Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] out of the shop

From: Jeff Scarbrough <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2012 22:46:53 -0500

On Wed, Dec 5, 2012 at 9:57 PM, John Niolon <[email-masked]> wrote:
> I know lots of you guys are as active and probably a few that are a clumsy and
> accident prone as I am.  I'm wondering if any of you guys have had this
> surgery on their dominant arm ( surely there are a few)  and what exactly were
> your limitations and your ways of overcoming.

I once laid the back of my right hand in the table saw blade.  I had
plenty of time to learn to be ambidextrous.  All the things you
normally do with your dominant hand, you can learn to do with your
other hand.  If not, I'd still be sitting on the toilet.

Two things made life easy...first, you can tell Windows to swap your
mouse form right-hand to left-hand, so the index finger still does the
main clicking.  And second, keep Post-It Notes or tape handy - you can
stick the paper down while you laboriously try to scrawl a note to
yourself, since you can't hold the paper.

My problem was not as acute as yours, though, I think - I didn't have
the limited range of motion that you will, but there wasn't much point
in moving my arm anyway.  You'll struggle for a few days, and feel a
bit sticky, but you'll adapt.

I'm not sure what I can add to that which will be relevant to your
particular surgery, but I'd be happy to chat if you like - PM me and
I'll send my number.

Jeff Scarbrough
Corrosion Acres, Ga.

P.S.  The two facts I always mention after I've described my
"accident":  The first thing you say is not "Ouch!", but "Man, that
was stupid!"; and when the surgeon rebuilt my fingers, he put a curve
in them such that I can both type and hold a pint glass, so life
pretty much goes on as before...
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From: Dave C <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 05 Dec 2012 20:39:05 -0800

On 12/5/2012 7:46 PM, Jeff Scarbrough wrote:
>   I'm wondering if any of you guys have had this

I didn't have the same surgery, but mine was somewhat similar.  I had to 
have some bone planned off the socket part of the shoulder joint where 
it was "impinging" on something else.  I had a sling for a week or so 
and then little to no mobility for a couple of weeks, then rehab after 
about three or four weeks.  It was 3 to 4 months before I was doing 
ANYTHING with it at the gym and about a year to 18 months until I was 
back to pre-surgery strength and range of motion.    What I can tell you 
is that shoulder surgery takes a long time to recover from, and you need 
to do EXACTLY what your doc and P.T. tell you to do.  If they say not to 
use it, DON'T USE IT. DAMHIKT.

Also, well before surgery ask your doc if he is planning to use a pain 
pump, and if he says yes, then do some research on the web and discuss 
it with him.  I had one and used it a couple of times and then took it 
out the 3rd or 4th day.  There can be some serious long term 
complications with their use, however, which, fortunately, I haven't 
seen yet.

I already mouse with my left hand due to tendonitis years ago, so that's 
not a problem.

Good luck.

[email-masked]

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From: Jim Franklin <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2012 18:29:11 -0500

On Dec 5, 2012, at 10:46 PM, Jeff Scarbrough wrote:

> All the things you

And to that and other bathroom activities, start NOW using your non-dominant
hand, not the first day post-op. You will be spastic at first but you'll
learn.
_______________________________________________

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From: "Jack Brooks" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2012 19:53:29 -0800

John,

I had my dominant arm useless and in a sling for about 8 weeks.  You will
become a wizard with your off hand side.  The sling came off in the spring
and while I was not allowed to do much with that arm for many months. I did
manage to play a respectable game of tennis with my weak side arm; although
there was no real serve. <grin>  I did manage to change the generator on my
1960 Triumph TR3 with my strong arm in the sling and it's heavy SOB.  It
took a few hours, but it got done,

Pants - If you can't button them, zip them up and pull that belt firmly.
Watch your wife wiggle into a tight pair of pants and you'll figure out that
laying down on the bed may allow you to button them with one hand. 
Shopping - I bought cases of water and while I could get them into the cart,
I couldn't get them back out and into the trunk, but I always had someone
stop to help get them in the car. 

Don't worry about it.  You will be amazed at how quickly you adapt.  Keep
some wipes handy in the bathroom for the first week.  You may need them.

If you want to talk, pop me an email, but I'm sure you'll figure it out fast
and be surprised with the progress you make and the capabilities you have.

Jack

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked]
[mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of John Niolon
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2012 6:57 PM
To: shop-talk
Subject: [Shop-talk] out of the shop

the shop content is that I'll be out of the shop for several weeks...

after struggling with a bad shoulder for 9 months, feeding it Tylenol and
muscle relaxers that did no good, loosing sleep and being hindered in pretty
much everything I do I broke down , had an MRI and xrays and the diagnosis
is
torn rotator cuff on my dominant arm.  Solution is arthroscopic surgery to
repair... 6 weeks in a sling with no use of that arm then rehab and another
3-4 months of limited to finally good use of it...

I've been paying attention to what I do with my left arm (which is pretty
much
everything I attempt) and I'm seriously concerned about 6 weeks without that
arm... besides writing and typing and anything mechanical down to brushing
my
teeth. I don't see how I can manage without a manservant !  (wife says
womanservant is out of the question ;-)

I know lots of you guys are as active and probably a few that are a clumsy
and
accident prone as I am.  I'm wondering if any of you guys have had this
surgery on their dominant arm ( surely there are a few)  and what exactly
were
your limitations and your ways of overcoming.  I know about the sling and
the
foam couch cushion under it... and all I read is that that arm doesn't get
raised up AT ALL for a while...  do you have use of your arm from elbow to
fingers IF you keep that shoulder/upper arm stationary ??? even if I had to
strap it to my chest I could possibly manage with the forearm and hand
free...
How do you button blue jeans ?  or wash the side of your body that has the
good arm ???   anyway...

