I'm No Doctor. But Sometime I Like to Pretend I Am.

So I know self-diagnosis is sometimes (most times) not the most accurate way to decide whether you're healthy or you've got some sort of illness/disease/syndrome, and that a visit to the doctor is probably (usually) better than reading the Mayo Clinic's website to see if you match any of the symptoms of any one of the myriad conditions they list for your perusal.

But despite all that, I'm pretty sure I have Raynaud's disease. Based on my own mayo clinic reading and self-diagnosis. I'm fairly certain my diagnosis is correct, too. Not even kidding.

I don't really like being sick or having a "condition" in general, so I usually wouldn't really think I have anything - I'd rather talk myself out of those thoughts, even if I thought it could be really, truly, actually possible.

But Raynaud's doesn't really seem to be life-threatening or anything (at least not at my level), so I'll accept it. Plus it gives me a name for my perpetually ice-cold hands and feet, accompanied by accelerated numbing of random fingers/toes in cold environments. My pointer fingers and middle toes are the worst - they go white SO quickly!

And according to Mayo Clinic, that is Raynaud's:

During an attack of Raynaud's, affected areas of your skin usually turn white at first. Then, the affected areas often turn blue, feel cold and numb, and your sensory perception is dulled. As circulation improves, the affected areas may turn red, throb, tingle or swell. The order of the changes of color isn't the same for all people, and not everyone experiences all three colors.

Occasionally, an attack affects just one or two fingers or toes. Attacks don't necessarily always affect the same digits.

Cold temperatures are most likely to trigger an attack. Exposure to cold can be as simple as putting your hands under a faucet of running cold water, taking something out of the freezer or exposure to cold air. For some people, exposure to cold temperatures isn't necessary. Emotional stress alone can cause an episode of Raynaud's.

So there you have it - I have Raynaud's. My hands and feet are freezing as I type this. Awesome.

Now if only I could find a guy with some "excessive warmth" syndrome who would love to date a girl who's cold hands and feet could cool him off, that'd be perfect.