
Managing CAD
	*A CADdy gets dressed to go out.....*
The following are some suggestions we offer from our own personal experiences. If you have anything to add to our list, please contact us. When you have CAD, you need to be certain that you keep warm at all times. For some, anything cold entering your body could cause an autoimmune response resulting in red cell destruction. Dressing appropriately is the first line of defense: Wear warmer clothing summer and winter because air-conditioning is as much a problem as cold weather. Don't forget to dress warmly in your home too! For outside, be prepared like a good scout. Always carry a scarf, sweater or jacket and cover-up your extremities with gloves and socks. Hats, headbands and/or scarves work well outdoors and in the air-conditioning and look nice for the gals. Wearing 100% Silk long underwear is a wonderful option since it will keep you warm and won't interfere with the fit of your clothes. An excellent product is Thermasilk made by Terramar Sports Worldwide and can be obtained by contacting Trailgearusa.com. Tell Sheri you were referred by this site, coldagglutindisease.org 100% silk glove liners are also available at Trailgearusa.com. For guys, thermalsilk or woolen thermal underwear is great. You can also wear two pairs of socks to try to isolate your feet from the cold ground. Graeme has bought oversized sneakers so that he can wear two pair of woollen socks to try to keep his feet warm. Mountaineering type shops are excellent for buying warm clothing. You can also buy hand warmers.......small plastic bags with fluid and a bit of metal. You flick the metal and it sets off a chemical reaction producing heat. They can be restored by boiling them in water. Carry hand warmers in the car....keep them in your pockets too. Warmers are also available in larger sizes. New Zealand products of possum - wool and the merino - possum blends are extremely soft and light and they make lovely jerseys, gloves etc. The possum hair being a hollow fibre, is wonderfully warm to wear. Merino is a high-country sheep and has very fine wool to keep it warm in the snow. Until fairly recently possum wool was very difficult to process. Dyeing was a particular problem. But for the last 15 years or so beautiful possum wear has come on the market. It has become one of the most popular articles bought by overseas tourists, and many of us New Zealanders would not be without our possum jackets, cardigans, ponchos, gloves, socks, hats and scarves. 'Norsewear' www.norsetech.com is one brand, but we suggest that anyone interested in these products should google around the words "New Zealand, possum wear, possum wool, merino possum blends" and suchlike. There are many firms supplying these articles and there is a great deal of information on the internet. New Zealand also has a good range of sheepskin products available and Graeme can vouch for their calf-length boots. See the Mi Woollies range at http://www.miwoollies.com This site sells gloves specifically for Raynard's victims: http://www.raynaudsgloves.com/store/product.php?productid=1 This was supplied by Roberta: Prolotex Far Infrared Therapy Gloves and Socks are available from http://www.therapygloves.com Juhi said: In my case, I always had a hard time finding shoes that would keep my feet warm. I had the opportunity to try and test a pair of the emu boots with sheep lining, and it worked. For the first time, my toes are staying warm and not turning blue (most of the time). Claire Morgan from the Isle of Man sent some suggestions she has tried that help Chris: We take a hot water bottle out with us which Chris places on his lap whist driving when its very cold and on longer journeys a flask of hot soup or tea is a good idea.... and those emergency foil blankets available from camping stores are a good idea in the car or handbag. We find thin insulating layers best rather than one thick garment, easier to take off it you need to. Have seen some heated hats, gloves and footpads for shoes at Maplins electrical store they have a web site, but not sure how effective they are. We have tried the battery gloves but found them bulky and heavy when the batteries are in them. Finally a hot bowl of porridge in the morning is a good idea, and hot ginger punch helps on a cold day
Be certain nothing cold touches you or enters your body by mouth: No ice. No cold drinks. Instead of drinking cold water, try warm, even hot water, it's not so bad. If you can't live without ice cream, let it melt a bit. Always use warm water when washing and also brushing teeth. Remind all medical personnel that any and all procedures must be done under warm conditions - examinations, injections, transfusions, treatments, surgeries including open-heart. If you need a transfusion, be certain that a blood-warmer is used, as this brings the blood up to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit before it is infused into your body. The transfusion apparatus may need to be warmed similarly….we have experienced red cells clumping in a cold needle because the cold agglutinins were activated. No blood would then flow. Any other fluid put into your veins such as a Rituxan infusion also needs to be warmed.
Maintain a healthful diet and get plenty of rest: Exercise is great for your body and your head but don't overdo it. Do everything in moderation and you can't go wrong. Listen to your body! CADys have found different ways of monitoring the state of their blood. Obviously blood tests carried out by a Doctor are by far the best. However, in between these official blood tests we have heard of the following being used. (1) I (Graeme) found that my pulse was a very good indicator of my hemoglobin in between blood transfusions. As your hemoglobin falls, your heart will respond by beating harder to meet the demands of your body. You might be able to assess what your rate is when "good" and what it rises to when "bad". In my case it dropped to about 70 after a transfusion, and rose to 90 by the time I needed another. (2) Another CADdy told me " I have noticed also that the level of activity of the antibodies is reflected in my closed eyes. Something like the snow that you see on TV sets. The speed and size of the dots give me an indication of how cold I have been, eg, while sleeping." If anyone has other methods we could add here, please let us know.
We suggest wearing a Medic Alert bracelet or necklace at all times. www.medicalert.org Keep in close touch with your doctor and get blood checks as directed. Seriously consider moving to a warm climate if at all possible. Please use the Contact Us page to share your suggestions with us.