United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I do that with my left knee too.. well I used to (until I was paralyzed in 2004). It was how I did ponytails and braids and things like that.

Works really well!

ok now we're getting down to the nitty gritty....

Maia used to eat grapes with her feet.... I used to yell STOP - here's a wet wipe to wash your toes first!! hahaha
I WISH I video'd that... it was so cute and she stopped doing it since.

lets see...

-he braces his coloring book on the floor with his right foot and colors with left hand
-plays video games with left thumb and pinky for ds and leapster ,upside down for xbox 360
-ties shoes since 3 y/o w/ left hand
-pulls undies up over thighs, then does this little stoop and pop move that gets them all the way up (cute)
-laser tag, wears laser target on waist w/belt or thigh
He has always figured out his way, may take a few tries,but he gets it and rarely asks for help.

Re: Shampoo

I stand on my left leg and prop my right foot on my left knee. (Basically, I look like a flamingo) Doing that causes my right leg to make a ledge which I then squeeze my shampoo onto. From there, I use my non-BPI to take small portions of shampoo to apply to different parts of my hair/head. Scrub, lather, rinse! Repeat with conditioner.

It takes balance & some practice. If I'm feeling particularly wobbly, I'll place my right foot on the edge of the bathtub or on a chair instead of my left leg. (Fortunately most kids have really good balance and childhood is all about practice and experimenting.)

Other things I do:

When I write, I have to hold down the paper with my pinky, otherwise it moves. I haven't figured out how to curl my hair one-handed yet, but I'm working on it! I can and do straighten my hair, though. I open water/soda bottles with my teeth - makes my parents cringe everytime, but it works. When shaving/putting on deodorant, I prop my RBPI arm on a wall so that that area is easier to reach.

Agreed with clothes - BPI arm goes in first. With shirts, I usually scrunch up the sleeve first (like my dad used to do with my socks when I was a wee little one) which makes puts my BPI arm in easier.

As for sports:
I also do that tennis thing when I play tennis. Either that, or I hold the ball in the hand holding the racquet. Both seem to work, it just takes practice.
In swimming, I just don't use my right arm, but swim like an able-bodied person would in all other ways.
When I tried archery, I used a special mouth piece to pull back on the string since I couldn't use my arm. I didn't stick with archery, but I'm thinking of getting into it sometime in the future!

Isn't it amazing how our children (and adults) adapt so well? It is always motivational for me to see Cameron doing things I thought he wouldn't be able to do. The determination!!! He is not crawling, but he can roll so fast!

The whole toe/grape thing was hilarious!

Keep your answers coming! There has to be more!

Oh, here was a "lefty" camera that I saw online. http://www.wackyplanet.com/leca.html

Arabella had surgery Jan.16, and is in the "statue of liberty" brace. She learned right away and on her own that she couldn't bend over and pick up something she wanted. She figured out on her own how to get down on her knees and back up without help! I was so proud of her!

Bigjavsma, Maggie does the little scoot and jump dance to get her pants up. Someone the other day was watching her and said what are you doing, she said im doing my little dance to get my jeans up.LOL. It is very cute.

Oh please I'd love a video of Javier and Maggie doing their "Dressing Dance"!!!

oh yeah...HUGS all around!!
"Gramma" Carolyn J
LOBPI/70
ps send them to my email inbox if you want to

How do you straighten your hair with one hand?

I just sustained a RTBPI a little over a month ago and I really want to be able to straighten my hair, but I can't figure it out without possibly burning myself.

To straighten my hair, I tilt my head to the side so that my hair falls as far away from my neck/head as possible. From there I run the straightener through my hair until it's all straight.

I've found that the longer the hair and the smaller the straightener, the easier it is to straighten. (Well, having going from shoulder length hair to pixie short to back to shoulder length, the shoulder length has been easiest. Anything longer would take a lot more time, I'd imagine.) Think 1" or smaller for straighteners.

There are definitely parts that are harder than others - the back of the head and that area right around the ear. It mostly takes a lot of maneuvering and practice.