I just completed my first semester of graduate school. It was a lot of hard work, and it would have been, even if I had full use of my hands.
There are three major tools that made graduate school possible for me. The first tool I bought was a digital voice recorder. At the time, I was sitting around the house on medical leave, trying not to do anything with my hands for days at a time. I did a lot of thinking, and had a lot of ideas that I did not want to slip away. I couldn’t write. I couldn’t type. I didn’t have a secretary to dictate everything to.
I got the voice recorder and it was amazing. I recorded all of my thoughts, whether they were grocery lists or profound insights. The grocery lists I was able to replay at the store with out ever having to transcribe them. The other thoughts and insights, I was able to transfer directly to my computer as audio files. I would be able to listen to them sometime in the future.
The second tool I acquired was MacSpeech Dictate. Without the ability to type, I was locked out of any computer usage. MacSpeech gave me the ability to write things down, compose e-mails, research things, et cetera. This was great, but I was still using my hands for mousing, and that was not a good thing. I researched this problem, and found that there are a variety of hands-free mouse solutions. I initially hoped that I could direct everything with my voice. There are some programs that have the screen divided into a grid, and with some practice, the user can tell the cursor where to go. MacSpeech cannot do this. I was able to add some programming to MacSpeech, to allow various mouse clicks. This was extremely important, because I needed to do a lot of mouse clicking pursuing substitute teaching assignments.
The third tool I acquired was the foot mouse. After I discovered that voice recognition would not replace certain mousing activities, such as click-and-drag or navigating websites, I started looking into other forms of hands-free mousing. The most attractive initially seemed to be the head-mouse, but its thousand dollar plus price tag means that I will have to explore that option later. There is a two-pedal foot mouse that operates on a joystick type of principle. I’m interested in it, but for $400, I’m not certain it is going to be completely effective. My biggest concern was keeping my legs in that same position for extended periods of time. Anyone sitting at a desk, knows that you have to shift positions periodically to remain comfortable.
Ultimately I got a foot mouse with a mouse pad and a Click pad separately. The mouse is simply an optical mouse that you strap to your foot. Nothing fancy. The click pad is a separate device with five buttons and a scroll bar. You can right-click, left click, left double-click, zoom in, zoom out, and scroll. There is an alternate button, like a shift key, to allow programming those buttons with secondary functions. I’ve never tried using it.
Between MacSpeech and the foot mouse, I can do virtually everything computer-related without using my hands. I need to use my hands to open my laptop, press the power button, and plug in any cables, but other than that, my problems are solved. Sort of.
There are drawbacks to each of these solutions, but perhaps I will save that for another blog post. The significant point I want to make here is that these tools have allowed me the freedom to still function in a digital world and BECAUSE OF a digital world.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Monday, August 31, 2009
The Briefest Overview of My Condition
The first thing you should know about me is anything but my condition. I have a handicap, yes, but that does not define me, and it does not prohibit me. It does present me with some challenges, but I have found solutions so I carry an optimistic attitude.
I am handicapped, but you would not guess it to look at me. I look like a healthy, happy, 28-year-old. I’m not a bodybuilder or an Ironman, but you wouldn’t think twice to ask me to do something physical. The truth is, I’m older than I look. I’m also faced with a price to pay for each physical movement. I can lift, push, pull, grab, squeeze, type, write, draw, point and gesture anyway you need me to. However, the amount of activity I do now, is proportionate to the amount of pain I will endure for the next month or more.
My condition is called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, and you can look it up if you want. However, symptoms and limitations vary greatly depending on the individual. Suffice to say I have a compressed region in my clavicle that pinches off the veins, arteries, and nerves the more I use my hands. Pain ranges from a dull ache to an agonizing, throbbing ache with tingling nerves approaching paralysis.
I have had to change the way I approach tasks. I can type 60 words per minute, but the price I pay later is too high. Therefore, I made a decision to use voice software, which is significantly slower, and requires the additional thought process involving speech. Ultimately it will be better for me. Ultimately, it may even be more efficient than manual typing. However, in the meantime, It tries my patience.
I have also had to make difficult choices. I am An ambitious, independent person, but I am learning to ask for help. I am also a helpful person, but I’m frustrated at the fact that I cannot offer assistance the way I used to. I cannot help you lift your bag. I cannot write something down for you. I cannot flip through a stack of papers to help you find something.
I have to make choices. I am fortunate enough to still have the use of my hands, but that privilege means I have to carefully value the uses I apply them to. I think of it like this: say I can use my hands 20 times throughout the course of a day. What tasks take priority? Obviously, the highest priority tasks are the most basic ones. I still need to use my hands for grooming, eating, opening doors, etc. On days that I have attempted to use my hands a lot, those basic functions become a painful challenge.
I am handicapped, but you would not guess it to look at me. I look like a healthy, happy, 28-year-old. I’m not a bodybuilder or an Ironman, but you wouldn’t think twice to ask me to do something physical. The truth is, I’m older than I look. I’m also faced with a price to pay for each physical movement. I can lift, push, pull, grab, squeeze, type, write, draw, point and gesture anyway you need me to. However, the amount of activity I do now, is proportionate to the amount of pain I will endure for the next month or more.
My condition is called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, and you can look it up if you want. However, symptoms and limitations vary greatly depending on the individual. Suffice to say I have a compressed region in my clavicle that pinches off the veins, arteries, and nerves the more I use my hands. Pain ranges from a dull ache to an agonizing, throbbing ache with tingling nerves approaching paralysis.
I have had to change the way I approach tasks. I can type 60 words per minute, but the price I pay later is too high. Therefore, I made a decision to use voice software, which is significantly slower, and requires the additional thought process involving speech. Ultimately it will be better for me. Ultimately, it may even be more efficient than manual typing. However, in the meantime, It tries my patience.
I have also had to make difficult choices. I am An ambitious, independent person, but I am learning to ask for help. I am also a helpful person, but I’m frustrated at the fact that I cannot offer assistance the way I used to. I cannot help you lift your bag. I cannot write something down for you. I cannot flip through a stack of papers to help you find something.
I have to make choices. I am fortunate enough to still have the use of my hands, but that privilege means I have to carefully value the uses I apply them to. I think of it like this: say I can use my hands 20 times throughout the course of a day. What tasks take priority? Obviously, the highest priority tasks are the most basic ones. I still need to use my hands for grooming, eating, opening doors, etc. On days that I have attempted to use my hands a lot, those basic functions become a painful challenge.
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