Blogger: Michelle Ule
Location: Books & Such Main Office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
It started innocently enough at Thanksgiving. My adorable two-year-old grandson began to cry. When I picked him up, I nearly dropped him from the strain on my thumbs. Hyper-extension? The pain stabbed through my thumbs and left my hands throbbing.
I typed carefully, but by Christmas I could barely function–using scissors burned my hands like fire. I longed to rest and tried icing, heating, Ibuprofin and temper tantrums demanding help. Nothing soothed the dragons engulfing my thumbs. I bought carpal tunnel splints I called “mitts,” but typing actually didn’t hurt all that much–it was everything else I did using my hands that hurt, including playing the clarinet.
I scoured the Internet and became more frantic. When I finally saw the doctor, he was matter-of-fact: “Not carpal tunnel. Severe tendinitis in both thumbs. Take Aleve, rest as much as possible and stretch. Do you have to type?”
What a relief! A different set of mitts to stabilize my thumbs, hope for the future, and a determination to be careful.
It didn’t last.
Ten weeks of physical therapy followed by x-rays that showed minor arthritis. “Do you have to type?”
How could I not type? I was a writer. yet my hands hurt so much I could barely manage a pen.
Six weeks later the hand specialist was more blunt: “No cure. You have arthritis, not tendinitis. Forget about yard work, you’ll play the clarinet in pain, and all I can do is give you a shot. Do you have to type? Next.”
I have always thanked God for capable hands and eyes that can see. I’ve never taken either for granted. I’ve always been careful. How can this have happened? And how do I write if I can’t use my hands?
I’m working pain free today; we’re just back from two weeks of vacation where I did not touch a computer, clarinet, dish, laundry or anything else more challenging than a Rick Steves’ guide book. I’m hopeful, but leery–the typing is going great, the traditional 120 words per minute–but I have no clue about the future.
The last eight months have been a roller coaster of questioning emotions. Do I have worth if my hands don’t work well? Can I write in pain? What can I do to mitigate my hand use? Should I switch musical instruments? Do I need to type?
Let’s examine impediments to writing this week; I invite you to join me in brainstorming how to get around physical and emotional difficulties.
In the meantime, however, do as my physical therapist recommends: Step away from that keyboard, and stretch your hands!
When you return, tell us about writing impediments you’ve experienced.
Oh Michelle, that sounds so hard! While I’m sure we both know your worth doesn’t lie in using a keyboard it’s still so difficult to go through.
Have you considered diction software? It may leave a little more to clean up in editing but it might save you some of the major 120 wpm for extended periods strain.
Thanks, Wendy.
I’ll write about voice-activated software tomorrow.
The physical therapist told me they see lots of “rounded shoulders” folks these days and everyone who spends time on a computer should be rolling their shoulders backward and forward frequently. Another good exercise is to stand in a doorway with hands shoulder high on the jam. Lean forward through the doorway and feel the stretch.
And of course strengthen your hand muscles, stretch them and rest as much as possible. We own an electric can opener for the first time ever as a result.
Wow, Michelle. I’ll certainly uphold you in prayer over this. I don’t want to seem pushy, but I know in our church (and we’re not charismatic [not that there’s anything wrong with that]) our elders/pastors anoint with oil and pray for healing after each service. Maybe your church does that?
Bill
Michelle, you were wise to go to the doctor when you did, have the therapy and do the stretches. And, yes, try to take it easy on those thumbs. Pamper them in every way you can.
I waited until my right thumb felt like someone smashed it with a hammer before I went to the doctor. Opening a jar, sometimes even picking up a glass hurt so badly that I would cry. Diagnosis – arthritis with no cartilage remaining in the basal joint.
I had a joint replacement – remove the small destroyed bone, replace it with part of a tendon which hardened over time like a bone, 3 months in a splint and physical therapy.
Four years later, that joint is still pretty much pain free. I can type fine, though I try to alternate which thumb hits that blasted space bar. I do still have trouble writing by hand. More than one page makes it sore. And I try to take care of it, and the other one which has arthritis, too.
So there are options to fix it, but it’s not easy. Much better if you can prevent it! Do everything you can to ease the strain on those joints! And, no, I haven’t mastered voice-activated software yet. 🙂
Hope that vacation was just what you needed and that with some TLC you can keep those thumbs happy.
Michelle,
You might want to look around for a qualified medical massage therapist. Castor oil packs, Biofreeze, and other treatments can substantially reduce your discomfort. You also may want to investigate dietary changes, i.e. eating almonds and adding or subtracting foods based on how they reduce or increase inflammation. Some have found it beneficial to reduce/stop using dairy and animal proteins. And drink water, of course.
If I can possibly help, feel free to e-mail me for a more detailed conversation on the subject. Good luck to you with the typing!
Michelle, I’m so sorry to hear this 🙁
Thank you all for your kind comments and insights. Bill already weighed in on eating plenty of pomodora sauce, and my family and I certainly indulged in Italy . . .
Interesting about the surgery options; obviously I want to stay away as long as possible, but maybe technology will catch up if I’m careful and look into some of Lucy’s suggestions. I’m open to everything!
But my problems pale in comparison to other writers, and I had hoped to spark a discussion on how to deal with those impediments. One of our writers had a detached retina and a book deadline. Her husband put together a specialized hammock so she could lay on her stomach and type . . .
Others have dealt with even more severe disabilities including Christie Brown’s one left foot and Jean-Dominique Bauby who only could communicate one eye blink at a time. What an heroic effort for him to write The Diving Bell and the Butterfly!
Michelle, I know people with no physical problems who use voice activated software by preference. I tried some once but couldn’t train it because we lived on a busy street with lots of background noise, but that was years ago and newer versions are probably much better.
I have similar issues with my hands due to a broken wrist years ago. Dragon Naturally speaking is an absolute must! Voice activated software that works. I dictate when I can. Could use it more if I really committed to use it. Takes practice to learn but most any technical thing does.
Michelle, I am SO sorry! You’re living out what we all dread to think about. May God keep you pain-free, so you can keep writing and keep on making music.
Just the other week I did a blog post on a pastor who at thirty-two was diagnosed with tongue cancer–and they removed his tongue! He’s still in the active ministry–and still preaching. I hope Scott Schmieding’s story lifts your heart, as it has so many others.
Michelle, The answer is to return to Italy at least once per year. Don’t you agree! My recent problem has been a sore hip from sitting so much at the computer. Last week my husband ended up in the hospital with a collapsed lung and I was so concerned about him that I hardly noticed my hip. Of course, I wasn’t sitting at the computer either. Maybe we just need to vary our activities. BTW, hubby is doing fine!