On Gratitude: One Hand Clapping

Yesterday I sprained my wrist skating in Golden Gate Park.  It might be broken--I'm getting an X-ray later this morning to find out.  The pain is manageable as long as I keep it still, and I've broken my wrists three times and sprained them even more, so I'm familiar with the drill and expect all will be well in a few weeks.

But I'm surprised by how upset I've been to have my typing speed reduced by about 90% and to be essentially unable to write (it's my left wrist, and I'm left-handed.)  This is partly because I love my work and I hate to think about the hit my productivity is going to take, but at a deeper level, I feel cut off from people because I can barely type a coherent email (this post is a trial) and even from my own thought processes because I learn by taking copious handwritten notes.

I was feeling a little sorry for myself this morning when I saw Jessica Guynn's article on Kaboodle co-founder and CTO Keiron McCammon in the S.F Chronicle.  McCammon had to have his left hand amputated following a paragliding accident just over a year ago.  Guynn writes...

Today, McCammon has not only adjusted, he is thriving. He swapped his Jeep Wrangler for a Toyota Prius with the license plate 1 HANDED, commuting 80 miles round-trip from his Danville home in the carpool lane. He types with four fingers on one hand rather than pecking at the keyboard with two fingers on each. He has experimented with prosthetics so he can get back to the activities he enjoys, from practicing yoga to riding a bike to playing the guitar. This winter, he hit the slopes to snowboard again. As an amputee, he gets half-price lift tickets.

Guynn also quotes one of Kaboodle's VC investors...

"[McCammon] obviously went through a lot of pain, and that would have affected my psychology," said Rajeev Motwani, one of the original investors in Google. "It would have made me a bit sour. But I have never once heard him complain about anything. That's what you look for (when) you invest in a company: a founder who has ownership of what he is doing and does whatever it takes to make it succeed. Keiron is a wonderful example."

Well, that helped me put things in perspective right quick.  Rather than feel self-pity, I feel incredibly grateful for the fact that my disability is just temporary, for the good health I'm blessed with 99% of the time, for the opportunity to do work that I love (and that I can do one-handed, just at a slower pace), and for my wife, who's cheerfully taken on all household duties requiring both hands.  It's a refreshing reminder of just how good I have it.

Read more about McCarron's experiences at A One Handed Blog.

UPDATE: Good news--my doctor thinks I just tore some soft tissue.  He's sufficiently confident that no bones are broken that he didn't even want an X-ray--he just told me to watch the pain and check back in if it doesn't improve.  I can't put weight on my left hand, and certain arm movements are pretty painful, but I CAN type with just a little discomfort.  I can even write if I'm careful to hold my wrist still.  So my gratitude continues to grow.

Comments

[onehandedblogger]

Ed, hope your hand recovers quickly. I've got quite proficient nowadays with my four finger typing. Since I'm right handed I'm lucky I lost my left hand and haven't had to re-learn everything again, that would have been a double whammy!

The only downside is I've had to start learning to play guitar all over again, left handed...still it's an opportunity to learn some music theory this time around :-)

[Ed Batista]

Thanks for the encouragement, Keiron. As a former (bad) guitarist, I can appreciate how learning how to switch hands would pose a unique challenge. And thanks for the inspiration--your enthusiasm and your refusal to give up are contagious (and have been on my mind a lot today.)

Ed

[Paul]

On point: The Balboa Theater is currently screening Two Hands, an 18-minute film about concert pianist Leon Fleisher and his lengthy struggle to regain full movement in his right hand, as part of its Doc Days mini-fest. The short film is up for an Oscar on Sunday night.

Feel better soon!

[Ed Batista]

Thanks, Paul! The recovery continues, and I'm feeling better every day. Nice tip on Two Hands--I love the Balboa. From a commenter at IMDB:

Fleisher himself tells the story. We see close up of his hands as he plays. The music is beautiful. It is great seeing a professional back doing what he likes after such a long absence.

[Sage]

Isn't gratitude the most remarkable medicine?

Glad to hear that your injury is not likely to be serious, Ed.

[Ed Batista]

Thanks, Sage. That's a great way to frame this whole issue--gratitude is very healing.

Ed