United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I am just getting out of high school and am thinking about becoming a pharmacist, but i don't know if they will allow me to get my qualifications with one hand. Are there any pharmacist with BPI's out there?, Any Doctors?. I'm just curious about what professions all the other BPI's have out there. Any information on this would be great.

Thanks
Andrew

Excellent question, Andrew. John is a sophomore in high school so has the same questions. One thing to consider is that government or companies who contract with the government are required to hire a certain percentage of disabled people. So that might be something to consider. (I've thought John might want to consider city planning to encourage development of safe bike lanes...)

On a different note, does anyone have summer job suggestions for BPI teens who don't yet have the education level for more "advanced" work?

Thanks,

Ellen

How about summer travel camp.... they all need counselors, etc. There are day camps, sleep over camps BUT lately there are a ton of these summer travel camps - that just sounds so interesting - go to different places - yet hold responsibility.

I dunno - but it's a thought....
-francine

I wanted to go to Med school and the professors sopt me down. So, I signed up @ my local community college and took an EMT class and I did not tell one person about my injury. (C5,6 and 7 are avulsed) I told ONLY my partner because I would put her blood pressure cuff on a bit differently. I passed my written (all A's) and then came the clinical.....
I had to lift a 195 man on a stretcher (with 3 other people) wrap his leg and do CPR..........NO ONE KNEW!!!!!!! I got my state certificate and the last day of class I told both of my teachers. They were speechless.
Don't cut yourself short! Its all in the attitude. I wont take no for an answer. I am planning on going back to college and I am going to education. Why not the medical field? I have 3 little ones that I want the same scedule with. Good luck, do what ever you want. Don't let this injury take away any part of your future!

I am a software engineer. My bpi hand works well enough to type, but know one expects us to type as fast as a secretary. A good one handed typist would make a fine software developer.

I'm the same-ish, computer programmer. I was doing a degree before my accident, had a year off to convalesce then graduated with Computer Science degree.
In UK companies of a certain size have to employ a small percentage of disabled people. Although, really I count towards their figures but I'm no problem in the disabled sense. I type perfectly fast enough with one hand. I do get one of the men to carry my PC to the car if I take it home. I also have dislocated spine and dodgy back. Still, reminds them they are gentlemen!
Kim

Andrew,

If you get your college education, you can do anything that you want. Companies will hire you for your brain capacity, ability to solve problems and critical thinking abilities. I am a Human Resources and Recruiting Manager for a high tech company. I would never not hire someone because of a disability. In fact, a few years back we interviewed an engineer with a fully paralyzed arm, made him an incredible offer. He turned us down because he had 3 or 4 different offers at companies that he thought were better. As far as being a pharmacist, I do not see any reason why your condition would hamper you in that field. If you are curious about it, next time at that you are at the pharmacy, ask the pharmacist on duty. The key to living with a bpi is continuing your dreams in spite of the injury. Never sell yourself short because of your arm. It will distinquish you among everyone else. I know this first hand.

Good Luck !

-Rich

Hi everyone,

I was wandering if some of the people with BPI that have static-desk type or computer jobs can comment on whether or not that type of work increases their pain.

Thanks

Hi patata...I have to admit that I am a real lazy cow and don't work at all. Luckily, for the immediate future, I don't have to. BUT I do spend quite a lot of time on the computer, researching this injury, running the TBPI Group website etc etc and I do find that sitting down for long periods of time (about 3-4 hours) tends to shoot the pain level up a bit. To counteract this, I get up and have a 20 minute break from it every hour or so; I get up and go do something else for a while that doesn't involve sitting down. I still get an increase in pain even when I'm sitting here and NOT doing anything TBPI -related on the 'puter, so it can't be entirely caused by concentrating on the subject for too long (although I do think that the pain can be increased by getting too absorbed in BPI)

I must admit that I too have often wondered if the pain could be worsened by long periods of sitting and typing.

Good question...hope you get a few more answers.

Lizzy B

LizzyB,

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it. Besides the usual complaints of TBPI, similarly I get an increase in pain even when I am sitting watching TV. I find standing is generally better.

Also, if I go for the 3-4 hour period if trying to type or read and take intermittent breaks, I get a flare up of pain that may not subside for hours and even a couple of days. Do you ever have that problem?