Here Comes the Sun

As fond as I am of a beautiful spring day, there's a part of me that cowers a bit when the sun peeks out in the springtime.  Gone are the months of long sleeves and grey skies, and now it's time for me to begin my vampire routine once again.

Everyone's concerned about "too much sun" these days, but for me, even a small amount can leave me nauseous, achy and exhausted.  Since the weather is becoming warmer (and will soon venture into "muggy"), long sleeves don't really do it anymore.  My strategy for coping with the sun is threefold: 1) avoidance (stay inside/in the shade), 2) modified wardrobe (long-sleeved cotton gauze or linen shirts, or special UPF jackets), or 3) heavy-duty sunscreen (A combination of Clinique's Super City Block for the face, and Blue Lizard for the body).

The avoidance route is my usual weapon of choice.  The trouble is, as my kid gets older, I want to spend more time participating in real-life activities with him.  He got a tennis racket for his birthday this year, and I can teach him some of the basics.  But our local tennis courts, while lovely, are completely unshaded.  The same goes for bike rides in the park, field trips, etc.  Also, since we can't afford landscapers on our budget, there's work to be done in the yard, and hubby can't do it all by himself.

I do have a jacket from Sun Precautions, but it a) can be hot, b) wrinkles terribly, and c) being white, is always a bit grungy -- some stains will just not wash out.  Their stuff is also incredibly expensive (the jacket runs just under $100).  I have just ordered another jacket (in a different color this time) from a similar company called Coolibar, which is less expensive.  Reviewers seem to like it, so we'll see how it compares.

I do like the Blue Lizard sunscreen.  Because it uses titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, it is actually a physical block to the sun.  It goes on pretty easily (it is a little bit oily), but it does tend to leave a white residue on my dark clothes, on the arms of my desk chair, on the armrest in the car, etc.  The residue is not too bad if I use exactly the right amount -- but that's hard to get right.  Also, given my reaction to the sun, I am always nervous in just sunscreen.  I don't worry too much about its effectiveness on a typical weekday -- it covers me just fine for the walk to and from the car, etc.  But on a weekend or holiday, when I'm likely to be outside a lot, I feel kind of... exposed going out with just this stuff on my arms and/or shoulders.  Swimming with it on last summer was especially scary.

I don't know the answer to this issue, but it's probably the #1 biggest impact that RA/lupus has had on my life.  Joint pain is mostly controlled by medication, and I have mostly gotten used to asking for hubby's help with jars and such -- but having to plan ahead just to walk outside is a real pain.