Ever wonder why I don’t like to take a bath or shower?
It is time for my shower. But before I start I go to my husband and tell him I am
going to take a shower.
I never did that before, why now?
I am in the shower. There are so many things to remember:
Controlling the water–which way is hot? How do I make it cooler?
How do I keep the water from drowning me?
And all that water, hitting me . . . like a thousand questions attacking my body . . .
over and over. Distracting. Too fast for my sense of touch! Too fast for my brain!
Soap
Wash cloth
Wet my hair
Shampoo
Rinse
And all that water, hitting me . . . like a thousand questions attacking my body . . .
over and over. Distracting. Too fast for my sense of touch! Too fast for my brain!
Did I shampoo?
Did I cream rinse?
Do I need to rinse?
And all that water, hitting me . . . like a thousand questions attacking my body . . .
over and over. Distracting. Too fast for my sense of touch! Too fast for my brain!
Don’t hold the razor so hard–it will cut.
Don’t fall.
Am I safe?
And all that water, hitting me . . . like a thousand questions attacking my body . . .
over and over. Distracting. Too fast for my sense of touch! Too fast for my brain!
I could not understand why it was getting harder and harder to take a shower or
bath. Until one day when I was in the shower and the phone rang. I reached for the portable phone. It was my daughter. I was so exhausted from a simple shower that used to be refreshing–but no longer. I asked her if she ever realized how many parts there are to a simple shower and just how hard it can really be to remember each one?
And all that water, hitting me . . . like a thousand questions attacking my body . . .
over and over. Distracting. Too fast for my sense of touch! Too fast for my brain!
There came a day, not so very long ago, when I was standing in the shower and was no longer frightened by the water hitting my face! In an instant, I fully understood what had been happening to me. What a great feeling–to once again actually enjoy the feel of water!
No more overload. . .
From a talk given by Christine Baum Van Ryzin: “Learn to Listen with Your Heart: Insights into Alzheimer’s Disease from a Person Challenged by Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease”