Anyone here with Raynaud's?

[river-wear]

Compared with OHS this is a pretty minor thing, but it's been a concern...

I have Raynaud's syndrome, which affects circulation in my fingers & toes when I get a chill. I know they put you in a hypothermic state (around 86 degrees) during open heart surgery. I plan to let them know, and remind them just before, but it still concerns me.

Has anyone been through this and have feedback for me?

 

[Adrienne]

I've always wondered if I might have a very, very, very mild form of Raynaud's Syndrome because I have to wear gloves when no one else is wearing them and huge sheepskin mittens on certain winter days when other people are just wearing gloves. My fingers will actually start losing sensation if I don't do these things. I have a cousin who wonders if she also might have a very, very mild version.

Who knows, maybe I am still within the normal response to cold, but definitely my extremities are more senstive to the cold than most people.

 

[river-wear]

Yes, it's definitely uncomfortable! I can be stepping out of a hot shower and if I get a chill, some of my fingers will turn white and go numb. I sometimes wear fingerless gloves at work during the winter. (Our heat isn't very good.)

I once went into the big walk-in refrigerator at Costco and lost circulation in my fingers. I had to walk around the store with my hands on my neck until it finally came back. I'm just lucky I don't live in Michigan anymore!

 

[Adrienne]

I meant to add to my post that it didn't affect my being cooled down during surgery, but then I probably don't really have a real case of Raynaud's Syndrome.

 

[Maryka]

I can get cold fingers too, though I am not official with that diagnosis. I made it through OHS without losing any fingers, ha ha, but I think I was dreaming about being stuck in the Siberian Tundra when I was in recovery. (I had seen Dr. Zhivago on TV the night before my surgery...) Please don't worry! I believe in saying a little prayer before going into surgery telling my "higher power" what I requested during the surgery. In my case, I asked to be deeply asleep throughout the procedure and not to wake up "too soon". It seemed to work because my first consciousness after the OHS was waking up, sans breathing tube and almost ready to go to my room.