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A woman with a cold drink in her hand and a plate of watermelon on a table next to her, smiles as she looks out the window at a sunny scene of a playhouse in her backyard and a dog running to catch a ball.

You Are (NOT) My Sunshine

Calie Wyatt's avatar image

By Calie Wyatt

2 min read

The other night as we were eating dinner, I was listening to my mom explain to my three-year-old the benefits of sunshine. She was explaining to him how the sun helps us stay happy, and how it gives us special vitamins we need. All I could think of was how I love the sunshine, and all of its benefits... but my body with MS certainly does not. Oh, how I wish things were different.

Vitamin D and MS

Natural sunlight triggers our body’s production of Vitamin D, which is a crucial ingredient to our overall health. Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities that help support our immune health. Our bodies are meant to be in the sun, and exposure to sunlight during the day can be beneficial to our well-being. Yet some of us with MS tend to have a Vitamin D deficiency and can be negatively impacted by the heat that the sun yields.1

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It is very ironic to me, that something we need so much of, can make us feel so bad. Some research has suggested Vitamin D may have a protective effect in lowering the risk of developing MS, but it's important to talk to your doctor.1

Heat is forever my body's enemy

I hate that the sun is so hard on me because I love summertime. My son is so outdoors-oriented, and all I want to do is be able to be outside with him enjoying the activities every little kid likes to do in the summer. The heat restricts me though, and I find myself more indoors than out. There are not enough cooling packs, water bottles, popsicles, and wading pools to cool this girl down. Sure, those things offer relief, but I still find myself paying the heat later. I then have to retreat indoors to the cool AC for days to recover from a few hours in the hot summer sun.

Each summer, in my wild imagination I think that it might be different, but I soon realize that this is just life for me. I hate it, but there’s nothing I can do to change it. The heat will forever be my body’s enemy, even though I long for it to be my friend. Although sunshine tends to bring a smile to my face, most days I choose to enjoy it from the comfort of my couch with the AC blasting. And, I might even eat some watermelon, and enjoy a cold beverage while I’m at it, to make having to stay indoors feel better. So when I think of the song, “You Are My Sunshine,” instead of the sunshine making me happy, gray skies don’t seem so bad.

XOXO,

Calie

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The MultipleSclerosis.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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