I don't know if this will work or not, but I bought a set of "Finger Expanders" (which sounds like a product that could be used for other things) a couple weeks ago and have been using them as I sit in meetings.
Gymstick finger resistance bands can improve finger strength for athletes (rock climbing enthusiasts, fitness, tennis, baseball, boxing, tennis, golf and shooting) and musicians (guitar players, bass players, pianists and violinists).
I do none of those things.
However, since the stroke in June, my typing ability has been severely reduced and I have noticed that my hands are not as strong as they were. There are two sides to the typing issue, as my brain still struggles to get the order of letters correct, which means it is a little bit like having dyslexic (I imagine) and secondly, I struggle to get enough pressure on the keyboard at times. It is frustrating as you can imagine, as not only do I type a lot for work, but for example, I wrote over 4000 words across two posts for Hive yesterday, which is common. Since I am already not a touch-typist, the additional handicap applied isn't doing me any favors.
I have been largely on my own in regards to rehab since the brain injuring event, as they can't seem to do much for me since I am still performing tasks at an average or above level. Averages are very cruel to apply in these kinds of cases, as they do not seem to take into consideration the starting point.
For example, an "average" person can't do my job, as it requires certain skills, both technical and mental. It is not that it is particularly difficult, but without the right skillset, it isn't really possible - at least to do it well. The physical impairments are easier to deal with, but the mental side of things is a challenge, as there are no set tasks that they can give me that will improve me at a general level. What they mean by this is, while I can do tasks that will show improvement, what really is happening is that I am getting better at that particular task, meaning it is narrow isn't likely to be beneficial or applicable to other tasks.
In many ways, it is kind of like a few years back there was a study saying that people who were able to get up from the floor without using their hands, were likely to have a long lifespan, so people practiced getting getting off the floor. That is not how it works. Practicing a very narrow skill doesn't necessarily provide generalized benefit, making it like an AI that can perform a very precise task, but nothing else.
There is a "general intelligence" concept in AI, but this is applicable to many things in life where we are able to train for a specific job, but it doesn't necessarily improve other aspects of our body. For example, a lot of men at the gym workout their "show muscles" without connecting them up to make their bodies generally useful, so they can end up being strong in certain directions and tasks, but weak or even fragile in others. The body is a complex mesh of connections of many kinds and failing to strengthen the transfer points between parts, will lessen ability. And also, there is a diminishing returns on continually refining the same areas, whilst ignoring others.
I see the brain in much the same way, where if we do not exercise it from multiple perspectives, the communication between important nodes is going to be tenuous and reduce our memory, recall and processing abilities, making what we know, less valuable, as we are less able to use it well. I am no expert on this (and brain damaged), but visualizing systems helps me understand them, as well as build strategies to deal with them. In this case, the system is broken and the breakage causes me an inability to visualize well, making repair more challenging, but this is no excuse to stop trying.
If I want to improve, I have to train, but one of the problems is that there is a significant lack of motivation to actually do, pretty much anything. It is not that I am lazy, but the "procrastination" cycle is definitely in effect, where the tasks that aren't highly motivating are hard to focus on. Of course, everyone probably has this to some degree and I suffered from it a lot in my younger years, but in the last couple months, it has become quite pronounced.
In the past, my approach to overcoming it was to power through until the results were motivating enough to continue, but the incremental improvements are so slight and hard to evaluate, that there are no real "A-ha" moments where I realize things are better. I can look back over longer periods of time and see the progress I have made, but it doesn't bring that sense of satisfaction with it that motivates me to put more effort in now. So, it is just constantly trying to power through, without the sense that there is a "through" - it is more a hope that it will lead to a better outcome, without evidence or milestones along the way.
My typing hasn't improved since I have been using the bands, but my hands do feel stronger and there is less pain in them too, which is something that I have had for decades, probably from cracking my knuckles. They feel more muscular also and, I think they look healthier, since they are a bit fleshier - though that could be because I haven't been going to the gym and eating too much. While it has only been a few weeks, at least there is some visible progress.
My brain however, I feel at times like I am going backwards and, there are no stretchy bands to help. It is disappointing in many ways, as well as stressful to consider that this is the best I might ever get. If that is the case, the rest of my life plans are going to be drastically altered in every conceivable way, since while at this stage it is still possible to have the "recovery" excuse, as time progresses, I am no longer rehab-ing and it will just be the way I am.
We work on incentive and encouragement, yet currently, while I know there is a lot at stake, I m feeling far more discouraged about my future opportunities than I was a few months ago. It is possible that it is a phase that will pass, but it could also just be my new norm. This isn't all doom or gloom of course, because there a other aspects of my life that are important to me, but this is a big slice of my personal identity and lays at the core of who I have been - so letting go is hard.
Perhaps if I had weaker hands.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Pushing yourself too hard may lead you to running into brick walls, after what you encountered may slowly take a year or two to recover.
