What is your routine for the bathroom? You know; shaving and bathing and other regular daily routines that require attendance in the bathroom.

For me, my shower and shaving routine came in three flavors. 10 minutes. 15 minutes. 20 minutes, which included the addition of the regularity train; complete with engine, cars, and caboose.

10 minutes got me a shave and a shower and fully dressed. 15 minutes got me a haircut and the mustache trim. 20 minutes took care of everything plus whatever else that nature requires.

Those days are gone.

Thanks to the associated muscular control problems present in ALS my routine has been altered considerably. I cannot stand to see myself in the mirror so I’m not completely sure I’m doing a good job with personal hygiene. No one has complained yet.

First, it’s a flat 20-minutes for the basics; hand shower, haircut, and shave. The mustache is gone because it takes too much time and heavy lifting.

What about the regularity train?

It runs on its own schedule and stops to unload cars whenever it feels like it and never lets nearby residents know what’s going on until the train rolls into town.

Regularity?

My body says bah, humbug.

That routine, common for most of us, is exhausting, and made worse as the day goes on. So, I do both as early as possible because energy subsides by the hour. I once had an elderly woman tell me she could not wash dishes because she could not stand at the sink.

I cannot stand, so now I understand.

Habits and routines sometimes need to change.