Thinking about relocating. Suggestions?

[pumpkin]

So since you all convinced me (though you didn't know it) to pour my life savings into this wacky scheme  I thought I'd give you another chance to help me alter my life.

I live in New England.  My wife has a health condition that worsens during the winter months (for you non-locals that's Oct-April around here) and especially during storms.

So I'm toying with the idea of moving to a climate that would be more beneficial to her health.  Winters that are mild, and not too many storms with big pressure drops.

I'd also be looking to live in a state that values and promotes personal liberty.  Unlike the nanny state where I live now.  I work in the electricity distribution industry right now, and since most of the country ought to be electrified by now, I'm not trapped into any particular region as far as employment goes.

If any of you knows of any such utopia, or something like it, I'd welcome your suggestions.  And for the greater good, any advice you may have of other things to look for when shopping around for a new community.

Thanks in advance,
P.

[Gumby]

Welcome, pumpkin. I'm sorry to hear about your wife's health issues. Any chance you could give us a few details on her condition? That might help in either determining a better locale or offering a lifestyle change that could improve things.

[pumpkin]

Sure, I'll do my best, but the doctors, chiropractors, PTs, accupuncturists haven't really figured it out.  It started as nerve damage to her leg.  Now cold cramps her muscles very easily, which gets painful.  She cannot stand for more than 10 min or sit for more than 30-60.  We have made every reasonable lifestyle accommodation possible within our current situation.  She goes to PT 1x per week, the chiro 2x, swims every night for exercise.  Last year we bought a hot tub, which she uses regularly, and it helps.  She can't keep her body weight above 100#, and b/c of her limitations she's pretty deconditioned.  We've been dealing with this for 7 years, and have noticed the annual cycle of her getting worse in the winter and better in the summer for some time now.  Which is why we're starting to explore a move.

edit:
In case it makes a difference, we're in our mid-30's.  Oh and egads, re-reading the above it sounds really whiny.  Sorry.

[TripleB]

Arizona (avoid Tuscon), Texas (avoid Austin and Houston), Florida (avoid Jacksonville and anything in Broward County), Nevada (avoid Clark County except for Boulder City).

Tuscon and Austin are very Liberal parts of otherwise Conservative/Free states. Houston has a lot of welfare beggars. Jacksonville has all the awful summer weather of the rest of Florida but has a colder winter and is generally full of welfare criminals. Broward County should just be nuked from space and the only reason you should go there is if you're driving between Miami and West Palm Beach. Clark County (aka Las Vegas) has a mandatory handgun registration although Boulder City is exempt.

Utah might be nice but I've never been there and can't comment.

[Gumby]

So sorry to hear that, pumpkin. I can understand why you are thinking of making this move.

Is there a name for this condition? I'm thinking Peripheral Neuropathy, but want to be sure.

[RuralEngineer]

I've lived in Kansas, Colorado, and Indiana.  Most of my family lives in Illinois and I have experience with what it's like.  Having stated that my life experience consists of 4 out of 50 states, I'll give you my limited opinion.

Indiana is pretty good from a legislative standpoint.  It's still red but will eventually go blue because of Indianapolis and the northern cities near Chicago, which will likely be the death of certain freedoms as it has been in other states.  Short term though, it's not bad at all.  However, the winters here suck (cold, frequent weather changes, 30 degree day-to-day swing is not uncommon) unless you go all the way to the southern end, at which point Kentucky might be a better solution.

Kansas is decent from a legislative point, but there is absolutely nothing there.  If you like cities, Wichita isn't bad, but it's a 3 hour drive to anything worth seeing outside of the city.  Eastern Kansas is nice geographically, but only because it looks just like Missouri, which is beautiful.  Again, weather is a problem.  They have more sunny days and warmer weather than central Indiana (where I live), but they have volatile weather and get a lot of ice in the winter.

Illinois is hell on Earth, seriously just never go there...ever.  From their anti-gun Gestapo act, "Papers please!" (not kidding, you can't even TOUCH a gun in a store without a FOID card), to their cluster-****of a budget, it's a disaster.  The only time I'll look forward to going to Illinois (other than family visits, which are nice) is if Indiana raises a militia to annex the lower 2/3 of Illinois and form the new state of Illiana (or Indinois), leaving the northern part as Chicagoland.  We'll need to invest in a good perimeter fence to keep the taint in the north, but it would be worth the expense.

