Living with one hand

Sharon has two hands but can only use one of them because of her stroke. She can lift her left arm but her hand isn't much use.

“It is surprising what you can do with your teeth,” she says. “In fact, I use my teeth instead of my left hand for lots of things, such as opening and closing my talcum powder and lip balm. And I hold my emery board between my teeth to file my nails.

“The bit of my brain that controls my left side is still asleep and so my hand can't do much. It can't hold anything. Sometimes the fingers curl up and go stiff which can be very painful. But I am lucky in that I have “hand thing” which is a sort of rigid splint which is held in place by Velcro straps and it makes my fingers straight. This helps me with the pain. I sort of massage my fingers at other times and make them lie out straight.

“I have to keep my finger nails very short because when my fingers bend up and curl the nails stick into my palm and this is very painful. My husband has had to become a bit of a manicurist.

“People sometimes ask me why I don't use a Zimmer frame to get about. I wish I could because I am sure they are very helpful. But I can't use one because it would run away from me because I can't hold on with both hands. I wouldn't be able to control and steer. I don't want to be known as the daft old bat gone mad whizzing about out of control. I still have my dignity.

www.sharonskitchenworld.blogspot.com