Suzie's Raynaud's Story 

Suzie Matthews, a 47-year-old paramedic from Nottingham, only realised she had Raynaud's after a colleague saw her struggling with the cold.

Her colleague has scleroderma, recognised the symptoms of Raynaud's from her own experience, and suggested that Suzie mention it to a doctor.

Suddenly all the symptoms made sense! 

“Winter is really tough especially when it’s particularly cold,” says Suzie. “My feet get really painful, and it becomes difficult to go out and about. Driving is often a problem, as it sets my hands off. When my children were younger, I’d really struggle taking them to the park and on days out especially in the colder months as the pain in my hands and feet would be agony.”

To help her manage her condition, Suzie has had to make some adjustments. She has a a device that defrosts her car before she gets in, reducing the need to be out in the cold. She also keeps her lower arms covered. She has found that wearing silver gloves also helps keep her hands warm and credits a pair of heavily insulated wellies as being ‘life changing’.

Want to read more about Raynaud's? Click one of the links below.