Debbie first experienced Raynaud’s as a teenager but her concerns were dismissed. It wasn’t until years later that she was formally diagnosed by a sympathetic GP.
It’s horrible. I lose dexterity and fine motor skills, I can’t do anything as I can’t feel what I’m doing. When blood flows again the hands go red and there’s a painful burning and tingling sensation.
When I was a student in my late teens I went to the GP at university whilst I was having a Raynaud’s attack. Typically, my symptoms subsided by the time I was seen and the response was “you’re a student who doesn’t wear enough clothes”. It really put me off going back to the doctors. It was when I was in my 30s that I was diagnosed by a sympathetic GP.
When I experience a Raynaud’s attack it starts with my fingers turning numb and white. Sometimes it’s just one finger, sometimes it affects all the fingers and varies in terms of just the tips or right to the base of the fingers. Sometimes the thumbs are involved but always only to the knuckle. On occasion, they turn blue. My toes are also affected but are a little easier to manage by wearing thermal socks and shoes.
Wearing thermal socks and shoes for most of the year helps to manage it. I work in a primary school so I am often on lunch break duties outdoors which can get cold and lead me to feel extremely uncomfortable. There’s not always a chance to prepare in such a busy environment and the weather can change instantly. It can be a sunny day but a cold breeze can trigger it. I store a jumper in my locker just in case, use handwarmers that I keep in my pockets and wear three pairs of gloves. A hot drink in a safe flask can help keep my core warm and prevent an attack too.
Handling frozen food is a pain so my husband does the food shopping fortunately. I find difficulty chopping cold vegetables and fruit, which can in itself cause an attack. It’s a worry handling a sharp knife so I get the ingredients out of the fridge early to warm them up. However, even with this method it can still trigger an attack.