I have Raynaud’s and it is really bad. I usually feel it in my fingers and my toes tend to be ok unless exposed to very cold temps. My fingers struggle even when it’s not that cold. For some reason all day a couple of my toes have HURT badly. I’ve been in a warm environment today, it was a bit colder than usual when I slept last night because I turned my furnace off. Other than that nothing is different. My toes will not warm up! They hurt and are purpley and red in the most painful spots. It’s annoying when the majority of my body is warm, too hot, and a few random ass fingers and as of today toes, are numb and very painful.

Thanks again Raynaud’s… Since I quit coffee I assumed it would improve and it hasn’t. I just made myself a hot, spicy, golden milk, chai, mushroom and chocolate protein bevvy (can that mean non-alcoholic beverage?). The golden part is turmeric, tons of ginger, and pepper. That is good for circulation and heartburn. It actually helps me a lot!

My toe pain is improving a little bit as I’m sitting in front of my heater…my left hand is a bit too warm and my right hand is ICE cold. Luckily this winter has been pretty mild. I am actually starting to enjoy the winter time. I have hated winters my whole life. I grew up in Iowa where the winters are brutal and depressing and neverending. In the Denver Metro area of Colorado, winters are more mild and way sunnier. Winters here can still get intense and feel long but they really are more mild than midwest winters! Most people when they think of Colorado they think of the mountains. The mountains are waaaaaaaaayyyy snowier and colder than the metro area. It’s like another planet up there. Even a 20 minute drive can have different weather.

Now both of my hands are getting warm and they are bright red. That always happens, it’s probably because of Raynaud’s but I’ve never looked that up specifically.

Another physical ailment is my lower back pain, hooray 🎉🎈🤡

This started in July of 2023. I am not sure what caused it, I have a few ideas but it is most certainly related to my left hip pain that has plagued me since 2008. I’ve done years and years of physical therapy for the hip (and surgery), it helped but it still hurts daily. I have done physical therapy for the lower back + hip at 2 different places. It has helped immensely. BUT it still hurts every single day. Honestly, standing up hurts a lot and I have to take it easy with carrying things, lots of bending over etc…

I started asking myself, is the back pain every going to be gone? I would go back for more physical therapy but the way my insurance approves it is that I have to try to fit in 2 appointments per week in a short period of time and frankly it’s annoying. Now that I am saying this “out loud”, it seems like not that big of a deal. I went for a long time and it got old, motivating myself to go so often. I do a good job at doing the exercises at home, not quite as thoroughly as I do during the appointments but still probably more than most people do on their own! The exercises really do help but the pain is always there. I never asked if the PT thought it would ever stop hurting. I am so used to chronic pain that I assume it’s a complicated answer that no one knows for sure.

I feel tired for no reason today, but powering through full speed ahead. Hey my toes are feeling a little better!