I'd love to have some conversation by email or phone with survivors...the
forum certainly isn't the place for it...   anyone want to answer about 600
questions and give me the 411 ??

thanks
John

What every man worth his salt should know how to do.....

Sweep a woman off her feet, ...motivate a peer
Make a wish come true - for someone else,
keep a promise... change a tire... calm a fear
make a child giggle...tell a ghost story
write a love letter, ask for directions
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From: Neil Sherry <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2012 07:49:24 +0000

The dominant hand thing is just what you get used to. In the old days, 
left-handedness was not allowed - my left handed grandfather had to 
learn to write with his right hand. Also, although I am right handed, I 
always brush my teeth with my left hand - this is because the cold tap 
in my parents house is (as is the standard) on the right side of the 
basin. So I grew up driving the tap with my right hand and brushing with 
my left - I find it really awkward to swap.
Neil

On 06/12/2012 23:29, Jim Franklin wrote:
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From: "Elton E. (Tony) Clark" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 12:10:26 -0600

I had a young counter sales person once who was the closest I've seen to
being ambidextrious;  he'd write with which ever hand was closest to the
ticket and I've seen him with a pen in each hand checking invoices.
I confirmed my idea later when I heard he was not only a switch hitter but
a *switch pitcher *on his softball team . . that's scary!

On Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 1:49 AM, Neil Sherry <[email-masked]>wrote:

> left-handedness was not allowed - my left handed grandfather had to learn
> to write with his right hand. Also, although I am right handed, I always
> brush my teeth with my left hand - this is because the cold tap in my
> parents house is (as is the standard) on the right side of the basin. So I
> grew up driving the tap with my right hand and brushing with my left - I
> find it really awkward to swap.
> Neil
>
>
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From: "Bob Kegel" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 10:31:10 -0800 s=q20121106; t=1354905076; bh=DLEhhtxVKmedl84Tvdors2+D0n+dD7zjpPb71DXQuY4=; h=Received:Received:Message-ID:From:To:Subject:Date:MIME-Version: Content-Type; b=E2EbCMm2KtBW1iRUMK7HIlHky4Mw74UP/xFjHHBqu6w74nfdS6T3HtYROK+OiIKYP H7yaI7x4OiUlR0VOcOlgVaaOAmSaJbHpJXRdrsyYvKvUr/NYMWG3RNG0d3Zu9SMjRj wiOkxXPfN3XUzpEVfte0dZkDK9pauOj49GG+9DPsMW8tiE7KqWH1w6N9PS4CPRaEP9 QLG3PV08PTi4fnoeKwJzwcCnlGWts0yYDj2Ol/UkD3esGb8rZ0BC/10WB+4JeblxT1 yWhzgBfjzk0GXvipIWd8P0YJ4DHPOkY5THGeK8mlehkKfKbfuxfYxj2Wt7/uxeCf2+ RUM09zyeQTXEg==

On Thursday, December 06, 2012 23:49, Neil Sherry wrote

> my left handed grandfather had to learn to write with his right hand.

As did mine. Family lore says he would irritate his teachers, when writing 
on the blackboard, by starting with his left hand and switching to his right 
in mid sentence.

Bob Kegel 

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From: "Mike" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 18:38:41 -0800 s=q20121106; t=1354935298; bh=h28lrdBiTojevFL0r6Fzy8mVFJFDU5V5GU3EO48rYzw=; h=Received:Received:Message-ID:From:To:Subject:Date:MIME-Version: Content-Type; b=BH9bF8gDyJhxR2FAvwCeiPEYwAZewiZAbgdUlnWA/+vTJlT1YMajbKu6VI0KuZjkN 0e5s8oXb0tmy+NdE5r1JKsCmRVNb3w82D4XtcJs0TLlVLJVI8wN6/YTXaW2OAwjzGQ YmeDZ1RMt6RE7NDINoh7IvRuCXrdZVvekb+Bzx2kjuHDTJQ7HnUQr5kVTaM/JdrroT 74VDnI8rcLqKXyJ7oKA1zstJ1w+dTeuS77mGG+ysvtFoC/NPXwDQjxNe93xPC3SWyf 78IBivtHbBwWcXT0qNcAXTY8zo2/oqfu2tE6mcTJklAEYhcvKoQ4vhP3nh4lE7uHMB Tux1ok6GUrmPg==

I'm right-handed, but I feel more comfortable dealing cards with my left 
hand, and I use my left hand for the computer mouse.  But the latter is 
because this leaves my right hand free to work the 10-key pad and the Enter 
keys, which all are on the right side of the keyboard.  I've done it so long 
I have trouble using the mouse with my right hand.  You can train yourself 
to do anything.

I remember reading about a grad student who made special eyeglasses that 
used a prism to invert the view.  He wore these all the time for six months, 
and found that he could get along in the world without any problems, as his 
brain had adjusted.  Then he quit wearing them, and it took another three 
months to get back to normal.

Mike
==================
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Neil Sherry" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2012 11:49 PM
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] out of the shop

[email-masked]