Adaptive Therapy

The cramping for me is when the pain is at it’s absolute most intense! And, like others, I go into all kinds of distortions. I don’t have carpel tunnel even though the pain is similar (it was checked). I take a cocktail of meds that keeps this down quite a bit. I still get jerked out of a good sleep now and then. My hands aren’t as useful to me as they were … they hurt and are weak. I can’t write but typing doesn’t bother me. Moving my fingers doesn’t bother me – gripping anything (including a pen/shopping cart/etc) is horribly painful and starts the spasms. I was going to physical therapy (ordered by my doctor) 3x/week to learn what I can push and what I need to leave alone … I now do the same exercises at home. When I get better, I will go back to learn what I can add … but in the meantime, the stretching is the best for me to reduce the cramping.

The Dragon software is really great. I moved a couple of years ago, but before that I worked with our wounded heros returning from the Middle East with missing parts (arms/legs/fingers/etc). I would help place them in offices where they could get some different experience while they were going through therapy and waiting to be released from military service. Most of the heros I worked with had missing limbs and needed special equipment/software. They were an amazing group … during this time I learned a lot about all kinds of adaptive equipment available for disabilities. I would suggest anyone having trouble working or performing life sustaining skills, request to go to an occupational therapist. I haven’t needed to do that yet, but they really know the latest and greatest and there are some amazing adaptive equipment available now. I helped one young man go into IT – he was missing an arm (shoulder down) and he used a one-handed keyboard and the Dragon software, headset, etc and was able to perform at full level. So, it’s worth an ask!

Good luck!