Living one-handed has been an eye-opening experience. I’ve discovered a plethora of simple tasks that are impossible to perform with one hand, even if that one hand is your dominant one.
10. Slicing or chopping large, round vegetables and fruits like potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and apples. Perhaps its a good thing this task is off limits since I’m one-handed because of kitchen knives.
9. Twisting and untwisting twisty ties is an exercise in futility.
8. Certain laundry tasks –such as squirting 1 pump of liquid detergent into the machine, carrying a basket full of clothes, and putting clothes on hangers–require two hands. Trust me on this one.
7. When putting fresh linens on a bed, someone else will have to put on the pillow cases. On the bright side, one hand is enough to remove a soiled pillow case, if you don’t mind using your teeth.
6. Tying shoes is out. Slip-ons and Velcro fasteners are in.
5. Cleaning and putting in contact lenses absolutely doesn’t work. So keep your glasses’ prescription up to date.
4. Flossing with dental floss string is a no go. Thank goodness for those little floss wands.
3. Not to put too fine a point on it, half of shaving under one’s arms and applying deodorant is a waste of time.
2. Thorough hand washing can’t be done. Before leaving the hospital, I asked the surgeon and the discharge nurse for one-handed hand washing tips and received only blank stares in response to my foresight. You’d think think they’d have a protocol for that. This YouTube video was no help because he can enlist his stump. I am to apply no pressure to my hand and have strict orders not to get the splint wet. So I squirt soap on the side of the sink and roll my good hand around in it. Still, I will understand if you refuse to shake my hand for the duration.
1. The cruelest blow of all is the inability to hold open and read thick books. Were it not for audiobooks and the new season of Longmire on Netflix, this one-handed wonder would be deeply, deeply depressed.
Have you ever had to live one-handed? What tasks were impossible for you?
With his hook Dad still had a good attitude. He said that the biggest thing he couldn’t do was clap.
I have found dressing to be the hardest. Bra’s are impossible. Socks are infuriating. Pants and shoelaces must be elastic. Shirts and jackets need very loose sleeves if there is a cast involved. Wore my jacket and could only get my arm 80% down the sleeve. Alarmed my coworkers as they thought my hand had been amputated.
That’s a serious point, but I couldn’t help laughing when I got to the part about your co-workers believing your hand had been amputed.
Having just two weeks ago fallen and broken arm/wrist I am finding it so difficult to do all the things you said and more , I’m already a full time crutch user so now cannot use them so have a goucher walker, I find I can’t pull myself off the loo which is soo low and need two hands to manage it 😆 I will starve if I don’t find a way to chop vegetables, only another six weeks to go
Oh I feel for you Alexandria. Being one-handed without crutches was challenging enough. Check with your medical supply store. They should have special toilet seat attachments that will raise yours 6-8 inches. I hope your healing is swift and complete.
Carpal tunnel surgery—I was allowed one day off after surgery. A lot of things were difficult but I’m a single mom and had no choice. I couldn’t tie my shoes in a regular way but I’d sit them on the table and tie them really loosely using my one hand and my teeth. Yeah… kinda yucky to think about but like I said, I had no other options. Getting a pair of jeans pulled up over my butt was so frustrating, so I had to wear the stretchiest bottoms that I could find (pajama pants). Cutting a carrot was funny as hell! I sat it down inside the sink and did a king fu chop chop at it until I had enough lil pieces to use. Using a canopener, opening the ziplock on my hotdogs and lunch meat, latching my bra, putting my hair into a ponytail and putting deodorant on the “good arm” was impossible. But if they needed me at work that badly… they just had to deal with it. I think the worst part of it all for me was not being able to take any pain meds after surgery. The dr prescribed some to me but they either made me really sick or I wasn’t allowed to take them before work or any time during my shift. He also told me to keep it clean and dry but they insisted on wrapping it up and within maybe 20mins, it would start burning from the sweaty marination under all that wrap. I wasn’t able to tie my smock behind my back nor put a rubber glove on by myself either. But there’s at least 200 other people that work there so I’d have to wait for someone to come by and help me. I cried everyday for the first 4 days because the pain would just start throbbing but I had to suck it up and do my job. I’ve never been treated so badly in my life. At day 5, I was able to use my “bad hand” a lot more even though the dr note said not to use it at all. With driving, I wasn’t able to get the door shut if it was all the way open. I had to get back out, pull the door closer to me and then wiggle into the opening while making sure the door didn’t swing open. No use of turn signal or light dimming switch. I had to really slow down for turns because even my good hand isn’t very good and is awaiting surgery as soon as this one heals more. Today is day 10 and almost all function is back and I can use it again. I do use my elbow a lot in that arm to hold things steady like opening jars or bottles. To carry large items, I’d get it as close to me as possible and use my body to sorta hug it with my good arm. I’m sure there are rules and laws that could’ve protected me from all this pain but I’m just one person and I have 2 little girls that depend on me. So… you find a way. Hope some of these tips help and may ya all heal quickly.
Those are great tips! Thanks.