Colorado is a mixed bag legislatively and has uber red and uber blue areas (Boulder...hippy-Mecca) all mixed together.  It has a lot of good traits of both though.  Weather is amazing.  Something like 300 sunny days a year and storms are rare.  The winters are milder than Indiana, I kid you not.  It wasn't uncommon to have 6 inches of snow over night and have it melted off by lunch.  As far as things to do, if you enjoy the outdoors at all, it's Mecca.  365 days a year you can be outside doing something, which is why it's the only state without an obesity problem.  Denver has all the usual issues American cities bring to the table, gangs, drugs, assorted crime, but if you get out to one of the many satellite cities (Westminster, Broomfield, etc.) it's really nice.

So in short, if I had to pick someplace I'd already been, I'd probably go for Colorado or Indiana.  I'm looking to move south eventually, perhaps try Arkansas or North Carolina.  Of course, the trick is finding a job in those locations that isn't a massive pay cut, which is challenging.

[MediumTex]

Arizona sounds like a good spot because of the breathable air.

Texas has many nice places, but there isn't as much desert air with urban populations as you see in Arizona.  (I would not want to live in El Paso).

Oklahoma City has become a very vibrant place in recent years (I never thought I would say that).

[Gumby]

Actually, based on what you've already said, I'm fairly certain your wife has Peripheral Neuropathy. Most people with Peripheral Neuropathy report the exact symptoms you've described.

According to Wikipedia...

[Peripheral] Neuropathy has been reported to make winter weather more perilous for older adults. Often, people with neuropathy who live in areas with defined winters (such as the northern United States) report that their symptoms were much less severe after moving to places with an undefined winter, such as Florida, California or New Mexico.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripheral_neuropathy

While Chiropractors and Physical Therapists may help ease the pain, they likely won't be able to treat the underlying problem. They are likely just treating the symptom.

Peripheral Neuropathy can be caused by a number of things, such as...

* Liver infections
* Low levels of vitamin B12
* Poisoning due to heavy metals, such as lead or mercury or solvents
* Poor blood flow to the legs
* Underactive thyroid gland
* Broken bone that affects a nerve
* Drugs that treat infections, cancer, seizures, and high blood pressure
* Pressure on a nerve, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
* Being exposed to cold temperatures for a long period of time
* Pressure from bad-fitting casts, splints, a brace, or crutches

If the problem isn't caused by a specific physical pressure on the nerves, my recommendation would be to find a "functional medical practitioner" or a "DAN physician" (Defeat Autism Now) who specializes in the methylation pathways (for detox). Often those with methylation issues have a number of genetic defects that require specific workarounds. One way to find such a practitioner is to contact a local compounding pharmacy near you and ask them if they know of a physician who specializes in treating methylation disorders. Usually they will know such a physician or practitioner because those kinds of physicians tend to order compounded pharmaceuticals. If that practitioner knows what they are doing, they will order a specific genetic test to determine which methylation enzymes are upregulated or downregulated — which can help them plan a course of action.

Some people have good success treating Peripheral Neuropathy with methylfolate and active forms of b12 and rAlpha Lipoic Acid (it all depends on what the underlying cause is). However, I do not recommend self-treating without the guidance of a knowledgeable physician or practitioner because it is very easy to overdose on these vitamins when methylation pathways aren't working properly.

Of course, if the problem is purely physical, it would probably be worth seeing an osteopath who is trained in functional medicine. Either way, there are very few mainstream doctors who understand how to test or treat the underlying cause.

I am not a doctor, but hopefully Benko or BareBones (or any other doctors) can chime in (MG, though not a doctor, is very knowledgeable as well).

[TripleB]

MT: Are you suggesting the air quality in TX is poor?

[AgAuMoney]

I hear Chile is really nice, and Panama has a lot going for it as well.

[KevinW]

Every region of the US seems to suffer from some kind of unpleasant weather or threat of natural disasters.

The Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states have mild winters, and some have liberty-minded politics, but get big storms (hurricanes). Moving West into Texas-Oklahoma-Kansas, hurricanes give way to tornadoes.

California has probably the best weather in the US, though there are earthquakes to contend with. While it's generally believed to be wall-to-wall Democrat, actually it's more like two huge very left-leaning metropolises (LA and SF) surrounded by a vast expanse of Western conservative cowboy territory. You might consider the parts outside LA and SF. The winters in coastal Oregon and Washington State are nearly as mild, so those are also worthy of consideration.

From your description, the Southwest may be ideal; Nevada, Arizona, or New Mexico. Warm winters, no earthquakes or hurricanes, and relatively pro-liberty politics.

FWIW, if I didn't have any job or familial obligations, I'd probably move to Texas.

[MediumTex]

MT: Are you suggesting the air quality in TX is poor?

