Tag Archives: Toothbrush

Feeling The Love

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Maybe when you are more within your walls you stretch farther for the little joys. Or it could be that since my father passed my faith has grown. What ever the reason I cried tonight. Not because of sadness, but because of love and joy.

Al has really been struggling with tremors. One of the  differences  between Parkinson’s Disease and M.S.A. with tremors is that with PD, tremors tend to fade away in the final stages. With M.S.A. tremors become worse.

This is where Al is right now. Brushing his teeth is a good example. Try to picture this. The battery operated toothbrush is loaded and running. It is in your hand. Your hand is in mid-air. The tremors are so bad that the toothpaste is being shaken off the toothbrush, and the hand can not be stopped. Therefore the once independent act of brushing your teeth is now over. You cry because you are so embarrassed. You can remember when you always brushed your own teeth with no one’s help. This is just one of many things that Al struggles with.

But today, although he had bad tremors all day long, he still thought of me. Through stuttering and a very soft voice he was trying to explain to  me that with the help of school teachers in Day Program he had made me a gift.

A gift? for me? from my brother? Oh wow, I was excited and I did nothing to hide my excitement from him as I dug into his back pack to find the prize. When I pulled it out, Al raised his head just long enough to see my face.

I beamed at him and I put my arms around him and told him, ” I love you so much Bud. This is the best gift I ever got. I will treasure it always and I will put it where I can see it every day.”

I saw a slight smile. I meant every word I said to him, I will treasure it.

 

Open your eyes that you might see

What God has gifted you and me

It doesn’t have to be a three-story house

It can even be smaller than a little mouse

For although the body can no longer move

The heart is still feeling and in the groove.

Written by , Terry Shepherd

08/20/2013

Here is what he made me today.

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Hot Mama

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Water tap

Getting up in the morning is a pain in the butt. Reach over and nearly  tip forward tripping over myself to pick up the darn old house robe that fell off the bed through the night. Standing up trying to put house robe on but have an itch I have to scratch first. Why is it the first thing in the morning a body has to  pass gas and scratch?

Looking at myself in the full length mirror is enough to make me want to lean over the ship as I fill light-headed from seeing the uneven wrinkles. As quickly as I can I put my covering on and leaning one hand on the bed and the other on the dresser I do the circus balancing act getting those darn old stretched out slippers on.

I waddle into the bathroom and my eyes bug out of my head as I flip the light on and see how my eye lids have drooped half way over the color of my eyes. I raise my house coat and sit down. I have to make sure I do this each and every morning as I learned the hard lesson once before.

I had gotten up from the pot and thought someone had pasted ice-cubes to my naked butt. I jumped without my feet leaving the ground and reached my arm behind me to see what in the world had a hold of me. You would not believe it! It was the end of my house coat. It had taken a dip in the water as I was doing my thing. I sharpened up real quick after this.

I got one of my better wash rags that only had three holes in it and I wet it with the coldest water I could. After my fingers turned bright red I knew the temperature was ready. I slapped it onto my face where it freeze-dried all my wrinkles and made my eye lids fly up like an old-fashioned window blind.

I left it there while I counted to sixty. One, two, five, ten, fifteen, 60. I toss it in the stool water by accident. I seriously meant to hit the target of the tub, but dang it, I missed. I reached down in there and pulled it out by my two fingers and whooshed it like a basket ball shot straight in the trash can. There wasn’t any way I was ever gonna use that rag on my face. Never going to wash my face with pee water.

I wet my tooth-brush and then dipped it in some alcohol. You know it’s the quickest way to get the body moving in the mornings. I tried pushing that darn blue stuff out of the tube, but I guess I haven’t got my groove on yet. I had to set it down on the bathroom sink and use my fingers on one hand while  holding the brush with my other. Oops, I think I surprised myself at the strength I still have at my age. Toothpaste came squirting out and went all over the mirror.

If you ask me I think I could sell this for quite a few dollars as it would be known as modern art. I took my finger and wiped some off the mirror and then rubbed it on to the bristles. Now down to business. Brush brush brush. Up and down in and out. Wow, I better be careful with what I am saying. Sounds kind of perverted to me.

Done with the brush I rinse it off and stick it back in the tiny hole it goes in and fill my glass half way with water. Rinse gargle, oh yuck, I just swallowed a bunch of water and I wasn’t ready. Gag, choke, eyes watering. Beating myself on the chest I get my choking under control.

I pull out my hair brush. Now you have to be real careful how you use this special brush. It belonged to my grandma and it is missing a few bristles. One time I was brushing my hair and sort of wiggling back and forth to the radio and didn’t realize that I was forming Edward Scissorhand marks on my forehead. Don’t ever say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I am here to tell you that you can. Don’t push too hard, and don’t get too close to the hair-line.

Now I am all done in the bathroom. I tie my belt around my house coat a little tighter. You have to do this because there are a bunch of perverts creeping around our neighborhood all the time. They are just dying to get a chance to take a quick peek at us cougar women.

The sun is shining, and I can see the  boy mowing the neighbor’s yard. Everyone uses this kid for mowing. We  pay him a couple of bucks and he grins as he leaves with his money. I swear one time I saw him flip me off when he turned around to leave. Do you think I should maybe up his pay to three dollars?

I flip the television on and turn the sound up to the number eight out of ten. I turn it on to the local news so I can get a good look at that sexy weather man. I make my way out to the kitchen and start my percolator..

A few scratches to the head and a few more to the other spots and then I look out my window and sigh. I have made it another morning. I tinkled and wiped. I brushed my hair and my teeth. The coffee is perking. Now on to the breakfast meal.

 

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