Best you did was return to the office, start challenging the challenges you now face. Training yourself in touch typing may be an excellent exercise for both mind and hands.
Qwerty keyboard must be slightly raised at the back to rest your wrists on the desk (my style), cover keyboard with an apron, fingers typing with hands beneath apron or cloth... follow lessons approximately 30 minutes per day, in time it becomes second nature!
Use a hand drawn keyboard in front of you (if you like little visual extra), start training with your daughter, make it a game... hands first asdfgf ;lkjhj then fingers aqaza ;p;/; > swsxs lol.l > takes awhile to familiarize oneself by speaking the letter out loud and typing... no matter who is on the keyboard at any given time.
Each has a style of their own, having touch typed, using numeral keys from memory since high school it is beneficial to learn.
Strengthening fingers can be done anytime of day, stretch hold in stretched position, then try curl first knuckle then second knuckle, bringing into tight fist hold, then relax, repeat... also split fingers when stretched out, one by one another mind game during exercising hands.
Good luck with touch typing, being an author a massive time saver in long run!
I have been meaning to do a course for about 20 years!
One f my friends worked a register at a supermarket and back then, they were typing in codes often - he was insanely fast on a keypad!
I wonder how many hours I would have saved if I had been able to touch type the last five year - and, how many delete key presses :)
Thank you for the lessons Joan!
Never too old or too young to learn something new, perhaps the time is right to get this going, let your daughter join in too it will be beneficial to her future.
I remember some of the boys in our school being teased about taking typing as a subject, now I smile when I think back now how much they must have appreciated those lessons learned long before computers arrived. Oh teacher was a male for a couple of years as well.
Argh, that's not great 😶
Because of that pandemic craze and me working at home I aged way more than 2 years. Even that short walk to the station and then to the office made a difference. Now I can feel that my health deteriorated way more than it should
😐
Getting out, fresh air, seeing the sights, networking, moving off from the same seat etc - makes a big difference in our physical and mental health. I feel that the ramifications of the last two years are going to last decades.
Why don't u listen to me aboit hive healthcare dapps? @actifit should get serious and get major healthcare funding rounds and hire new people like me to make it a big fucking pie in the sky concept with AETNA and Medicare saving you money for proving your steps and eccersize on the blockchain like fuckin all state safe driving spy dongle
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proving your steps to get crypto?
I would jump straight in.
Actually I think computers should be powered by stationary bicycles under our desks - everyone would be much healthier😉
I think the main problem with people is that they want to develop skills quickly overnight, but in fact that never happens. If you just progress slowly, you're doing an excellent job.
The secret is just to get started
The challenge is perhaps, I already "had" these skills, they aren't new to me and, I won't get them back to the same level - so even with the work, it feels like a kick.
I have seen those things for guitarists. And Satanists.
I hope you see some improvements. It's always good to remember you're average might be higher than many others best :0)
Well, I don't play the guitar.
My wife wishes that was true. :)
This reminded me of this creature:
Well - that is horrifying... :D
I’m sorry to hear that you had a stroke.. My dad had one when we were living in China and it was just pure luck that he got to the hospital in time and that the doctors were able to figure out what was going on.
I still remember the X-ray the doctor showed, it was taken from above and you could see the area that had been affected by the stroke. It was quite a big area and it was pretty clear to me that this was going to have big effects on his mental abilities.
Which it did. My dad has described it as having to reprogram his brain and learn new ways of doing things that was easy for him before. Even though the part that was effected never really will recover it seems as if his brain has found ways to work around it and compensate.
Is your dad okay now?
Yep - it can be a life or death thing.
The paramedics came, gave me the all clear and left. If they had taken me (I was showing very clear neurological symptoms) they would have given me a shot which would have cleared or reduced the stroke. Instead, it took a few days before I was even diagnosed. Pity.
Mine was "mild" (I am not sure of bits of dead brain is ever really mild), so I am okay in general. But, it has affected quite a few core components of me, which is setting up some challenges. The dead bit in my brain is in the cerebellum and is about an inch long and a half inch wide. It was weird to see my brain like that, it felt like I was in a movie.
My dad is okay, but to be honest his life changed after the stroke. It’s already more than 10 years ago, but I still remember it like it was yesterday.
His stroke was quite severe, so it has affected him quite a bit. It’s harder for him to perform on the same mental level as before. On the other hand spiritually it made him stronger. I guess in a way he’s had to get to know himself better and realize that the most important voice is the one in your head, and that you need to think positively and be nice and supportive to yourself.
It’s insane that they came and cleared you so fast. It’s nothing to be taken likely. Even though it’s not going to change what has happened the people that came and checked on you should be reprimanded.
That's give some hope LOL. Since i practice yoga it's not that hard to do so... But i guess who is capable of doing it, has a better physical condition compared to those who doesn't, and being fit is expanding the life expectancy. Or it is not that simple?
