The temperature's rising; so is my temper.

The temperature and my temper rise simultaneously.

Even before I fully woke up yesterday morning I could feel the warmth radiating from behind the curtains and the sweat pooling between my shoulder blades, under the compression vest. My forearm glared at me, the scars raised higher than usual, livid from the heat.

I went to my wardrobe and looked at the array of outfits I'd collected since last September. I don't own anything designed for weather of this degree, at least not anything I would wear outside the privacy of my own home. I looked at my elbow-length sleeved tops but I didn't want to wear anything that showed even the scars on my forearm because the heat had made them redder than normal.

I put on the thinnest long sleeved top I owned and left the house. I rapidly began to realise that it wouldn't matter what top I wore, it was the compression vest that was the problem. They are designed to trap in body heat to improve scarring. Therefore the more heat I produce, the hotter I become. I basically incubate myself.

I persisted with my plan to go to the V and A Museum. I sat outside in the gardens and drank some coffee. The place is beautiful. It seemed temperate, even a bit breezy so I decided to go for a walk through nearby Kensington Gardens.

Firstly, I didn't realise how large Kensington Gardens were. As I wandered in the general direction of next door Hyde Park with a vague plan to meander to the Jubilee Line, I began to notice just how hot the beating sun was. There was no shade, the meadows stretched in all directions. The light glinted off the various ponds and dogs were running around their owners, dragging sticks and chasing balls. It was a perfect day except...the sweat was running down my back. And I became acutely aware of my face...

I've mentioned it before, the fear of catching the sun on my face. The burn unit told me I could hyper-pigment which causes dark patches, a bit like age spots. It's the last thing I need right now, sun-damage to my new skin. I had put quite a lot of make-up on that morning because the heat gives new life to the red patches around and under my eyes and along the length of my chin. Other than the make-up, I had no sun-protection on. I walked so quickly back towards the exit of the gardens I was almost jogging but it took a long time to get back across the enormous meadow. All the while inside I was panicking. What if I catch the sun on my face? I could feel the compression vest choking me, the heat inside it making me sticky and uncomfortable...making me angry.

Luckily, I didn't catch the sun on my face. I got home and stood around in my compression vest until I cooled off. My anger didn't cool off though.

This morning, even before I fully woke up I could feel the warmth radiating from behind the curtains, the sweat pooling between my shoulder blades, under the compression vest and my anger rising. The long winter months are over and it seems as though I will be uncomfortable for many months to come. And I'm very, very, very, very angry.