Sunday, October 22, 2006

Almost....

I have almost finished a pair of socks, the yak hair sweater and a merino /cashmere sweater. And I am on the back now of the aran, the front having been finished.

The yak-hair has the front and back and collar complete and half the first sleeve.

Really haven't had much time recently.

Went out to a craft fair today. Decided to make the effort. Got myself dressed nicely, had everything sorted, and arrived at the venue-only to find it was next weekend! And I can't go then as I have a dog show.

Still, at least I went! ;-)

There was a time all I needed to do was shave. Now I still shave but have to shave more than before. Ears and nose seem to sprout with age. Oh and eyebrows too, which Sue deals with when she cuts my hair.

I can't get thru the night without having to pee at least once and given my condition, that can be rather difficult at times. I often worry I'll get stuck on the way there or on the way back! Getting dressed can be so dangerous, I often don't bother. I wear a nightshirt-easy to deal with. I just get it over my head and it drops down and covers the bits it is meant to. Really makes sitting on the loo less of an ordeal. If I am dressed and need to sit on the loo, well, I have to make sure I give myself plenty of time to get the clothes down and to sit. That is the easy part. Getting up is more of a challenge. I pull myself up using the radiator and sink for balance. Clever huh? Well, the trouble is then my trousers are still down by my ankles. I can't bend to pull them up. So I sit back down, and using one hand on the radiator to steady me, I use the other to grab my trousers and pull them up, sort of, almost, after a fashion. Then I stand back up. Only I had to let go of my trousers in order to stand up, and try as I might to keep my legs wide apart so they do not fall back down, it doesn't work. So back to the floor they go. Eventually, I just yell to John.

Now of course, I spend most of time alone so what do i do? Hold it in for 5 days? Not exactly. Well, as mentioned before, I wear a night shirt. This makes life easy. I am also fairly predictable and want to go first thing after waking-after my coffee and fag and feeding the dogs-so not so much of a problem. Now if I know I am going to be away or out or something, and going would really be a problem, I take plenty of codiene. Codiene stops me up! See, an answer to everything. It was either stay in or buy some adult Pampers!

One of life's biggest fears for me is needing to poo when it is not convenient! When John is not there to make sure I can dress again. The good thing about codeine is that it works for as along as you take it and stops working within half a day of stopping. You just have to plan it well.

Bathing - well that is out of the question - unless John is here and even then I don't have a bath. I just get in and use the shower. If I should fall, well John is there to stop me. Getting in is not so much of a problem. Getting out is. So for 5 days a week, I use lots of eau de cologne......kidding-I make do with squishy things I can use standing up.

Life is never dull.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here in the states they have been showing a new product on tv, it's a shower that you can walk right into and sit down, the little door locks to hold the water in. It fits where a normal shower would fit too. No worries about falling!

Anonymous said...

HI Colin
How about trying some braces for your trousers. might help with pulling them up.
Pam x

Mary Beth said...

For day wear, a kilt perhaps?

Dez Crawford said...

Thanks for your honest post. My husband became disbaled by stroke at age 48 and is 52 now and everything is a struggle.

TracyKM said...

I have (well, the doctors don't care to confirm, but I believe it) ankylosing spondialysis, and my last pregnancy was horrible. Bending over is painful!
I didn't think of it at the time, but how about attaching some string (yarn, LOL) to the back belt loop and the front button of your pants. Drop inside when you're wearing them, hold on to it while on the toilet. Not sure about the ummm...undergarments though :) Stitch a string to them?
Can you qualify for any funding to have an assistant come in and help with things like showering?