Dear Diary:
Winter where I live in Northern California includes spells of rainy days that change the way you approach daily life. An umbrella and rain coat become regular companions. A pair of boots may be a part of the mix. Here on the western slope and into the valley, it can get cold, but rarely do we see snow.
As a former east coast native where winter brought not just cold, but snow and frigid temperatures, the weather here isn't that bad. I've known a few gentlemen who go through the entire year here in cargo shorts!
I think all my east coast winter resilience has probably been worn away by the (relatively) balmy California winters and baked off by the dry heat of our long summers. After getting through all the holiday festivities and gatherings and back to my life as a single dog-parent, I do have what appears to be a cold.
I haven't been one to get sick much in my adulthood. I have wondered if my overactive immune system had fortified me against most contagious illnesses. A doctor once told me it is common to have more than one autoimmune disease. In my case I have three that I know of, including MS.
Or maybe, I've speculated, after having five kids, I have been exposed to enough child-borne bugs to make me invincible. I've been sick so infrequently I can remember clearly when I was last sick enough to go through a box of tissues in a day (when I had COVID, a souvenir I brought home from vacation).
All this to say, having a cold or the flu adds another layer of self-care to my daily palliative approach to managing MS. Becoming a pro at taking care of yourself is very important, whether or not you have MS. My first neurologist responded to my request for guidance in disease management by saying, "... understand your needs and limitations." That advice has guided me often, right as rain.
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