Yeah, it was more an indication of general wellbeing, but people aren't very smart :)
Another good exercise to strengten the fingers is to use any guitar, but it will work a bit awkard for non dominant hand. Just use all the fingers on the lowest 2 cords. Hmm, i am not great at explaining, but i may make a video when i have time.
There it is and you can do it faster and faster
https://odysee.com/@AllignmentControlledChaos:e/Finger-training-for-dexterity-:0
But - I would have to buy a guitar! :D
Around me you can buy from second hand shops with £10-15. :D
But, you can maybe even learn to sing a song or two. One of my secret tasks was to learn to sing a song on guitar and piano. So last year lockdown, i got a guitar, is doing wonder for fingers dexteriti, i may say even that learning to use a guitar increase my typing speed at 200%, indirectly. That's why I mentioned.
Edit: thew only song that I remember now is happy birthday, but still if i do it for someone birthday they are impressed , haha!
Its true .Those bands really helps to strengthen the fingures but wrist also need to be strong so i additionally use battle rope and boxing bag to excercise those body part.
Some people fingers shakes specially when they do writing or typing .I think those gym tricks are very recommeldable.
You have been using them too? That is good to hear. My wrists need work too - too much typing, not enough fighting ;)
speech typing?
google have it. give it a try, with a microphone works okay, with some editing
https://support.google.com/docs/answer/4492226?hl=en
Yeah, they work well with Aussie accent :)
If they can do Indian accent, they can do anything..
If it doesn't pick up my accent, I can do a very inappropriate (but culturally okay for me) Indian accent! :D
give it a try... there are many other options too. Microsoft, Apple, any of the word processors now have voice recognition. You can sure train one.
How often a day and for how long do you use the bands and how long did it take to feel like they were helping strengthen the hand? My hands have gone down strength wise a lot since the cancer, and I have started to struggle to open containers.
I don't have a routine for it, but I sit at my desk a lot, so I use them in meetings and randomly as I watch something. I can't type with them on though. i have only been using them for about a week or two, and I feel the difference. Perhaps they will help you also.
There are probably many alternatives on Amazon.
https://www.gymstick.com/finger-expander-set-3pcs.html
Thank you for the info, I think it is something I need to check into, it really really sucks when you have to ask your wife to open something for you. Almost as bad as having to get help to put a coat on or take it off.
Yeah, I can imagine it can suck, especially long term. Good luck and let me know if it helps!
Added to my amazon cart so I don't lose/forget about them. it will be a month or so before I finish my order and get my stuff.
A finger is just a decentralized hand
Decentralize the fingers!
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Hello @tarazkp… I have chosen your post about “-Weak Hands and Generalized Demands-” for my daily initiative to re-blog - vote and comment…
Let's keep working and supporting each other to grow at Hive!...
We must remain upbeat and strive to maintain out mental and physical abilities. I know as a musician, if you don't use it you lose it. The same is true of athletes and folks like you and me who use our minds. Yes, it can become an uphill battle at times, but the payoff is well worth the climb.
One method an actor or singer uses to remember lines or lyrics is to write them out longhand. There is most definitely a very powerful connection between actions of the hands and cognition. Sounds to me like you are using your above average intelligence to figure out what further PT you need without incurring expense. While you could pay out of pocket for more PT, you probably already know more about what you need to do to recover fully (and I believe you can do this) than any medical professional ever could.
I think that if you are an emotional person like me, it is normal that you experince the lack of motivation. If the subject is about health and there is a negative situation, I feel demoralized. It makes me lose my motivation.
I can understand your feelings and feel your pain and utter frustration @tarazkp, stroke has to be worse of the worse. My very active independent father had a stroke later in his life and defying all odds progressed incredibly but never resumed his dexterity and agility of his pre-stroke body.
I have always enjoyed reading your words so hope that you continue writing as much as you can. Do you use a dictation mode on your computer at all?
Wishing you all the best.
You don't have to let it go, just don't let it define you.
I can see that you said you will be practicing touch typing from reading Joan @joanstewart comment. I had a dinosaur of a nun in keyboarding class/typing and you were given a keyboard that was blank. There was a drawn keyboard at the front of the class, so yes! You learned to touch type. I didn't see the advantage of it then, but, I am thankful for dinosaurs.
What your body is trying to recover from is much more difficult for your doctors to define as such, as you said, you seem pretty much fine unless they knew what you were capable of. It is going to take time and definitely patience. I know it is unsettling for you and probably scary for your wife, but, I don't think anyone I know of has tried harder to succeed with therapy than you. Be easier on your progress. Many take a long time in the recovery phase.
I feel like you are doing remarkable, just not your expected progress with your usual diligence.
I am not trying to give you some knock-off answer for this very real-life scene. Just wanted you to know I was thinking of you.