Non Dominant Hand Writing Skills
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Christopher
- Posts: 845
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02
Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed
BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.
Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt - Location: Los Angeles, California USA
Non Dominant Hand Writing Skills
Does anyone that lost the use of their dominant hand function find that their non-dominant hand writing skills are satisfactory?
Mine still stink 50% of the time and it drives me nutz. I'm very visually oriented, and when I see my slop written before me it makes me cringe. I seem to write only telephone numbers, quick todo lists, and doctors forms now a days, and the rest is typed. Just wanted to know if I was alone on this and had to do some major mental retooling on "acceptance", or maybe there was some trick I missed.
I miss writing well! Damn it.
Thanks,
Chris
Mine still stink 50% of the time and it drives me nutz. I'm very visually oriented, and when I see my slop written before me it makes me cringe. I seem to write only telephone numbers, quick todo lists, and doctors forms now a days, and the rest is typed. Just wanted to know if I was alone on this and had to do some major mental retooling on "acceptance", or maybe there was some trick I missed.
I miss writing well! Damn it.
Thanks,
Chris
Last edited by Christopher on Mon Jul 25, 2011 3:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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hilltopfwb
- Posts: 82
- Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 11:50 am
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: May 24, 2008 an 88 year old lady did not see me and pulled out while I was riding my 06 HD Street Glide. The accident resulted in 9 broken bones and brain hemorrhaging. The accident's most serious results was two avulsions confirmed in my C6 & C7 vertebrae. In Oct of 08 Dr. Li of Wake Forest University performed nerve transfer lasting around 8 hours in surgery. I have limited use now of my left arm. It took until July of 09 before it moved at all, and now is moving limited. I experience burning pain in my left hand, staying busy helps keep the mind off of burning. I visited the Mayo Clinic May, 2010 and consulted with their brachial plexus team. May 1, 2012, I underwent a muscle transfer at Wake Forest University. This surgery was deemed a success and I have more movement in my arm.
- Location: Fuquay Varina NC 27526
- Contact:
Re: Non Dominant Hand Writing Skills
Chris, I was fortunate that my damage was done on my left hand. I am right handed and realize how fortunate I was in this arena.
Keep on keeping on!
Keep on keeping on!
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jmar
- Posts: 528
- Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 3:43 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: brachial plexus stretch during thoracic outlet syndrome surgery on may 18, 2010.
Re: Non Dominant Hand Writing Skills
i am like hilltop, i lost the use of my non-dominate hand. BUT in 1990, i lost the use of my right hand due to a severe burn. i had to use my left hand for everything for about 4 months. i can write left-handed, but it is not as good as my right. if i go slow, it is a lot neater. i could get by. good luck.
you might consider talking to someone in a vocational rehab to see if there may be some kind of class available to improve penmanship in the non-dominate hand. or even an OT might help. it wouldnt hurt to ask.
you might consider talking to someone in a vocational rehab to see if there may be some kind of class available to improve penmanship in the non-dominate hand. or even an OT might help. it wouldnt hurt to ask.
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Master DIVER TOM
- Posts: 759
- Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 11:51 am
Re: Non Dominant Hand Writing Skills
Does your Brain rewire over time , YOU BET!!! So things, like writing may never improve more 
I type one finger 
But your ability to do more things you try will work to as your Brain does start thinking one handed,IS This just me , Birth ERBS at 61 ?? 
You guys really are great, You know it, doing thing, trying thing. an a adapting and all ready starting to show one arm THINKING!!! by what you post 
You can only change what you can But find the greater JOY in what you can adapt to , The challenge really is in what you can try in life and accept lower than expectation SOME TIMES
Mr Positive, 
Hope it helps?????
Tom
I type one finger But your ability to do more things you try will work to as your Brain does start thinking one handed,IS This just me , Birth ERBS at 61 ?? You guys really are great, You know it, doing thing, trying thing. an a adapting and all ready starting to show one arm THINKING!!! by what you post You can only change what you can
But find the greater JOY in what you can adapt to , The challenge really is in what you can try in life and accept lower than expectation SOME TIMES Mr Positive,
Hope it helps????? Tom
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Christopher
- Posts: 845
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02
Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed
BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.
Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt - Location: Los Angeles, California USA
Re: Non Dominant Hand Writing Skills
Xiggers,
Thanks for posting this. It actually helps to know that it took you that long, but you got there. I'm so inconsistent that I can't really expect to get up to my standards unless I'm being "schooled". I was practicing daily for 25 minutes, but after a few weeks I lost momentum.
I just need to hear that it'll come if I stick with it, otherwise I'm not touching it with a ten foot pole!
Thanks,
Chris
Thanks for posting this. It actually helps to know that it took you that long, but you got there. I'm so inconsistent that I can't really expect to get up to my standards unless I'm being "schooled". I was practicing daily for 25 minutes, but after a few weeks I lost momentum.
I just need to hear that it'll come if I stick with it, otherwise I'm not touching it with a ten foot pole!
Thanks,
Chris
xiggers wrote:Chris - This may be one of those times when it is best to get injured young - I was in kindergarten when I was hurt, so although I was right-handed, I did more coloring than writing (this was in 1963, before kindergarten was much more than play/social skill building). I can tell you that it was about 7 years (I was in the last part of 6th grade) before my handwriting became good. It was the end of the school year and a final project was graded on handwriting as well as composition. (My teacher made the comment that if she had known I could write that well she'd have had me re-writing things all year - I wish I'd had the guts to tell her that it hadn't been easy or quick and that her comment wasn't the 'reward' I'd been looking for!)
I still have decent handwriting, but it was not easy, and that was me learing as a leftie almost from the start of school. I can write quickly now and still have it look nice. It was an accomplishment that gave me a lot of pride, though I never thought my writing was ever as nice as my Mother's. Penmanship was really important then.
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jmar
- Posts: 528
- Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2010 3:43 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: brachial plexus stretch during thoracic outlet syndrome surgery on may 18, 2010.
Re: Non Dominant Hand Writing Skills
chris, i know you can master this. just stay positive about it and keep practicing. you can do it!! from some of your other posts, it seems that there are a lot of other things you have mastered in sports that most people cant do with 2 good hands. 
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ArmStrong
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 4:09 am
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: HI BPI FAMILY ON SEPT.19 2010 I CRASHED ON MY MOTORCYCLE AND SUFFERD A FRACTURED BACK AND NECK AND A CLOSED,TRAUMATIC BPI LEFT ARM PARALYZED,SOME FINGER AND WRIST MOVEMENT.
- Location: LOS ANGELES,CA
Re: Non Dominant Hand Writing Skills
Christopher just wanted to give my support and tell you to keep at it,I was actually surprised to read that it was you who was having trouble,you seem to be the guy on here who can do anything so stick with it and I'm sure you'll be adding it to your list of accomplishments in no time.Good luck.
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Master DIVER TOM
- Posts: 759
- Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 11:51 am
Re: Non Dominant Hand Writing Skills
Hand Domination and writing There are many ways to find a( STEADY Write Pens . Com), and other writing production to try on the WEB 
Ether it is me from birth or Kindergarden to what ever age with theses injuries Seem to have things in common, Like how your brain rewires to think one handed to a point over time.
Chris, has got a lot of research he shares , Maybe this web search will help???
Tom
There are many ways to find a( STEADY Write Pens . Com), and other writing production to try on the WEB Ether it is me from birth or Kindergarden to what ever age with theses injuries Seem to have things in common, Like how your brain rewires to think one handed to a point over time.
Chris, has got a lot of research he shares ,
Maybe this web search will help??? Tom
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HeatherW
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2011 1:22 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: BPI of right arm in 2009
Re: Non Dominant Hand Writing Skills
I think it helps that most things don't require one to write anymore but type. I used to type with both hands and it wasn't too difficult to learn to type with one hand although it was my non-dominant hand. When I do write, it's pretty bad but then it was pretty bad before I injured my dominant writing hand.
Heather - Looking for options on wheelchair accessible vans.
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Christopher
- Posts: 845
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02
Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed
BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.
Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt - Location: Los Angeles, California USA
Re: Non Dominant Hand Writing Skills
Thanks for the support folks! Reality is, if I really want it, I have to commit and make it happen. Practice, practice, practice. 'Everyday is a school day' I guess. Somethings come easier than others, and some just take more work... Let's see if I can post here next year that I've licked it. Never used to think of things as in 'years' until TBPI. Live & learn. Next.
Last edited by Christopher on Fri Aug 05, 2011 6:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
