Henry,
Many thanks to you for helping the masses! I'm still new to this outfit, so I'd be willing to pay top dollar for some handy tips to help keep my temper down due to those ever present frustrating one handed moments of agony. I hope I can be wise enough to contribute.
Cheers,
Chris
Living with BPI Handbook
-
Christopher
- Posts: 845
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02
Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed
BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.
Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt - Location: Los Angeles, California USA
-
admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19873
- Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:59 pm
Re: Living with BPI Handbook
I've always worn boots and I still do,hook fastener type as a matter of fact. All you do is cross your laces at the top of your boots then slam your
"slack" end in the ole kitchen door and tie your working end around it. It is easier than I can explain-really, try it.
"slack" end in the ole kitchen door and tie your working end around it. It is easier than I can explain-really, try it.
-
admin
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19873
- Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 9:59 pm
Re: Living with BPI Handbook
Allison.
I was talking to a friend at work about being frustrated with not being able to get my dish out of the oven after it bakes because of being too hot & too heavy for my 1 hand. She told me that her husband was very creative and she thought he might be able to come up with something. A few days later she came to work with his creation. It is great! He made it with an old oven rack. Some how he has taken 2 strips of rack and fashioned 2 sides which he soldered to the oven rack. Then he has taken and bent the edges upwards at either end. Some how he has fashioned handles on either side that can be brought together so you can pick up the rack and whatever is on it with 1 hand. It is great! I have put my 9in. x 13in. glass cassarole dish full of lasagne on it and put it in the oven. I just left the dish on the rack until it was done baking and then removed it from the hot oven all with my 1 little hand! I am so thrilled with it!
If anyone is interested, he might be willing to make and sell some more. Just let me know.
Best wishes to Henry on his book. I know I will be anxious to check it out.
SusieKaye
I was talking to a friend at work about being frustrated with not being able to get my dish out of the oven after it bakes because of being too hot & too heavy for my 1 hand. She told me that her husband was very creative and she thought he might be able to come up with something. A few days later she came to work with his creation. It is great! He made it with an old oven rack. Some how he has taken 2 strips of rack and fashioned 2 sides which he soldered to the oven rack. Then he has taken and bent the edges upwards at either end. Some how he has fashioned handles on either side that can be brought together so you can pick up the rack and whatever is on it with 1 hand. It is great! I have put my 9in. x 13in. glass cassarole dish full of lasagne on it and put it in the oven. I just left the dish on the rack until it was done baking and then removed it from the hot oven all with my 1 little hand! I am so thrilled with it!
If anyone is interested, he might be willing to make and sell some more. Just let me know.
Best wishes to Henry on his book. I know I will be anxious to check it out.
SusieKaye
-
Susie Kaye
Re: Living with BPI Handbook
Allison.
I was talking to a friend at work about being frustrated with not being able to get my dish out of the oven after it bakes because of being too hot & too heavy for my 1 hand. She told me that her husband was very creative and she thought he might be able to come up with something. A few days later she came to work with his creation. It is great! He made it with an old oven rack. Some how he has taken 2 strips of rack and fashioned 2 sides which he soldered to the oven rack. Then he has taken and bent the edges upwards at either end. Some how he has fashioned handles on either side that can be brought together so you can pick up the rack and whatever is on it with 1 hand. It is great! I have put my 9in. x 13in. glass cassarole dish full of lasagne on it and put it in the oven. I just left the dish on the rack until it was done baking and then removed it from the hot oven all with my 1 little hand! I am so thrilled with it!
If anyone is interested, he might be willing to make and sell some more. Just let me know.
Best wishes to Henry on his book. I know I will be anxious to check it out.
SusieKaye
I was talking to a friend at work about being frustrated with not being able to get my dish out of the oven after it bakes because of being too hot & too heavy for my 1 hand. She told me that her husband was very creative and she thought he might be able to come up with something. A few days later she came to work with his creation. It is great! He made it with an old oven rack. Some how he has taken 2 strips of rack and fashioned 2 sides which he soldered to the oven rack. Then he has taken and bent the edges upwards at either end. Some how he has fashioned handles on either side that can be brought together so you can pick up the rack and whatever is on it with 1 hand. It is great! I have put my 9in. x 13in. glass cassarole dish full of lasagne on it and put it in the oven. I just left the dish on the rack until it was done baking and then removed it from the hot oven all with my 1 little hand! I am so thrilled with it!
If anyone is interested, he might be willing to make and sell some more. Just let me know.
Best wishes to Henry on his book. I know I will be anxious to check it out.
SusieKaye
Re: Living with BPI Handbook
Susie Kaye that sounds good. My sister in law bought me a turkey/chicken lifter from the Regal catalog. It's too small for a 9 x 13 dish though, I can't get the handles to close with a pan on it . Will check out the design of yours. What are the measurements of the base?
