My "Record Cleaning" Habit.

It is no secret, that keeping a house or apartment clean while managing lupus can be a tad tricky.

The impact of fatigue

Over the years since my original suspicions of lupus in 2016, to my eventual diagnosis in 2021, to now, my stamina for housework has drastically declined. Some days I can deep clean the fridge, vacuum the floors and cook dinner. These are my super hero days. My super hero days are rare.

Other times, I am bedridden for a month. Absolutely no housework being done on my end.

Grateful for my support system

Lucky for me, I have a super supportive husband that I like to refer to as my Hot Stuff, Buttercup, Baby Bear. Hot Stuff will work all day, often overtime to pay for my ongoing medical bills, and then come home, cook dinner, wash the dishes, etc. I am incredibly grateful. Also? I feel tremendously guilty. Here is the man I love and I can't contribute. I try not to dwell too long on those thoughts. But I think many of us, know the guilt trip cycle that runs through our heads when we can't contribute in a consistent, productive way in the care of our homes.

Record Cleaning

Most of the time, however, I indulge in "record cleaning". I am a vinyl record album junkie. So all those mornings that fall between my super hero days and my bedridden days, I listen to records.

It's that simple. This morning? Pearl Jam. I put on side B, washed dishes, started some taco soup for dinner, wiped down counters and made the bed. This happens most days. I feel like I contribute to our household maintenance, and feel less guilty when I can't.

Anyone can do this at anytime? Don't have records? Put on youtube and set a timer for 15-20 minutes. For me it's mornings. I'm an early riser, if I don't clean before 9am, it's not going to happen.

I can guarantee that by 11 in the morning, my brain fog kicks in, and I struggle to breathe. By 2pm? I'm usually napping!

But here's the thing about record cleaning. You can make it as long or short as you want depending on how your feeling. Most days I only listen to one side of an album. This is about 15-25 minutes depending on what you are listening to.