Seasons.

The weatherman on the radio this morning let me know that fall is fast approaching. Goodbye long summer nights, hello crisp fall air.Just like everyone else who needs a change of pace after a few months of the same season, it’s nice to hear that we can look forward to sweaters, bonfires, and changing leaves. Sure, we’ll all miss the warm summer weather, but there’s something about the fall air that wakes up your whole body and really makes you feel good.For me though, seasons mean a lot more than just a change in wardrobe. Each season brings on a new challenge with Sjögren’s. That crisp, fresh fall air that I love to breathe in also sweeps across my fingertips and toes, leaving no trace of blood behind.Part of Sjögren’s for me is dealing with Raynaud’s Phenomenon, which is inadequate blood flow that is triggered by cold weather. The fall is particularly tricky because it’s sometimes warm enough that my fingers and toes are fine, but other times they are washed-out white for sometimes an hour before I start to notice the red blood making its way back. I just never know what the fall weather will bring for me, but I do know that it is much easier than winter.Let’s get ready for fall—a season when my disorder of “invisible” pain becomes a little more transparent, as people start to ask about my ghostly hands.