Reinvent was yesterday’s Ragtag Daily Prompt. I noticed it yesterday afternoon, recognized its pertinence to my life, and am writing about it today. Lots of reinvention around here. BA’s health challenges continue. She spent an overnight in hospital last week with another TIA (transient ischemic attack–stroke symptoms that resolve within hours of onset) and pericarditis. She’s home, on the mend and the good days/ not so good days continue. We’ll see her doctor for followup this morning.
Yesterday was a not so good day. Some mild intestinal upset, which did resolve in a few hours. And again, a stretch where she couldn’t quite figure out how to negotiate going down the stairs. This had been part of her TIA last week, although none of the other symptoms were there, and this time seemed more related to not feeling well. She’s complained about going upstairs for years, but has managed them fine, and as that’s where the bedrooms are, and she’s coped. However, two days of stair problems in as many weeks got me thinking and considering some reinvention/repurposing of spaces. What might work better?
There’s a room off of the dining room that long ago held a hot tub. For the last many years it’s been serving as BA’s weaving room. It has 2 looms and massive shelving units holding yarn. It also has the house router, her music system and extensive CD collection, as well as a repurposed kitchen counter and sink, leftover from when I used to be able to start garden plants in there, a project that long ago moved to the basement. It’s a good sized room. BA hasn’t done any significant weaving since her neurological events began four years ago. She hopes and tries from time to time, but between vestibular and balance issues and cognitive challenges, it doesn’t work very well.
So yesterday, I measured. Yes, the dimensions are such that our large bed could fit in there. Not a ton of storage space, but it could work. So I brought it up to BA. Would she consider it? Yes. Sadness and a few tears at acknowledgment that her weaving days are largely past, and yet if she sold two of her 3 looms, and offloaded part of her yarn stash, it could work. Her favorite mid sized loom and a markedly reduced stash could move upstairs, allowing for the possibility of weaving in the future. And the question that is driving this project: What matters more now, weaving or being able to live on the main floor of our home? What will serve the day to day? Reality as opposed to desires or wishes. We’ve more thinking to do, along with lots of sorting, cleaning, and repurposing, and important conversations are being had.
I wish these circumstances weren’t as they are, however it seems a move is our best option at this time. We’ll see what happens.
Curious Steph 
We seem to be at our most creative when we are figuratively (or actually) with our backs to the wall. In this house, there’s NO way to access it without climbing at least 6 steps — which means I don’t go out much. If I didn’t have to cope with the stairs, I wonder if I would be more interested? Or maybe I’m losing interest in “the big world.” Being ill for long stretches does take a lot of wind from one’s sails.
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ill health can indeed be exhausting, and the amount of work to do “little” things enormous.its a challenge
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Yes, it is exhausting . I have something weird going on with my blood levels. I wish I could actually read the reports. I’m off to the hematologist in February, which was the first appointment I could get. I’ve always been a little bit anemic but it’s gotten worse. So now I’ll be nervous and twitchy until February. I hate waiting months for appointments.
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I think the elimination of the challenge of the stairs might make her feel generally more confident in life. Besides being a physical challenge, maybe they are a reminder of the changes she has faced and is facing. It seems to me the move is toward possibility and — having lived with my dad who had MS and my own self with arthritis — being able to DO something is tremendously heartening. ❤️
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I think there’s a lot of truth and insight in your statement, Martha. She’s been more active with the packing up process, although she gets tired quickly, and is daunted as she discovers how much weaving stuff she has and is stored in that room, there’s also enthusiasm and hope for the upcoming change. being able to take action matters.
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Would a “Stair Master” be a possible solution, maintaining the use of the upstairs without having to navigate the stairs?
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we looked at it, but the way the stairs are sited would make it difficult to install and then there’s the issue of limited space on the top and bottom of the stairs. We’re pretty okay with simply relocating the bedroom for now, and having a smaller weaving area available upstairs, since that’s a good day only activity anyway.
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