- when there's a will, there's a way......

[Guest guest]

,

I tried a dry run of the bathing thing yesterday.....pun intended..lol! Climbed

down into my tub with my clothes on, and draped the leg on a towel over the

side. It was quite a reach and very akward, since my tub is a large jacuzzi

with high sides. I decided that might be too dangerous to do since I was

alone, and the hand and wrist that I need to use to lift and push myself out is

the one with the worst CTS and in a splint. I can remove the splint of course,

but it has a tendency to " give out " whenever any weight or pressure is applied

to it.

Our shower is a two person shower, 6' x 4', with two shower heads at

different levels, and there's no way to do it the way you suggested without

getting spray all over. The boy's baths both have small showers, so no luck

there. Resgning myself to having more of a scent than I'd prefer, I was ready

to try the sponge bath routine, when I remembered my daughter's bathroom.

Salvation!!! Her combo tub/shower unit has low sides on the tub, whoopee! I

found I could get in and out of it, unassisted, with no extreme stretching or

manuevering......so I got the bubble bath, the candles and all the sweet

smelling soaps and did my thing!

Other than the time we were camping in the Adirondacks with the kids for a

week, and unable to bathe in the lake because it was so cold and rainy the

whole time......have I appreciated and enjoyed a bath more! Couldn't do

anything about the hair, but that's what they make kitchen faucet sprays

for...I'll tackle that this afternoon.

I spoke too soon about the pain, though, and have been fully utilizing my

breakthrough meds. The surgeon didn't prescribe me anything additional,

saying that what I had was stronger than anything he ever prescribed

anyway. I fussed about that, telling him that might be so, but that I only had

an alloted number of BT meds every month, and didn't want to use up those

meds for pain as a result of the surgery. He said, " oh, you'll only be needing

them for a couple days, at best " , so I agreed. We didn't take into account that

now I've had to take 2 every 4 hours for 2 days so far, when normally I only

use about 3 every 2 days or so.

Oh well, my PM doctor is really cooperative, so I think if I start to run out

before the month is up, he'll give me some more. I was the stupid one who

went into him last month and told him he had given me more than I needed,

and that he could drop the 125 down to 100.......stupid me, I wasn't thinking

ahead on that one!

Thanks for your suggestions, , it was enough of a push to get me

thinking creatively, and finding a solution.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina Rep.

South Eastern Regional Rep., PAI

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or opinion,

and should not be substituted for professional medical consultation.