In fact, I am probably more 'warm blooded' then the average person. For example yesterday it was quite cold so I had my fire going but as I was doing my housework, I felt as though I was oerheating so I ended up just doing it in my sports bra and a little pair of shorts. I felt completely comfortable wearing this temperature wise and I couldn't help but think about how cold I would have once felt wearing this.


I then went and took Tess for a quick walk, still only wearing the small shorts but also a jumper and even though the aair was cool, it certainly wasn't too cold. Once I got movng I felt completely comfortable and not once did I wish I had warn some longer pants. Even now, although it is only 7 degreess outdoors, I am sitting up in only a sports bra and a pair of little pyjama shorts, as that is what I wore to bed last night, and I feel fine! I know that the reason I no longer feel the cold is because my thermoregulatory system has been able to repair itself and has started working efficiently, now that I am providing myself with the energy my body needs.


Also, I guess I feel so warm all the time because I eat so much and so often, as heat is a product in the food metabolism process, (when the food you eat is digested and when the energy is used throuughout the body). With summer appraching, I am so happy to be feeling so healthy and I am excited that for the first time in a long while, my sensitivity to the cold will not stand in the way of me doing things that I want to do. I am so glad that I no longer suffer from sensitvity to the cold or hypothermia and I hope that I will never do so again!

To anyone out there trying to stay warm whilst battliing an eating disorder, there are various different thhings you can do to warm up. Especially in winter, I always wore many layers and also had a warm heat pack, permantly attatched to me which I would cuddle or have resting on my stomach. Of course the best advice I can give to you is to nourish your body and allow it to recover. Only then will you no longer feel the cold so much!






5 comments:

  1. This hungry&cold feeling is the worst! Whenever I'm shivering it reminds me of the worst periods of my anorexia. Horrible feeling!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly! So happy to hear that you no longer suffer from this :D xx

      Delete
  2. I wear so many layers, it's unbelievable. Currently I also have my hot water bottle clutched under my hoodie 20hrs a day!

    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww Bella... sounds way to familiar! :'( keep fighting and one day this will just be another awful memory For you too. <3 xx

      Delete
    2. Aww Bella... sounds way to familiar! :'( keep fighting and one day this will just be another awful memory For you too. <3 xx

      Delete