Shower Handle

Something I didn't expect that I would need in my life but am feeling really grateful to have right now, is a handle in the shower. A shower handle never made it on my “to buy” list but did became a “might need someday” thing after I accidentally over heated myself in a hot shower a couple of times not long after my diagnosis. My first shower handle was a hand-me-down that I got from a move out job I did a few years ago. It was the kind that has really strong suction cups and can attach to the shower wall at any kind of angle. Having the handle and using it frequently showed me that I really did need it, but that handle got lost, misplaced, or left somewhere during one of the several moves I’ve made in the past couple of years. However, I was given a new kind of shower/bathtub handle while working on another move out clean several months ago. This handle does not have suction cups but secures by screwing it tight over the edge of the bathtub. I couldn’t use it at my last place because there was no tub, just a shower.

I'm really glad to have this handle in my new apartment because the bathtub edge is really high and creates a high trip/slip/fall risk, especially on days where my body feels really weak. Now I can still take a shower or bath on a weak day instead of skipping it because I'm worried that I might fall. I know that it doesn't seem like a big thing, but this handle helps me continue to live independently for the time being. I'm still coming to terms with the fact that someday my MS could progress to a point where independent living is no longer an option for me.  I worry about feeling forced into cohabitation rather than getting to make that choice because I want it or desire it. Cohabitation is something that I do want in life though not quite right now. I still have both some learning and unlearning to do before I would be comfortable with the thought of cohabitation.