Showering and Shaving
Dad would some days resist the idea of bathing himself before going to bed. He said, "I bathed yesterday and I didn't do anything today to get dirty." Spoken like a true Texas farmer. However, Dad would get skin rashes if he didn't bathe every day. I would exhort him to do so anyway. He would comply reluctantly. Mom sometimes helped him bathe to made sure he did a thorough job, at least until she died.
His stiffness and dizziness got worse. After a hospital visit that left him in a severely weakened state, I decided to start assisting him myself. I put on my swim trunks and helped him into the shower. Then I had him hold the shower head while I shampooed his head. As I massaged his scalp, he said, "Oooo. That feels so good." When I rubbed his back with a soapy wash rag, he said, "Boy this is a treat. I could get used to this." When I washed between his toes, he said, "I sure appreciate your thoroughness, son." The last thing was for him to stand up and wash his own genitals while I held his shoulders steady. This operation not only insured good hygiene but allowed me to examine his body for areas of concern such as sores or swelling.
 Toilet Monitoring
Dad was good about getting to the bathroom on time. During the three and one-half years Dad lived with us, we only had two accidents. He was famous for falling asleep on the toilet. If he got too quiet, we would knock loudly on the door and say, "Everything okay in there?" Or I'd tease him like he used to tease me as a child. "Dinner time, Dad. Saw it off!" MORE>
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