Any Ideas How To Get Through A Day On The Beach?

[carinara]

Hello everybody! Last year we had to cancel our summer holiday because i had a real bad POTS episode and I was bedridden for quiet a while. Now my body got a little in balance again, and with a lot of little tricks and adjustments i now manage my days quiet ok. This year I promised my daughter to take her to italy. We both love the ocean very much! I now booked up the apartment we will stay in. I really want to take her there. I figured out that if i plan the trip ok (make sure the air conditioning in the car is working, take a fan with me, get enough sleep, wear my compression stockings and so on) i will manage somehow. I just wonder how i get trough a day on the beach? Last weekend i tried to lay in the sun in our back garden. I constantly sprayed water on my body plus i took the fan outside. I was suprised how well that worked. ( i even got a tan because i get dark real quick :-)) I used to love the sun but these days i cant tolerate beeing in the heat exept when i use the water sprayer and the fan at the same time.

I know, that i cant take a fan on the beach with me, but maybe the breaze will be good enough? I will also make sure that i have a place in the shade to sit down! But i have no idea what iam going to do with my compression stockings! They are the first things in the morning that i put on and the last things at night before i go to bed!

Should i give it a try and not wear them? Should i leave them on and go swimming with them? I really want to go swimming again!

I know that if i get there and its really hot and i feel bad, i will just end up sitting in the appartment most of the time or in the airconditioned car being ill. But at the moment i kind of get a little excited as well and look forward to that holiday, in my fantasie i just walk on the beach like i used to. Any ideas on how to get trough a day on the beach? Thanks a lot

carinara

[ajw4790]

Hi!

Sounds like fun! I hope it goes well!

Ideas... Stay hydrated- maybe take a cooler even a small one down to the beach with you that has cold drinks and ice. So, if you get too hot you can also use the ice to cool you. You could also use any number of cooling devices, like the bandanas etc. in the recent thread on the board.

Also, make sure to have snacks with you that won't send you into hypoglycemia (if that is an issue for you)

Salt load (if you do that)

Make sure that you have ate properly etc. prior to going to the beach. Remember to pre-hydrate before too!

Maybe take or rent an umbrella to sit under if there is not adequate shade. Hand held battery operated fan too. I have one that has a water bottle built in that you can fill up, and you can put ice in the bottle to make sure it is extra cold.

Maybe a hat and sunscreen. A white coverup that can bounce the suns rays off of you, to decrease heat.

Don't go when the sun is right overhead and it is at its hottest outside.

I would NOT get the compression hose wet and wear them. I would think this would set you up for skin irritation, it could cause greater compression, and depending on how the hose is it could cut off blood supply etc. I would not think wearing them would be beneficial, instead maybe make sure to do calf exercises everyone and a while to help blood flow. Not so you are doing a whole routine, but like get up and streach a little bit and do some heel raises or while sitting pump your ankles.

Hope that helps! And have FUN!!!

[jbrian00]

Probably know this, but make sure you bring plenty of water. Maybe go early or fairly late in the day so you are not in the "heat of the day". Most beaches offer umbrellas which might provide some relief from the relentless sun and provide more breeze under them. If the beach let's you bring a cooler, you could bring a bunch of cold packs that you can put on your body if you get overly hot. Or look at those cooling vests. Can't answer your compression stocking question though cause I don't wear them or know what they look like or anything.

Of course don't forget sunglasses and some sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat would probably help as well.

Hope this helps somewhat.

[Guest tearose]

Oh how exciting! I want for you to have a wonderful time! These types of moments with loved ones give a lifetime of memories.

I too depend alot on the compression so here is a suggestion.

If it were me, and I longed to get into the water, I would wear my swimsuit, compression socks and a long loose dress. When I arrived on the beach, I would sit under the umbrella and remove the socks and dress and go for that dip in the water!!!!

The resistance of the water should help you manage.

When you get back under your umbrella, see if you can manage without the socks. You may be okay for a little while. If you feel badly, get the socks back on. If you feel you need more compression, head back to dryer places to get back into your compression hose. As you well know, it will be very difficult to get into the hose after you have swollen and may have some sand still on your legs.

Have a wonderful time and do pack some electrolytes for the beach too!

best regards,

tearose

[sheba]

Well I live on Miami Beach and not sure where u are but when on the beach here we mostly us the beach tents. These cover u completely from the sun. It works great!

[lorrie]

I wish I had asked this question before my camping trip last weekend. The heat really bothered me and I have been in the bed recovering the last 2 days. My suggestion...drink lots of water and stay in the shade. I didn't do either and paid for it big time. Hope you have a great time.

