Beat the Summer Heat with a FaceCaddy!

As a chronic TMJD sufferer with EDS I have been enjoying my FaceCaddy for several months now. The last few days have brought warmer weather and I once again realized just how great this product really is, not just for pain relief but for temperature regulation as well. Regardless of whether you have headaches or jaw pain, the FaceCaddy renders ice packs easily wearable, which is perfect for potsies in hot weather! I suffer from extreme heat intolerance, as do many other dysautonomia patients. The relief this product provides is tremendous. Due to the FaceCaddy's insulation, the ice packs stay cool for a long time without having to swap them or refreeze them.

I love this product, and am going to give away another zebra FaceCaddy to one lucky reader to celebrate the summer solstice!

To enter the Summer FaceCaddy Giveaway, please leave a comment below and let me know why you'd like to win! Also be sure to list your name and email address.

Entry deadline is July 10th. I will draw a name from my big floppy beach hat and post the name of the winner here on Defying Gravity, so be sure to check back after July 10th. Winner will be selected at random.

*You will automatically receive one bonus entry if you entered my first FaceCaddy Giveaway in honor of EDS Awareness Month.

*Anyone can receive an additional entry by sharing this giveaway post on Facebook.

Thanks for reading and good luck! :)

If you can't wait until July 10th and want to order a FaceCaddy now, purchase any CaddyWraps product online at CaddyWraps.com and enter "Take5" in the coupon code for $5 off your order!

Giveaway: Summer Survival Sample & Coupon Pack!!!

Greetings my fair readers! Summer is here already and I wanted to make it a priority and host some fun giveaways for my lovely readers. As most of you know by now, I am extremely sensitive to chemicals and allergic to just about everything (a slight exaggeration, but you get this idea...). I figured it would be fun to assemble a pack of products I use regularly (in sample or coupon form) that agree with me and my crazy body. In the summer survival kit, you'll find an array of toiletry samples such as lotions, face creams and serums, shampoo and conditioner, body wash and other fun random surprise items to brighten your day. :)

You will also find high value coupons for some of my favorite products including a coupon for a FREE six pack...of Dole Pineapple Juice. Not quite the six pack you had in mind, right? But WAY healthier during the summer months! It's high in potassium and vitamin e and helps level out my electrolyte levels. My favorite thing to do is mix it with coconut milk and guava juice and pretend it's a real mixed drink. ;) I've also included coupons for O.N.E. Coconut Water, one of my favorites!

To enter my summer survival kit giveaway, simply leave a comment on this blog post with your first name and become a follower (unless you are already following, of course). For a bonus entry into the big floppy beach hat from which I will draw not one, but TWO lucky winners who will each receive a summer survival kit, please share this with your friends on Facebook!

Enter by June 21, 2012!

Good luck! Hope that you enjoy these products as much as I do!

POTS on the Beach

Midsummer has arrived, and what better way to spend it than on the beach? For people with dysautonomia, what used to be a simple carefree day at the beach may present some new challenges. For me, it's staying cool and hydrated. I drink plenty of liquids and eat a lot of Lays potato chips, but it is the staying cool part that can often be a problem. If I am able, I will gladly take a dip in the water on really hot days, but not for too long, as prolonged cold, like prolonged heat, is not good for the autonomic nervous system either. I will cool off in the water, then lie flat on top of an inflatable air mattress, then take another dip, then back onto the flotation device, and so on and so forth until I tire of that. I try to not stay in the sun for any longer than 10-15 minutes at a time to avoid getting overheated.

Due to the fact that compression stockings are not exactly beach-friendly attire, I usually become more lightheaded than normal at the beach. The last day I was there, I discovered that laying on the beach the conventional way (feet facing the water) wouldn't suffice to alleviate my lightheadedness. So I layed upside down against the incline of the sand (head closest to water's edge) which created a slight yoga-esque inversion, and I believe pumped a bit more blood back to my heart and brain where it belongs.

Amazing! The key to temporarily relieving my brain fog and wooziness was simply to lay upside down on a beach. For once, I was clearheaded again and not feeling woozy at all. I felt positively normal aside from the fact that the neighbors must have thought I looked ridiculous. If only I could live my life upside down on a sandy beach, life would be easy again. Although impractical, I intend to take advantage of this laying-upside-down-on-the-beach concept while summer's still around. I encourage you all to do the same!