Solar Powered: Benefits of Sun Exposure for My PsA

I have recently noticed that I have something in common with my eldest cat.  Yes, you read that correctly, a cat.  Pumpkin is so old that we refer to him as our dinosaur.  While not as active as our younger pets, he can still jump on a tabletop when he wants something.  In the past six months, there have been a few times when we thought our little buddy was ready to go to heaven.  He would lie still for hours and we often had to poke him several times to get a reaction.  Yet the rest of the time he behaves like any other cat.  I know he won’t be around forever, but I have discovered what keeps him going….. Like me, my cat is solar powered!

Power up

I love feeling the warmth of the sun on my aching muscles and bones.  In moderation, it provides comfort and keeps my vitamin D levels in a healthy range.  In the early years of my chronic life, my doctor had become concerned about my vitamin D levels and insisted that I take supplements.  I did what he requested but soon began experiencing odd side effects.  So I spoke with my physician who suggested I stop popping my daily supplement and begin sitting outside in the sun for 10-15 minutes a day instead.  At my next check-up, my doctor was so impressed by the results of my lab work that he told me to continue my sun therapy as that was how my body best absorbed what I needed.

Daily dose of happiness

Just like a home with solar panels that need sun exposure to receive power, my cat and I need a daily dose of sunshine to power our bodies.  The longer we go without it the less energy our bodies have.  Storm systems that hide the sun for multiple days literally suck the life out of us.  When the sun returns I can feel my body reenergize and have witnessed Pumpkin come back to life.  My body prefers 10 minutes a day during the summer and 20 throughout the winter months, while Pumpkin likes 30 minutes in the summer and an hour or two during the colder seasons.  A daily dose of sunshine helps our bodies and our souls.  Are you solar powered?