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June 25, 2006
Ambidexterity
I've developed acute pain in my right arm, on the outside just above the wrist, that is mild when I'm typing; severe when I'm working with the mouse; and nonexistent at any other time. Some sort of carpel tunnel, no doubt. I'll check with my chiropractor, massage therapist, and doctor—the whole dang team—about it. But having had tendon surgery on the inside of both wrists in 1973, I don't plan to have any more anytime soon. Another 33 years; that would make 66 years between wrist surgeries, and that sounds just about right to me.
The typing doesn't hurt when I hold the palms of my hands high about the keyboard, as Mrs. Little taught me in typing class at Lewisburg High School in 1962. But then there's the mouse question. Beloved Partner has an innovative suggestion: use the mouse left-handed.
Can a right-hander become a left-handed mouser?
Posted by senioritis at June 25, 2006 04:57 PM
Comments
Ms Ex taught herself to do this, for the same reason you describe. So, yes, it's definitely do-able!
Posted by: susansinclair at June 25, 2006 05:35 PM
I switch-hit for the same reason. It's really not so hard.
Posted by: Krista at June 25, 2006 06:15 PM
I'm right-handed, but started out using my left hand for the mouse way back in 1991. My ex, an accountant, advised it--his reasoning was that it freed up the right hand for handwriting notes or for ten-key. I even draw lefthanded with the mouse, so it is very doable and you may even find it more efficient--I did.
Posted by: llcadle at June 25, 2006 07:03 PM
Try to use the mouse as little as possible. Instead, learn as many keystrokes as you can. Switching to a trackball can help as well (move fingers as opposed to hand).
Also, do you have a good keyboard tray which keeps your keyboard and mouse at the right height?
Posted by: cbd at June 25, 2006 10:29 PM
These are excellent suggestions; thanks. I think that in particular I owe cbd a drink when we get to NYC next March. I had not thought about keyboard height. I spent a couple of hours this morning fiddling with my desk configuration and think I have something much more congenial now. I not only don't have a good keyboard tray; I have no keyboard tray atall. I don't use a storeboughten desk, but instead a collection of tables scrounged from around the house. A storeboughten desk would be a last resort, to stave off surgery; I hate the things.
Posted by: senioritis at June 26, 2006 10:45 PM
I had extremely painful Ca deposits in both shoulders, confirmed my x-ray. I had been taking Vit D and Calcium supplements regularly for years (big mistake)
The MD waned to operate after giving me several useless steroid injections. I decided to treat conservatively by restricting ALL calcium intake (no milk, cheese or any other known source of Ca). The pain quickly diminished and I've had no pain now for over a year.
Posted by: Mark at June 28, 2006 11:54 AM
I'm a left-handed person who naturally uses the mouse with my right hand. Now that I have a laptop with a touchpad, I find that I use my left hand for it. I'm comfortable using a right hand mouse, but sometimes wish for a double mouse when I'm doing graphics so that I can use both hands to push the cursor across the page.
Posted by: joanna at June 28, 2006 02:00 PM