[beggiatoa]

I live in Miami also and I cannot tolerate the heat at all. It's too bad really, with all the beaches we have here.

[dsdmom]

Definitely keep your compression hose on - I did it all summer. I use thigh highs so I ended up buying some longer board shorts (the kind of shorts that dry really fast) to wear over them and some water shoes. I had no problem getting them wet - I just tried to keep the same pair going to the beach because I figured the salt water would do a number on them.

Also - get an umbrella. It's amazing how much those help w/ the shade and cutting down the temperature. Especially one that has a higher UV rating. One thing I learned the hard way though was that I needed to drink all the time no matter what. There were a couple of times it was really windy and I didn't feel hot. Well my body still got slammed...so make sure you stay hydrated!

[mom4cem]

I had a tough time this summer here. My kids wanted to go the pool, and we did and I paid for it. A few times being there during the high time of heat 12-2 was a killer. I found that going at 3:00-4:00 it was still sunny, warm enough to go in the water but o.k. enough for me to lay out and enjoy some of it. So if you find it to much during the early part of the day even with an umbrella and all, you may find it better later in the p.m., plus possibly less crowds!!!

Sounds like a great trip. Enjoy!

[corina]

hey guys, i've been thinking about swimming while wearing compression hose, but i'm not sure about it. what happens to the hose while in water, can it be pulled off easily afterwards? i ask this because i am trying to swim in rehab and using my legs (while floating on my back with floating stuff) immediately sets off dizziness, my absurd yawning, pain on the chest etc. after trying several times and fainting in the water (but being able to see and hear, which was very scaring and absurd i thought) i wonder if wearing my hose could be of help.

although i love the beach very very much i have trouble lying on the sand (it takes a lot of energy as it's not as comfortable as it felt before pots so i need to turn and shuffle and try to find a way to be comfortable).

now that i know we have been so close at the same time (in italy) carinara, i am very sorry that i didn't know. i would have loved to meet!!!

take care,

corina

[carinara]

Thank you all for responding.

Italy went very well for me. Our appartment was only a few steps away from the beach and it was in a dark and shady forest. The temperature was perfect for me. It never got to hot.

We always made sure that we reserved a chair and a shady place near the water. So i walked there with my compression stockings on under some long jeans. Since it only took 2 minutes to walk

to the chair i didnt get to hot and symptomatic. I took the stockings off on the beach and loved to swimm. As you all know, the water is a very good compression solution. There was always a very

nice brize on the beach. I couldnt believe that i didnt get too hot. It was fantastic because i could sit in the sun for quiet some while. The wind made all the difference to me. Back at home i cant tolerate being in

the sun at all, but on the beach with the wind blowing, staying cool was somehow no problem.

We just went out in the evenings when the weather cooled down a bit. I never had to walk long distances.

Only on two occasions i couldnt avoid feeling really sick for hours. Once i went into a outlet store which had really nice and thin trousers to sell. There were about a million people shopping in there and the temperature was like in a sauna. I really wanted to get 2 pairs of them nice trousers and walked around a little an tried them on. Boy, i felt so sick with it but i made it until i found them. Then i had to go outside, and lay down for the rest of the evening. (But the trousers are sooooooo nice :-)

The other time was in venice. I wanted my daughter to see venice so much. We took a short boat trip there. Which i handled quiet ok. If you have ever been in venice you know, that you have to walk a lot, because there are no streets and no cars. When we arrived in Venice i noticed that the temperature was very hot there. I had my compression stockings on and long jeans and after five minute walk i started to feel big time symptomatic. I had to sit down straight away. Then all of a sudden a gondolier with his gondola passed by and asked us if we want to go on a little gondola trip? First i said no because riding on them is very very expensive. But then i thought about what else we can do in venice with me not beeing able to walk? I thought of my daughter and decided to give her a pre Birthday present that she will never forget. So i suprised all of my family with a gondola trip through venice. I just asked the gondolier to bring us back to the place we got in the gondola because i couldnt walk long distances. The gondola trip was very nice, and after my symptoms got much better after sitting for about 15 miniutes, i really enjoyed everything very much. The only thing was, that the gondolier let us off the gondola in some other part of venice. It took us about one hour of walking back and i felt so bad. I honestly didnt think i would make it. But like i said, no cars no busses in venice. At one point my boyfriend almost carried me.

After we got to the harbour and i sat down for a long while and trank a lot, i started feeling better.

All together it was a very very nice holiday. It went much better than i have expected. I plan on putting some holiday pictures on the "faces of dinet" site soon.

Thank you all for your wonderfull tips. I used a lot of them.

Corina, if i would have known, that we were so close to each other i would have been very happy if we would have met. Maybe next time :-)

All the best to all of you.

carinara