BM - 1030
She was up on her own, this morning. I was so involved in reading backed-up email newsletters and discarding junk mail that I didn't hear her. The Little Girl, who usually signals me that she's up if I'm not paying attention, was transfixed by the goings on around our property, since I opened all the windows this morning. I was alerted by Mom calling me, from her seat on the stool. She'd had a bowel movement and was asking for toilet paper. Despite all the things she remembers, the fact that I clean her, now, after every bowel movement and that I disallow toilet paper (or any paper, for that matter) to be used in her bathroom so it won't end up in her toilet, are aspects of her care I believe she judiciously chooses to forget because both practices are repugnant to her. So, every time she has a bowel movement I am either forced to remind her, in detail, why I clean her (because she always reacts with shocked surprise) and why no paper of any kind is allowed in her bathroom, or, if it's "one of those days" when I simply can't find it in myself to repeat any information, let alone this, I tell her, frankly, that I'm not in repeat mode on that day and she'll just have to trust that I've told her all this before, what we're doing is a very regular part of our routine and that's that. Of course, saying this is also a repetition, but it's a short one, not liable to throw me into repetitive insanity.
So, yes, she was up early (for her). Probably about 1015. Her Bowel Movement was easily expelled. It was good volume and consistency, a finisher from yesterday's (5/10/05) short, quick, small movement that happened early in the afternoon (about 1415). Lately she's been having what I call "clean" movements, after which clean-up is a breeze. Today, though, although certainly not loose, her movement was soft and extremely magnetic. Clean-up was involved and messy. She was not pleased. I've learned to coax her to "relax" when I'm cleaning around her urethra and clitoris (yes, her shit travels all the way up into her clitoral hood if her movement is at all soft) or she complains that it "hurts". Well, of course it hurts, I tell her. She's clenched tighter than a crocodile's jaws on a human limb! I also remind her, when she complains, that the alternative is for her to lie on her back and spread her legs while I "have at" her. I consider that this would be much easier on me but she is not interested in the indignity involved.
A little over a month ago I began habituating her to traipsing to the bathroom every two hours so "we can check [her] underwear, see if it needs to be changed". Invariably, she argues that she "doesn't have to go" then discovers, after seating herself on the toilet, that she has to pee. I've noticed, too, that this habit has caused her to become more aware of her urges to urinate. As well, it appears as though doing this is also informally training her to hold her urine (about 50% of the time, which is significantly better than previously) until the two hour check, thus, her paper underwear is often dry as a bone when we visit the bathroom. As well, a couple of times in the 'middle' of her night, usually just before I retire, she's awakened and taken herself to the bathroom to pee. When she does this I immediately change her underwear. As a result, we have mornings sprinkled throughout her week when her bed is almost completely dry. Today, for instance, I could have gotten away with not changing and washing her top sheet and spread, but I did it anyway, since we are working our way through her new sheets and spreads and she delights in the surprise of what her bed is going to look like each day.
I wish I had read about and/or thought of the two hour underwear check before this. I did, in fact, run across an article. a week or so after I began the routine, which suggested it, although it didn't mention that the routine could have an effect on urinary behavior. The reason I initiated the routine is because I was getting tired of washing cushions three times a week. I noticed, about the same time that when she sits crooked on the cushions on her chairs she is more likely to leak. I've been reminding her to modify this behavior and I believe I'm noticing that she is having less trouble rising out of her chairs because her 'seat' is better aligned.
One other bit of urinary behavior I've been working on modifying: She developed the habit that I call "The Lazy Man's Pull Down". When preparing to sit on the toilet she hasn't been pulling her pants and underwear down far enough so that she doesn't sit and pee on them. Thus, she was wetting the upper back of her pants in the bathroom on the toilet and we were going through two to three pairs of pants a day. I began reminding her to pull her lower clothing "all the way down so you don't pee on it" a couple of weeks ago. Since then, my laundry loads have lightened, a bit.
Breakfast was normal, served at about 1130. We're still working our way through the batches of scones I baked. No medication additions or subtractions.
So, yes, she was up early (for her). Probably about 1015. Her Bowel Movement was easily expelled. It was good volume and consistency, a finisher from yesterday's (5/10/05) short, quick, small movement that happened early in the afternoon (about 1415). Lately she's been having what I call "clean" movements, after which clean-up is a breeze. Today, though, although certainly not loose, her movement was soft and extremely magnetic. Clean-up was involved and messy. She was not pleased. I've learned to coax her to "relax" when I'm cleaning around her urethra and clitoris (yes, her shit travels all the way up into her clitoral hood if her movement is at all soft) or she complains that it "hurts". Well, of course it hurts, I tell her. She's clenched tighter than a crocodile's jaws on a human limb! I also remind her, when she complains, that the alternative is for her to lie on her back and spread her legs while I "have at" her. I consider that this would be much easier on me but she is not interested in the indignity involved.
A little over a month ago I began habituating her to traipsing to the bathroom every two hours so "we can check [her] underwear, see if it needs to be changed". Invariably, she argues that she "doesn't have to go" then discovers, after seating herself on the toilet, that she has to pee. I've noticed, too, that this habit has caused her to become more aware of her urges to urinate. As well, it appears as though doing this is also informally training her to hold her urine (about 50% of the time, which is significantly better than previously) until the two hour check, thus, her paper underwear is often dry as a bone when we visit the bathroom. As well, a couple of times in the 'middle' of her night, usually just before I retire, she's awakened and taken herself to the bathroom to pee. When she does this I immediately change her underwear. As a result, we have mornings sprinkled throughout her week when her bed is almost completely dry. Today, for instance, I could have gotten away with not changing and washing her top sheet and spread, but I did it anyway, since we are working our way through her new sheets and spreads and she delights in the surprise of what her bed is going to look like each day.
I wish I had read about and/or thought of the two hour underwear check before this. I did, in fact, run across an article. a week or so after I began the routine, which suggested it, although it didn't mention that the routine could have an effect on urinary behavior. The reason I initiated the routine is because I was getting tired of washing cushions three times a week. I noticed, about the same time that when she sits crooked on the cushions on her chairs she is more likely to leak. I've been reminding her to modify this behavior and I believe I'm noticing that she is having less trouble rising out of her chairs because her 'seat' is better aligned.
One other bit of urinary behavior I've been working on modifying: She developed the habit that I call "The Lazy Man's Pull Down". When preparing to sit on the toilet she hasn't been pulling her pants and underwear down far enough so that she doesn't sit and pee on them. Thus, she was wetting the upper back of her pants in the bathroom on the toilet and we were going through two to three pairs of pants a day. I began reminding her to pull her lower clothing "all the way down so you don't pee on it" a couple of weeks ago. Since then, my laundry loads have lightened, a bit.
Breakfast was normal, served at about 1130. We're still working our way through the batches of scones I baked. No medication additions or subtractions.
posted by Gail Rae @ 13:54
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