Please Flush

Little do my neighbors know that every time they flush their toilet when I'm showering, they contribute to my overall health and well-being. One of the joys of living in a 100-year-old house in the city is a shared hot water tank. Some would say this is a curse. I'm going to convince you it's a blessing.

Four months after having my son, Levi, my body crashed and burned. I stopped sleeping, my nails all but peeled off, and my hair begun to fall out. If you look closely at my mug you can see baby hair growing back in, giving me a new set of bangs and a haunting reminding of a seventh grade haircut.

To put my body back together I visited a naturopath who recommended hydrotherapy. The jest of hydrotherapy is to shower with warm water for three minutes, then quickly change it to a cold spray. This is done for three cycles. Hydrotherapy is supposed to stimulate your thyroid, assist with detoxification, improve your immunity and the functioning of your PNS.

I scoffed at the suggestion. Who in their right mind would choose to shock their body with a burst of freezing cold water? I loved the comfort of a warm shower after 24 hours of poo, puke and smooshed banana.

Since there was no way I was going to subject myself to the treatment, it was fortunate that my neighbors were willing to help out. When I'm showering and they flush the toilet, a shock of scalding hot water spews out like a sniper's bullet. I would hover in the corner of the shower, frantically trying to adjust the temperature, which then went from too hot to icy cold.  One day I sucked it up, stepped under the shower head, and let the cold water hit the mark. My neck and spine received the brunt of the attack, and after a few moments the water turned warm again. How did I feel? Amazing!

A shared hot water tank has turned from a plight to a pleasure. Thank-you for flushing, downstairs neighbors!