No (though in some places it's not great).  There are just a lot of allergens in the right half of the state, which can make life difficult for people with breathing issues.

People tell me that desert air is much easier on people with asthma and related breathing issues.

[frugal]

Try Algarve 

[Benko]

As talented as people on this board are, please don't let anyone (including me) diagnose you by internet.  A neurologist should be able to tell you if perhpheral neuropathy is what the problem is.  Has she seen a neurologist, and if so, what did they say?  Conventional western medicine is very limited, but at least they can give you a diagnosis and then one can start to discuss what is the best conventional or alternative way to approach things.

"It started as nerve damage to her leg"
What exactly does this mean?  Was there a physical injury?  Exactly what was the first thing that she experienced.

Did the acupuncturist give you a chinese diagnosis?  I had to go through 4 before I found a good one where I live (decent size, but not large city).

[Benko]

PS I hope all is well if this effects you:

Blizzard to Bury New England at Week's End
http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-n ... ek/5673457

[Tyler]

Tuscon and Austin are very Liberal parts of otherwise Conservative/Free states.

I recently moved to Austin from San Francisco (born and raised in Dallas).  It's true that Austin is liberal in general.  But it's no California by a long shot (it's still part of Texas after all), and actually one of the few places I've been where you can have a real conversation about politics with people of different political persuasions.  Also, the farther you live from downtown the more conservative it gets.

So I wouldn't let politics stop you from considering Austin.  Barometric pressure is another matter, as thunderstorms are part of the Texas experience that you can't avoid. 

I've known people who moved to Phoenix for health reasons.  Personally, if I move again Denver is next on my list. 

[pumpkin]

Thanks everyone for all the great responses so far! 

Medical advice:
- Benko: No I wouldn't take what anyone said here as a diagnosis.  And I was a bit vague on the medical details b/c I wasn't looking for med advice, though I could see why people would want to know more.  The nerve damage was tarsal tunnel syndrome.  The medical story is long and tortuous after that, but we access to good specialists, and we consulted many.  She did have a surgical release performed.  Followup medical testing (EMG's, MRI's) indicate "no problem" but it's obvious she still has one.  My wife was an M.D. so she knows how to navigate the system and separate the wheat from the chaff.  Bottom line is that we think we've pretty much exhausted conventional medicine.  Oh yeah, and we'll be right under that nor'easter.  (Can't wait)
- Gumby: Thanks for the tip on the B12 etc.

Locations:
- RuralEngineer: Thanks for the first-hand account of your area.  Indiana was near the top of Mercatus's Freedom in the 50 States for personal freedom so it caught my attention, but it doesn't sound like the climate would work for her.  Colorado sounds interesting.  My impression was that it got as cold there as here in the winter time, but I have to keep reminding myself that the bigger states out west have different climates in different locations, whereas my state is so darn small the climate's pretty much all the same.

- TripleB: I lived in FL (Orlando) for a while when I was in the service.  I agree with your assessment.  Plus, I remember big T-Storms rolling through every afternoon in the summer. That would be BAD.

- TennPaGa: Barometric effect is what I think it is, too.  She usually knows a TStorm is coming the same time the birds do.  That's a good idea, thanks for the tip.

- The Southwest: Yes, we keep gravitating to that area in our thought-experiments.  I was in NM as a teenager and thought it was beautiful.  But as a visitor, especially at that age, the practicialities of actually living there don't enter your mind.  We'll be digging deeper for sure.  The more specific locality suggestions are really helpful to get started with.  I did some digging on Texas a while back, and got the impression that it was (east to west) either hurricane bait, tornado alley or desert.  I'll take another look.

- MT: Oklahoma?  I didn't think of that.  The dustbowl pictures from the 30's and that musical exhaust my knowledge of that state.  I'll check it out.

Anybody have any experience with interior southeastern states (i.e. Tennessee and the bordering areas of the surrounding states)?

This is some great info to chew on, thanks everyone!

[Tyler]

BTW - if cost is no object, San Diego has the most perfect weather in the US, IMO. Warm and sunny year round with few storms.

You would still have to deal with CA politics, but on a local level my impression is that SD is less liberal than the other major CA cities. The large military presence affects that, I'm sure.

[Gumby]

Gumby: Thanks for the tip on the B12 etc.

Agreed on what Benko was saying. Don't take anything I say as being anything more than a vague tip or suggestion.

