Archuletta was surprised that some of her fellow test subjects left small children at home to participate. Some did it for the space program, some for the money.
Some candidates wash out before ever getting under the sheets. "You must be in extremely good shape," said Archuletta, a runner and swimmer who has also played soccer and hockey. "Your body's going to degrade. You have to be healthy enough to withstand that."
One more thing: "You can't be squeamish about needles," she said. In the course of the program "there are probably 20 blood draws. You gotta have good veins."
Once in bed, the hard part begins.
"Almost everybody gets sick at the beginning," Archuletta said. Head down, with the weight taken off the legs and spine, dizziness and back pain are common. "The blood rushes to your head. On days two, three or four my teeth were throbbing, and I couldn't turn my head without getting dizzy."
After a few days her body began to adjust, just as the astronauts do. "Your body ... says, 'This is our new reality, let's run with it.' "
Well, not "run" exactly. There are games, social events, trips outdoors and to the showers, and lots of tests. But they're all horizontal, on wheels. Bodily functions are carried out in bedpans.
Personal time is spent on the computer, seeing visitors, watching TV, reading or working. Archuletta finished several Web page designs and updates for customers - all lying down.
"The worst part for me was probably the length of time. The sickness passes, and the testing is really interesting. But toward the halfway point I thought, 'Wow. What have I gotten myself into?' You gotta be really dedicated to it."
Then, it's time to get up.
"The dizziness comes back" as the inner ear's balance mechanisms readjust, Archuletta said. "I fell over twice; lost my balance and hit the floor." Her feet and her ankles hurt "like crazy" as the blood rushed down, and the body struggled to pump it back up. NASA provides two weeks of tests and rehabilitation.
Archuletta said she lost "a little" muscle mass and some bone density, but no weight. "I went back to my exercise routines, and within three to six months I was right back to where I was before."
She's ready and eager to do it again, perhaps in November when NASA's 30-day "Lunar Analog" simulation of one-sixth gravity begins, in beds with the head tilted up 9 degrees.
If so, you can read about it on the "Pillownaut" blog she began while on bed rest. NASA was so happy with it, they hired her to keep it going after she went vertical.
To apply, call 866 JSC-TEST, or go to www.bedreststudy.com. You can read Archuletta's blog at pillownaut.blogspot.com
