Now, the average reason just gets up and has a shower.... You have no idea what a luxury it is. For me it takes about ten times longer than the average person due to fact that I have a bag stuck to the right hand side of what's left of my belly button that can't get wet, a picc line on my left arm that is covered with a tubi-grip that can't get wet. And I have a chemo pump attached around my neck in a little bag....guess what, yup it cant get wet! And I had to wash my hair.
So to run down my shower routine:
1) start shower running and kneel with head over the bath. Wash hair using only my right hand making sure the pump is on the outside of the bath. Do quickly as its not good to be upside down too long when you're nauseous!
2) lay shower head down in the bath then dry hair.
3) put hair in a towel. Then lean over the bath and wash the top half of my body again, just using my right hand. (cleaning the arm put without water running down your arm is a particularly difficult one)
4) dry top half.
5) swing pump around onto my back. Peg bag up to make it smaller. Stand in the shower and wash the bottom half of my body....yup you guessed it, just using my right hand.
5) turn shower off and dry.
7) put clothes on but having to make sure the pump is posted through the right arm of my bra and top. Run the cable up my arm, out of the neck and in its bag.
8) try to fight the urge not to have a lay down as you're so tired!
So do me a little favour, next time you have a shower, stand, relax and just let the water roll down your body and take a deep breath. Enjoy every little minute of it. It's worth it!