I often get asked how I spend my days at home, sans work or
infants. This is an example of a pretty good day. Pretty good days come when I follow
this simple routine for weeks on end, without too many outings/energy-using occasions.
I spend my days going slow, as slow as my eighty year old
grandma. If I go slowly and gently, I can exist with minimal pain and
actually improve a little. In the long run, I get can give and enjoy more by going this pace, because it fosters stability. I farewell the run, crash, run, crash cycle.
8.30 – I start to surface after Ben has kissed me goodbye
for work. I just grunt ‘goodbye’ {this could also be interpreted by him as ‘I love you’}
because I like to stay in my sleepy zone. If I wake up early, I have a guaranteed
sick day.
9:00 – I slowly crawl out of bed, and start oil pulling. I
swish a tablespoon of coconut oil around in my mouth to pull from it toxins
which compromise my weak teeth and immune system. After 20 minutes of swishing,
I go and brush my teeth. I detest the taste of toothpaste while eating
breakfast, but oh well.
9:30 – I make my breakfast, and it is exactly the same every
single day. Routine is a lifeline for me.
corn puffs
rice puffs
shredded
coconut
chia seeds
linseed meal
nuts
rice milk
then I drink
a large glass of luke warm water to keep my body temperature stable, and
swallow about twenty tablets.
10:00 – Now I’m heading for a shower, and there is no
rushing and not enough concern for water conservation. My dad would die if he
knew I used heat lamps in the summer too. After I’m dressed and mascared, I
celebrate my victory with a little sit down and no champagne.
10.30 – It’s time to deal with my postural orthostatic
tachycardia syndrome {POTS}. A few days without exercise and my head goes black
every time I try to walk. I drive to the gym – and depending on health, this is
hazardous as my eyes struggle to focus and prefer to stay relaxed and blurry. I
have a program of 20 minutes of cardio on the bike, treadmill, or cross trainer,
and 10 minutes of stretching. I leave my fellows sweating it out with my speedy
workout, and I feel the best I will feel all day while I’m exercising. I feel
alive, but it’s worn off by the time I’m back in the car.
11:30 – I’ve arrived home and it’s time to sit down, sometimes
with tea and some sugar/dairy/gluten free treat. Then lunch, where I try to
stack on the carbs and protein because my body uses energy the same way I use
shower water.
The afternoon is less structured. If I’m still functioning, I’ll
do a couple of jobs. Maybe I’ll clean the bathroom, or fold washing, write an email, make an appointment, bath the dog. If I do too much, I get wiped out on
the couch with a headache and dizziness.
I need to be restful, so I’ll also read books, make
things, water my garden, and do all in my power not to fall asleep. Falling
asleep sometimes happens accidentally, but it also brings on insomnia, so I
have to very strict with myself.
5:15 – Ben arrives home from work! Wolfie the cavoodle goes psycho with
yelping and jumping, because he knows he’s about to get a walk. We drive to the waterfront or botanical
gardens for some nature and catch up time. Then Ben cooks dinner or heats up
left overs {he makes incredible food!} and I make a salad, or rest if I need
to.
The evening is eating dinner, reading together, and hopping
into bed around 9.30. Ben usually picks me up off the couch and carries me to bed. Then I rest up for a few minutes, hop out and brush my teeth.
The day is done! My favourite days of all are these quiet home
ones, where I can be so gentle as to keep the pain and fatigue at bay. Tiring
days which escalate into accompanying symptoms are the ones where I catch up
with someone, have to go to an appointment, have to go to the shops....those
days usually aren’t ‘pretty good days’.
Thoughtful people wonder if going out for coffee with
friends might help with boredom, not realising that this ‘boredom’ is the key
to feeling ok. I have grown to be content in my own company and the silence of my home, and my body thrives on peace. Others envy my idyllic housewife life. And
if I felt well, and could care for my home and see friends, it would be a most
luxurious and lazy life. But to me this is a full day. Just as one person’s limit is a 40 hour work week,
mine is a shower, gym and a job.
