YES! I feel the exact same way. When I’m post surgery my first big milestone is always the first time I give myself a manicure. It’s like a tiny way of feeling more human. Even on bed rest I try to do my hair (if I can move my arms) and even do makeup sometimes. I experimented with so many new makeup products during my last rehab! Haha, at one point the front desk girls at the PT place were like “you’re the most stylish patient we’ve ever seen” haha, I was like “that’s because I don’t think of myself as a patient”.
Also I work from home and I almost never lounge around in pajamas or yoga pants. I get dressed every day because I love how it feels! My mom isn’t into any style stuff but most of my female relatives on that side are very put together looking. I grew up idolizing my aunt and cousins and the way they’d get ready for things. I thought it was just the coolest most glamorous thing.
I still remember how incredible it was when I was able to wash my hair for the first time after my coma. I finally felt like a person again. Also huge shoutout to my best friend who would trek down 2 hours from first year of college every weekend to sit with unconscious me and paint my toenails outrageous colours because "Marcela has never worn muted colours in her life and this hospital gown just isn’t doing it for her. "
OMG, that is friendship goals @Marcela !!! Showering is the best feeling when you haven’t been able to in a long time. Oh man, and the next big one is showering alone without help, that is THE BEST.
I think all this is why I associate primping with ultimate power and privilege and relaxation/luxury. Like, for me not being able to shower or even put my own hair in a ponytail feels oppressive and hard and like, super emotionally grueling. It really whittles me down after a while, especially not feeling clean or not being able to wear normal clothes blehhh, I hate that. Then you have all the actual physical lack of agency and pain and stuff…it gets really hard.
Whereas shaving my own legs? Alone? With lovely smelling soap? Or putting on makeup or washing my hair, good lord washing hair, ahhh it feels so good!!! I honestly can’t think of a bigger luxury than having the time and ability and space and products to just, take care of your own body and adorn it however you want. It feels unbelievable.
I’m at next level primp status now that I have my own bathroom. Haha, it’s so girly and plush in there. I swear I’d set up a tv and a lounge chair if there were room for it, lol.
It wasn’t even a full shower. The nurses were kind enough to rig up a situation where I could get my hair washed (with real shampoo and water!) while still lying in bed. I was too sick to get up yet and it made the most tremendous mess and so many linens were fully soaked during the process, but it was AH-MAZING. It think it was still another couple weeks before I could shower, but that wasn’t helped by a relapse into unconsciousness.
We have a giant walkin shower and it has a teak bench/stool in there so I can just sit and luxuriate in the hot water and the nice smelly stuff even if it means my husband had to carry me in.
I had enough in me today to do eyeliner and lipstick for the first time in weeks. My cateye (helped by a stamp eyeliner which is, quite frankly, life changing) is a full signal that I might be turning the corner on this months long flare.
solidarity fistbump to you @AllHat
I had one of those lay down showers too @Marcela!!! It’s one of my first good memories post surgery, from the big one. I couldn’t stand for several weeks so I had to be rolled into this room thing, kind of like a dog shower or something, I always begged them to let me stay longer but they couldn’t because of the healing and stuff. I just remember being so shocked that I could still feel something good after feeling so many awful things!
YES! This is the first apartment where I’ve had one of those and I love it…tell me more about this stamp eyeliner while we’re at it…
I’m not a primper and a lot of my issues are mental over physical, but I relate to it feeling so good when I’m mentally well enough to shower by myself and wear clean clothes. ((Hugs)) to anyone who hasn’t been able to do that by themselves at some point.
I’m a lurker in this thread as I work in a lab and all my clothes just get ruined quickly but I do like seeing what fancy outfits people put together every day while I bum around in my gross work shirts and pants.
Day 7 (yesterday): bad pain day, but I had a doctor’s appointment so everything I’m wearing can be pulled on. No zippers or buttons to fumble with. Houndstooth leggings, h&m tunic, hot pink melissa shoes.
Day 8: still not feeling great and needing easy to manipulate clothing. Skirt from Loft(just realized the hem came loose in the back, added to mending pile), top from the Limited, shoes from Brazil. Not thrilled with this outfit, it’s one I usually wear with heels and a waist cinching belt. For obvious reasons both of those were out today.
Also wearing a classic yellow gold chain and some slightly 70s makeup, slight black wing and gold shadow. Is anyone else into fragrances? Wearing Dolce & Gabbana Intense today
blehhh, I hate that. Then you have all the actual physical lack of agency and pain and stuff…it gets really hard.
