Katlyn is a traveling ICU Nurse, living full-time in a 1999 Airstream, hiking and adventuring every chance she gets - she's an all-around badass who exemplifies the Give'r spirit.
As a person with Raynaud's Syndrome, Katlyn recently told us more about her journey with Raynaud's, and how the Give'r Frontier Mittens have been able to help.
A Note From Katlyn:
"I've had Raynaud's for as long as I can remember. I always had to wear mittens with hot hands [hand warmers] for winter sports. Even on a nice spring or summer day, my hands would get white and cold if I had been in water, if there was a breeze, or as soon as the sun went down. I've been known to hike in shorts and a tank top...with gloves on! Even when I am working hard (i.e. exercising), my core may be warm, but my hands and feet will still be cold. It affects my hands more so than my feet, and mostly my fingers and toes.
Day to day, my hands are always cold; it has just become my norm. At work, my patients will notice and comment on how cold my hands are, even through my rubber hospital gloves. I always respond with 'cold hands, warm heart.' However, I sometimes forget just how cold my hands are/get in comparison to what is considered 'normal.' I've been known to startle my patients, or others, with my touch.
In more extreme conditions, like winter, my fingers get numb, tingly, and painful. The pain is especially bad when my hands/fingers begin to warm back up. I have gloves for every situation - thin gloves, thick gloves, wool gloves, waterproof gloves, etc. You'll find a pair of gloves, or two, stashed in every backpack I own.
My husband and I have a rule that if temperatures are in the 40s or below, I don't leave home without my Give'r mittens! The Frontier Mittens are my savior. I started out with the 4-Season Gloves, and even though they were the warmest gloves I had ever had, my fingers still managed to get cold. The mittens are key to keeping my fingers together to maintain any little warmth my body can muster.
My husband and I have a rule that if temperatures are in the 40s or below, I don't leave home without my Give'r mittens!
I think what makes the Frontier Mittens special and work for me is that if I put them on BEFORE my hands get too cold, the layers reflect heat and protect from wind and moisture/rain/snow."
