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Posted 2/4/2018 10:41 AM (GMT -5)
I'm from Wisconsin and retired. I spend winters trying to get warm and treat the aches and pains of fibro.

We're living in a house in Florida for January and February that is my sister-in-laws and I'm loving it. I'm more active. I love sitting in the sun.

There's even a fibromyalgia support group that meets here. There's about 20 in the group and the meeting I went to was very helpful. My husband would never move here in the past, he said the summers are too hot. Well a woman said to him "you go from air conditioned places to air conditioned places."

He likes how social everyone is here and the activities. He likes how the warmth makes me feel.

It's a big decision. Did any of you move for your fibro and regretted it?

Barb
Posted 2/4/2018 11:50 AM (GMT -5)
I LOVE living in Florida! It did take me a couple of summers to get used to the heat but, actually, if you are hot, it's your own fault! Everything is air conditioned and many people have pools and there always the water surrounding our peninsula. I won't swim in fresh water here because of the possibility of gators. But I do live two miles from a state park with a small fresh water lake that is fed from underground streams. There are no alligators in that. It has a lovely beach too. A lot of developments have a pool for the development.

I now look forward to summers because I'm am in my pool. In the evening it does cool down somewhat but I prefer the air conditioning because of humidity. *****Summer lasts around four months. That gives me eight months of gorgeous weather!

My pain is less here because of the warmth and the activity! I can walk any day of the year. We have flowers all year 'round and that makes me happy and lifts my mood....the same with the sun. I used to live in Cleveland. I do love Cleveland but I never realized I suffered from light deprivation until I moved here! I was house-bound from late October to late April. It was cold, icy, snowy, or rainy during those months. That's seven months of getting very little sunshine or exercise. The average days of sunlight in Cleveland in January is three days! So, I'm just happier with no depression because my serotonin levels are higher here. Depression can add to your pain.

Remember, everyone is different. Im sure you will hear from others. I'm glad you are enjoying our weather. Hope this helps.

Sherrine
Posted 2/4/2018 11:59 AM (GMT -5)
That does help Sherrine.

There are lots of pools in the Villages.

My beagle seems to love it. No icy yard to go out into late at night. She seems happier. Maybe they need sun too. When I worked I went to work in the dark and came home in the dark.

I just hate saying goodbye to friends in Wisconsin.

Barb
Posted 2/4/2018 5:17 PM (GMT -5)
The Villages is beautiful. I'm about an hour south of that. You will make a ton of new friends at the Villages and everyone is so active.

I just got home from an early super bowl party and was speaking to a woman who used to live up north. She was saying she could never go back north again after living here. She, too, , said for the first two years she had to get used to the warmer weather but, once you do, you will only visit friends up north in the summer months. 😁

Sherrine
Posted 2/5/2018 6:28 AM (GMT -5)
Hi Hallahan,

My husband and I are from Wisconsin. We don't miss the cold. Yes we miss our friends and family especially our grandchildren but we travel back to see them at least once a year and we Facetime and Skype. To us, our health is much more important. We both feel much better here and living in a community is fun. It's a great way to get to know people.

When it comes to the hot weather, a person can get use to it. We did. Can you believe it, we miss the 92 degree temperature days. We love the sunshine. The highs have been 70 or so lately and it's been cloudy.

We wouldn't have moved here if we didn't have air conditioning or if we had to be outdoors for lengthy amounts of time during the hottest part of the day. We do get out during the hot times but it's so easy to do when you go from your air conditioned car to another air conditioned place.

We love it here.

Post Edited (almost medfree) : 2/5/2018 5:59:15 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/5/2018 8:08 AM (GMT -5)
Almost and I are in total agreement. AND...I don't miss snow or raking leaves! If I want to see snow, I turn on the Weather Channel and see people snow blowing, shoveling, and cars being pulled out of ditches. It's then I thank God I live in Florida. 😁

Sherrine
Posted Yesterday 12:28 AM (GMT -5)
We moved from Misouri to Southern California 10 years ago. I love the weather!!!!!! No snow, tornadoes, hail storms, etc.

It does get very hot in the summer, 115+ but the winters are great. In the summer I just stay in the air conditioning. I really feel better here. We do fly back to the Midwest to visit family throughout the year but never stay too long. And if course they come here to visit us.
Posted 2/27/2018 7:30 PM (GMT -5)
I was born and raised in FL. I'm still here so there must be something good about it. ;-) If you aren't sure you can manage the summers, why not plan a trip during July or August? If you can manage that, you'll be fine. Welcome to The Sunshine State!
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