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By Linda Shaffer
Today I am wearing a nightgown which is at least 15 years-old. I’ve gotten three of them over the years and just ordered another. I pretend they are dresses and have worn them to doctor’s appointments and other public places because they are comfortable and I don’t care if someone yells, “Hey Grandma, you’re wearing a nightgown.” I’ll bet a dime to a donut that this will not happen. Why? Everyone knows I am comfortable. They want my nightgown.
Why do I wear gowns? They go on with fewer movements than tops and pants. They are easier to deal with during trips to the bathroom and other necessary things you may have to do during the day. They don’t bunch up around undies and are easy to get off if you have an accident. If this is all too blunt for you, I’m not sorry. I’m just telling the truth. We are all looking for easier ways to get through our days, and they really should be shared. I haven’t always worn these gowns to town. This is a relatively new part of my life and was brought my way by breathing. When you can’t breathe and wear oxygen, you have to make adjustments. Clothing can really complicate an oxygen line which is a waste of carefully-guarded good energy.
I have added accessories today because I have five wounds on my shins which I am currently treating and they require protection. I am wearing double leg warmers. Here’s where the Geezer mind can go amok. In the beginning, I thought about things that might protect my shins. Of course I got shin guards for soccer kids. How did that work? Not well. I got three bruises from the guards on my good leg before it got bonked. So, now you know. An accessory you might do without would be stiff shin guards. They hurt. If you find something that really works, let me know.
While my search for leg protection continues, wound care has become a specialty of mine. The skin I’m in isn’t worth a penny. I have learned to research products and use them carefully. So far, so good. In the meantime, every time a new boo-boo shows up, it’s damned hard to find a real piece of wood to knock on these days. I still do it. I know you still do it too. It’s one of the things that keep us together.
With or without skin issues, getting dressed requires a lot of energy. For those of you who have to wear compression stockings, catheters, braces and other prosthetics it becomes a real challenge. Making all of this part of your daily routine is not easy but you do it. You don’t think of yourself as remarkable, but you are. Once you finish doing all that stuff, you start your day armed with a walker or cane or the undeniable champion of Geezer goodies … the “Grabber.” Friends, we should not be denied. We need these things.
If you think about it, we brought comfort clothing with us as we grew up. We graduated to leisure suits and knit clothing because they changed with us through the years. Finally, we all settled on sweats. Hurray! Finally, men got a chance to be comfortable. And they are. Easy on. Easy off. Soft, warm and available in all lengths and widths. Too bad for the manly men who can’t wear a nightgown. They would be so much more comfortable if they would. I see them in my catalogues and wish I could play Santa with some old Geezers who need a change. The problem is that I’m selfish and I’d want to see the results.
Every day we get dressed and add our accessories. Naked, we look like ourselves. Humped back, extended chest and crooked hip. We have scars from our surgeries and our lives, wounds and changes in our skin. We have bruises and sagging skin. We stand crooked. Some of us are disfigured by medications. My guess is that you don’t see this every day because none of it really matters. What matters is that you keep on getting dressed and adding the accessories you need to keep your life running smoothly.
Me? Oxygen and Life Alert (or whatever). Then, a change from Depends to my daily routine of pads and socks first. Slippers, of course. Then, you put on your nightgown. Heh, heh. Then you grab your walker and you’re off for another day.
Have a great week my friends.