Re: Living with BPI Handbook
Henry, here's some things I find that get rid of a lot of frustration while living with a bpi.
1) Toss out the wire clothes hangers and buy the plastic ones. I even bought some with silicone on the shoulder part to hold things on the hanger like spaghetti straps and slippery material stuff. I found the thicker hangers much easier to work with as I have limited mobility in my good hand.
2) Keep the kitchen sink full of hot soapy water while preparing and cooking meals. I find I need to wash my hand and other stuff a lot more now. Keep a kitchen towel handy as well.
3) Invest in quality non-stick cookware. Pots, pans cookie sheets, pizza pan etc. Fabulously easy to clean and very little drying required also.
1) Toss out the wire clothes hangers and buy the plastic ones. I even bought some with silicone on the shoulder part to hold things on the hanger like spaghetti straps and slippery material stuff. I found the thicker hangers much easier to work with as I have limited mobility in my good hand.
2) Keep the kitchen sink full of hot soapy water while preparing and cooking meals. I find I need to wash my hand and other stuff a lot more now. Keep a kitchen towel handy as well.
3) Invest in quality non-stick cookware. Pots, pans cookie sheets, pizza pan etc. Fabulously easy to clean and very little drying required also.
Re: Living with BPI Handbook
hhhaahaa....failing that, get someone else to cook and wash the dishes, or just buy paper plates...! :0)
Microwaves are a godsend for one-armed and great for baked potatoes (we call 'em jacket spuds over here..)
;0) liz
Microwaves are a godsend for one-armed and great for baked potatoes (we call 'em jacket spuds over here..)
;0) liz
-
jennyb
- Posts: 1183
- Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2001 5:24 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: January 1980 Yamaha RD200 vs 16 wheeler truck, result, 1 totally paralysed right arm. I was 21, now 54. I had no surgery, I don't regret this. Decided to totally ignore limitations (easily done aged 21) adapted very quickly to one handed life, got married, had 3 kids, worked- the effect of the injury on my life (once the pain stopped being constant) was minimal and now, aged 54, I very rarely even think of it, unless I bash it or it gets cold, then I wish I'd had it amputated :) Except for a steering knob on my car, I have no adaptations to help with life, mainly because I honestly don't think of myself as disabled and the only thing I can't do is peel potatoes, which is definitely a good thing.
Re: Living with BPI Handbook
lizzy, I just have to disagree with you there-microwave jacket spuds are diabolical-I'd rather eat worms mate. The standard of cuisine at your gaff has been so wondrous when I've stayed with you, I'm surprised you let this kind of thing go on.....:0)
That dish lifting thingie sounds like the same principle as the carrier my mum made me for lifting my first baby one handed. I say the first one, cos by babies 2 and 3 I forgot all that adaptive devices crap and just got hold of a big handful of stretch suit to lift them up!
That dish lifting thingie sounds like the same principle as the carrier my mum made me for lifting my first baby one handed. I say the first one, cos by babies 2 and 3 I forgot all that adaptive devices crap and just got hold of a big handful of stretch suit to lift them up!
Re: Living with BPI Handbook
Baked potatoes-jacket spuds, microwave til done then throw them on the bbq until the skin gets kinda crunchy-yum. i have to agree with Jen, spuds plain right of the microwave, not very appealing. Is this site turning into a Martha Stewart type thing??? ha ha ha. To get the stain out of...
-
Brenda333
- Posts: 217
- Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2002 6:59 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Daughter has global palsy (c5-T1 injury) 5 surgeries at Texas Children's by Dr
Laurent, Shenaq, and Nath. 1st Surel graft 2nd Intercostal transfer 3rd Latisimus Dorsi transfer with subscapular release 4th Pec release 5th Bicep lenghtening, (which weakened her bicep, and contracture returned.) Has went through serial casting with fair results. Her arm is about a hand shorter then the other. She has limited hand function. (able to grasp) Arm stays pronated. Unable to get to neutral. Now dealing with sternoclavicular subluxation. All that being said....She is very functional. She is a very determined, strong, tenacious young woman. Now 15. She plays the trumpet, french horn, drums, guitar, and now learning piano. Has always played on a softball, and basketball team. Until recently, for fear of further injury due to the sternoclavicular subluxation. (separation of colarbone from sternum) Not sure if all this is spelled right.
-- - Location: Wisconsin
- Contact:
Re: Living with BPI Handbook
You can check out the How I do it? page on the old NBPEPA site. You can find it at this link: http://www.htmlgear.tripod.com/text/con ... style=list
There is quite a lot of feedback there.
Brenda
There is quite a lot of feedback there.
Brenda