CAD patients find breathing a bother when enduring a cold

Cold temps cause agglutination, difficulty breathing, and infections for "CADdies"

by Mary Lott | December 16, 2024

It is a truth universally acknowledged that people with cold agglutinin disease (CAD) can’t breathe. However little known the feelings or views of such a person, this truth is so well-fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that people with CAD, because they can’t breathe, will never walk either speedily or far.

Such has been my situation since the middle of November, when I attended basketball and football games at Auburn University. The basketball game started the process.

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My challenge

I have CAD, an autoimmune hemolytic anemia that leaves me both breathless and tired. It’s triggered when I breathe in cold air, which enters my lungs and interacts with my red blood cells. These blood cells then clump together, a process called agglutination, and are destroyed by antibodies.

A large hawk stares directly into the camera with its beak open, as if to say, "What are you looking at?!" It's perched on the hand of its handler inside a football stadium.

Auburn University’s Raptor Center provides shelter for many birds of prey, like the one pictured here. A number of eagles that can’t survive in the wild also soar around the stadium before home games. Our battle cry is “War eagle!” (Photo by Mary Lott)

I thoroughly enjoyed both games. They were military appreciation games, and my heart swelled with pride as we sang “America the Beautiful” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The team eagle soared around the football stadium while military jets flew overhead. A large part of my pride is because both my son and son-in-law are active-duty members of the U.S. Army.

Nevertheless, I paid an additional cost for the enjoyment. When I left the basketball game, it was rainy and the temperature was dropping. At 6 p.m. the thermometer read 64 F, but by 9 p.m. it was even colder. My CAD begins the agglutination process at about 65 F. This was confirmed by the tight band that enveloped my chest as I took each breath.

The next two days were miserable. My head was stuffy with a cold. We “CADdies,” as those of us with CAD call ourselves, are susceptible to infection. I developed a good one, complete with a low and intermittent fever.

The day of the football game was sunny, so I proceeded with my plans. I drove to the parking lot to catch the shuttle to the stadium. I gave myself plenty of time to walk from the drop-off point to the stadium. I was still quite winded when I climbed the steps to my seat.

Although the game was over in the late afternoon, I was exhausted. Breathing made my chest ache, my head was stuffy, and I had no energy. I went to bed as soon as I got home.

How I endured

For the entire week that followed, I stayed inside my house. I’m very grateful for online shopping and delivery services. I’m also glad that I have a nephew who runs errands for me when I don’t wish to do it myself.

The next few weeks I cycled through an upper respiratory infection. First, my chest ached. Had this not been the exact same symptom I’ve continuously had since CAD started developing in me, which I’ve had thoroughly investigated by a cardiac team, I would’ve gone to the ER. No one should dismiss such a symptom.

The infection with a fever then moved into my throat. My best recommendation to treat a sore throat is Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream. I lived off that until Thanksgiving Day! After Thanksgiving, the infection moved into my nasal cavity and then behind my eyes. Because of this, I had to postpone until mid-December my “Mohs-on-my-nose” surgery to remove a small lesion.

It is now Dec. 11. As of last weekend, I seem to be back to “normal.” I won’t be going outside today, as it’s windy and the temperature is in the 40s. Tomorrow, I’ll cover my face to warm my breath and run some errands. My Mohs surgery is rescheduled for next week.

I am ever sensible of the needs I’ve been presented by CAD. I have the warmest gratitude for my family and friends, who by making few demands of me allow me to retreat and nurse my long-lasting colds and infections. Colds usually last seven days. Mine lasted three times that.

Note: Cold Agglutinin Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Cold Agglutinin Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to cold agglutinin disease.

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About the Author

Mary Lott is a southern girl from Auburn, AL, living in Sentani, Papua, Indonesia, where she and her husband have worked for almost 30 years. She has taught sixth grade to missionary kids. Now, she designs websites, gardens, SCUBA dives as often as possible, and uses a motorcycle as her primary mode of transport. Their three kids have grown, but this gap is filled by two Papuan boys from one of the island’s interior villages. Mary is a surrogate “mom” while the boys attend a private school in town. Since her diagnosis at age 63, Mary juggles life and living at her home, “Ivy Manor East.”

Comments

Hazel Schmidt

I love reading your stories. As a CAD patient I find it very interesting. Also I know I’m now going crazy when things go wrong.

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CAD patients find breathing a bother when enduring a cold