Three Sheets to the Wind

I feel bad that I can’t do more around the house. My husband takes care of everything from laundry to yard work and my contribution if any seems paltry. It was one of those mornings where my system was behaving as best as can be expected and I looked at the load of bed linens to be washed and thought ‘I can do that!’

What takes a person who is not orthostatic-challenged minutes, becomes an entire morning undertaking for someone with Dysautonomia – and that’s on a GOOD DAY! Fortunately today was a good day and I could make this token contribution to the homestead.

The first step was taking the light load of laundry down the steps and into the laundry room. I had to plan out my every move in order not to exhaust myself coming out of the starting gate. So I divided this first task into two parts. Part one was taking the basket down from the top of the stairs (where it had been dutifully waiting for the last several days) to the bottom of the stairs. Once at its layover, I could crouch on top of a low stool in the morning sunlight near an open window in our living room to rest up for the second leg of the journey.

I sipped some cold milk and nibbled on half of a rice cake with soynut butter that my husband had prepared for me the night before. Then I dutifully waited 30 minutes for the high point of the postpranial hypotension to begin to wane. My dogs sat by my side enjoying the light breeze from the screened window.

Rested and ready for step two, I picked up the laundry basket and carried it into the laundry room – all of 25 feet away. Since I was washing only two sheets and one light cotton duvet cover, plus a handful of pillow cases, I didn’t need to stand at the washer long at all to fill the load, press a button and pour a tablespoon of the homemade detergent we use as part of our live green (and have dull clothes) campaign.

Then it was back to the stool in the living room, to crouch and meditate as I rested again for what would be the high point of the laundry chore – hanging the sheets on the line!

Thirty minutes more went by and I felt once again that I could meander around a bit, so I took a few deep breaths and headed over to the washing machine. I braced the clothes on my back and leaned forward to balance the weight, still maintaining a crouch as I walked which seemed to help as a countermanauver. Once outside, I placed the basket on a lawn chair and again resumed my crouch atop of yet another bar stool in our backyard.

My heart monitor was zipping around 130+ from all the activity. So I rested for a few more minutes as I contemplated my next move. I would have to have a plan in order to get a sheet from the basket and up onto the clothesline, which would involve taking about six steps and lifting my hands above my head.

I decided to carefully fold the sheet like an accordion lengthwise and then in half. Taking my origami wet sheet in hand I walked over to the line and in one graceful motion swung the linen up and over the top of the line. All that was needed to do then was take one edge of the sheet and walk it down the rope to unfold as I made my way back to crouch atop of the bar stool.

Phew! Thirty seconds of well planned and flawless sheet hanging execution!

Then the waiting game starts all over again. It took me about 3-4 minutes in between each of the three sheets before I could tackle the next.  And of course a few HOURS afterward as my body was completely spent.  The price you pay for a little fresh air and the smallest feeling of contribution — on a good day.