If your wife has a 23andme.com account, consider running the exported raw data through the Genetic Genie Methylation Analysis just to see if there are any clues there:

http://geneticgenie.org/methylation-analysis/

It will give you an idea of your wife's odds for having a methylation defect. Homozygous risk alleles equal high odds of an enzyme upgregulation/downregulation defect. (See http://MTHFR.net for more details, and be sure to watch Ben Lynch's video). Almost everyone has some kind of methylation defects but learning about those defects — particularly the SNPs with homozygous risk alleles — can help direct tests/treatment/supplementation significantly.

If she does have a good number of methylation defects, consider researching ideas for treatments on the Phoenix Rising forum. There are plenty of knowledgeable members there with similar problems.

But, do be careful. The biggest risk with dosing too much B12 is that those with methylation defects need the active form of B12 (such as methylcobalamin) and — among other things — it needs to be balanced with the active form of folate (such as L-5-methylfolate), and potassium, etc. — folic acid won't cut it if a Methylation defect is present. And the timing needs to be somewhat precise. If you don't give your body a chance to adjust to the active forms of these vitamins, you can easily overmethylate from these everyday vitamins (panic attacks, heart palpitations, severe anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, etc) if you go too fast. Have a bottle of niacin (as nicotinic acid) handy before attempting active B12/methylfolate therapies.

See: http://mthfr.net/overmethylation-and-un ... 012/06/27/

Again, nothing above is medical advice (I'm not a doctor). They are just tips to explore as you look into alternative treatments. (Nothing against MDs, but most doctors have never heard of these methylation defects that cause so many mysterious diseases.)

Good luck!

[Benko]

Pumpkin,

1. I posted in a separate thread a regimen of supplements I've used in "nerve regeneration".  As I said there, since nerves regenerate anyway (albeit SLOWLY) I can't prove if the regiment helped them or not.  It is  very unlikely to do any harm, and doesn't cost much.

2.  Was the physical therapist one of the old school hands on type?  I ask because there is "soft tissue work" which comes to mind as something that can be helpful in certain cases.  This can be done by a PT if you have the right PT i.e. if they are doing deep tissue work (probably uncomfortable), or by the right massage therapist, or by certain chiropracters (IF they know active release technique ART or graston).

[clacy]

Check into NW Arkansas such as Fayetteville and Bentonville. Very mild winters, low cost of living and fairly conservative state.

It's much nicer than what your opinion of it would be if you had never been.

[MediumTex]

Check into NW Arkansas such as Fayetteville and Bentonville. Very mild winters, low cost of living and fairly conservative state.

It's much nicer than what your opinion of it would be if you had never been.

Heck, Little Rock is nice.

[Coffee]

I think Little Rock has gang problems.  Fayetteville/Bentonville are nice communities, but the winter weather is probably at least as bad as where he's at, now.

I would ixnay on Austin.  I lived there for five years.  The barometric pressure flux is terrible.

We're in Reno, Nevada.  We love it here.  Once you get away from the downtown area, it's really a pretty nice place to live.  Clean water, decent air, low traffic, good gun laws, Libertarian/Conservative politics, 300+ days of sunshine, low cost of living, mild winters and no state income tax.  I don't know if you're a dog owner, but Nevada doesn't have fleas.  In fact, Reno specifically doesn't seem to have very many bugs in general.

[MachineGhost]

I think everyone needs to keep global warming in mind.  In another 10-20 years, these already hot, desert areas will get even hotter.  It may be prudent to go a bit further north to stay ahead of it.



I personally find <=60F to be damn cold, so it doesn't leave a lot of choices to avoid temperature extremes.

Based on the map, I'm going to vote for south Texas (east Texas to Floridia is a cockroachin' humid greenhouse) or the San Diego area.  Closer to Mexico, the better it seems.

As a side note, my 92-year old grandmother was originally supposed to move to Arizona for her lungs (she had half of one side removed due to some kind of contamination from a WWII factory or something), but settled in SoCal instead because of her husband having a job waiting for him there.  Not a good choice in hindsight.

[WildAboutHarry]

I think everyone needs to keep global warming in mind.  In another 10-20 years, these already hot, desert areas will get even hotter.  It may be prudent to go a bit further north to stay ahead of it.

Heck, you could move to Palmdale, CA and be ready to own ocean-front property when the San Andreas fault lets loose.

And Governor Moonbeam called Texas Governor Rick Perry's new radio spot aimed at luring California business to Texas 'Barely A Fart'.  Jerry Brown also said that everyone with half a brain is moving to California.  Judging by the results of the last election, the majority of the population seems to fit that description.

Jerry Brown also said that everyone with half a brain is moving to California. Judging by the results of the last election, the majority of the population seems to fit that description.

got me laughing...