It's interesting how I've subconsciously adapted to this MS affecting my hands and fingers. My symptoms haven't changed at all, but I've noticed how, in a lot of ways, I'm just 'getting on with it', when it comes to dealing with this numbness.
It's only been just over five weeks since I've been diagnosed, and three months since my symptoms started. I feel that's gone quite quickly for me.
Whilst typing can be a challenge (I physically cannot feel the keys under my fingertips as I type this on my laptop), I just 'do it', by concentrating on watching where my fingers go! I used to be a great '5-6 fingered' typist, but I'm back to the old boring "pick'n'chase" 2-3 fingered typing... when I try to use too many fingers to type (and it's a habit - mum taught me to type when I was a teen!), the typos just go thru the roof - lots of letters/upper case simply get missed. Especially when I use my middle and ring fingers (especially on the right hand... my right hands feels more 'numb' than the left, mostly). Hence why it's mostly just poking away (albeit quite speedily, with attention to typos!) with my two index fingers... sometimes I feel like a silly twat typing this way - but hey, it works!
This new book writing challenge I've set for myself should be a nice reward (in a funny way) - by just adapting to what I have, and just getting on with it. I've already started sketching out a framework for it (over the last 24 hours), as most of the story details already exist in my head, as it all actually happened to me in real life.
Same when it comes to guitar playing, this 'adapting' thing. I just 'do it', simply because I've been playing for so many years. Thankfully, my left-hand (the chord/note fingering hand) doesn't feel too bad (most of the time), so I'm able to finger chords and notes pretty OK (not as well as I'd wish, but well... it's this 'adapting' thing). It's my right picking hand that can be an effort most of the time - just holding the pick and trying to keep a steady 'feel' going can be a challenge. But I can do it (hell, I've been hacking my way thru things for such a long time, it's a good habit, I suppose!) - which makes me feel satisfied... just more of that subconscious adapting, I guess. (It's hard to explain the inexplicable).
Just thinking aloud... blogging is good like that for me.
Peas be with ewe
Mal
Mal
Well done Mal
ReplyDeleteThanks David. Blogging is like "thinking aloud" (allowed? lol) for me.
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