Jenga, a One Handed Game…

Everyday I am confronted with something that is one handed; and everyday I have the opportunity to learn to do that thing a new way, to ask for help or to decide, gracefully never to do that thing again. Deciding what things I will hold and which things I will fold is not always easy.

There are lots of things that I did not do before losing my hand (i.e. rock climbing and motorcycle riding) so there is not much of a decision when it comes to those activities. But the challenges of daily living have provided the opportunity for discovery. In the book, One-Handed in a Two-Handed World: Your Personal Guide to Managing Single-Handedly by Tommye-K Mayer, I learned the three secrets of one-handedness: Body Position, 4 Fingers and a Thumb, and Gadgets. I have learned to adapt, accommodate and accept. I discovered that Dycem is a terrific tool for stabilizing almost anything. And my husband, Dale’s helpful advice is: when in doubt, hold it between your knees.

I have two prostheses, one for strength training and the other for things like sewing on buttons, there are definitely times when one hand, two knees and 32 teeth are not enough.