Happy Friday. It’s been another rough week for me but I did have another major victory. I was able to get in the shower for the first time since the end of the December. I have a small shower with no bathtub. However, it isn’t flat to the floor. There is a small step that was difficult for me to navigate before I got sick. After the pneumonia, getting over that step was an obstacle I didn’t think I’d ever get over again. I’ve worked hard and overcame so much. I’ve been ready to try getting in the shower for some time. I had a plan in my head how it could possibly work. I tried it out with my occupational therapist. I told my therapist where to go and what to do. I just knew I’d know better than anyone else how I needed to get this done. It was a good practice run. I decided I was going to do it with my aide I felt safest with.

A practice run is great but it is a practice. It is missing some very important details. In the shower the floor gets wet. That makes a big difference in the traction when you are trying to stand up. The other thing is the soap. The floor of the shower seems to get slightly slippery regardless of the mat or grids to prevent this. These certainly weren’t addressed in my dry run. Lastly, I didn’t account that I might get tired quickly. It has been 8 months since I washed my own hair and body. All these things were impossible to figure out when you do a dry run. I would only know by actually doing it myself.

I knew I had to try getting into the shower first thing in the morning. I needed my strength to be at its highest point. I got in the shower exactly as I practiced. Once in there, naked and alone, I turned on the water. That was the best feeling. I could have sat in that water stream for days. I had all my shower stuff set up. I was able to get my shampoo and conditioner easily. It was nice to wash my own hair. I have to admit that it was harder than I remember. My hands definitely don’t have the same dexterity that they use too. I used my scrunchy scrub to wash which felt so much better than a wash cloth used at my bedside. I purposely shut the water off, long before I wanted to, because I could feel I was getting a little tired.

Getting out wasn’t quite as smooth as it was in the practice but it still went basically well. I still had to get dressed. I must say that I wasn’t exhausted but I definitely felt like I moved. I still exercised a little later. By 5pm I was beyond exhausted. It definitely took a lot of energy out of me in combination with the rest of the day. My day was still filled with exhausting and frustrating elements. I didn’t want another blog over my lousy luck lately. I figured I’d spare you the rough aspects of my week and fill you in on the accomplishments. Have a great weekend.