United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

It took about 6 months for my writing to be indistinguishable from my right handed writing. I kept my first attempt and I'm glad I did.
I can't write more than a couple of A4 pages before my hand aches, but if I keep resting and shaking it I can do loads more. I can't write down to the bottom of the page so don't even try any more.
Cheers
Jen NZ

Yeah...sadly my writing with my left hand is also indistinguishable from my right hand...writing with my dominant right hand was always shockingly bad and unreadable, even by me sometimes, so no change there then! I also gave up trying to write all the way down to the bottom of the page...it's almost impossible I reckon...anyone actually managed it? and how?

Lizzy

I am also attending college with the right hand paper weight and have not done all that well with left-handed writing or typing,however there are ways around the problem 1try typing on a left hand dvorak keyboard,the program is already on your windows program under "keyboard languages", then all you have to do is switch the keys on your board to LH Dvorak-you can get that layout off the net. 2Sticky keys 3.Get a digital recorder, that way you can record all your lectures and take notes later.I've got a head set for mine and record my papers going to and from school. 4 Throw the disabilities act at them, in Minnesota the school has tol supply a note taker from your class if you need one, and they pay the person-generally some struggling single mother,so help her out with a job. 5.Find a helpful goveernment or job training agency to buy you a voice recognition laptop,I did. currently I am trying to interface the digital recorder with the vr software, there's a few bugs in that, but hey I'm only carrying 13-so far.
Hope this helps Onepaw

I am also attending college with the right hand paper weight and have not done all that well with left-handed writing or typing,however there are ways around the problem 1try typing on a left hand dvorak keyboard,the program is already on your windows program under "keyboard languages", then all you have to do is switch the keys on your board to LH Dvorak-you can get that layout off the net. 2Sticky keys 3.Get a digital recorder, that way you can record all your lectures and take notes later.I've got a head set for mine and record my papers going to and from school. 4 Throw the disabilities act at them, in Minnesota the school has tol supply a note taker from your class if you need one, and they pay the person-generally some struggling single mother,so help her out with a job. 5.Find a helpful goveernment or job training agency to buy you a voice recognition laptop,I did. currently I am trying to interface the digital recorder with the vr software, there's a few bugs in that, but hey I'm only carrying 13-so far.
Hope this helps Onepaw

Hi

I had BPI injury dominant arm in May this year. I have been learning to write left handed since. Can only say that it is hard work, but getting better at it every day. Just practice over and over again writing sentences, words etc. Still a slow process for me, and know what you are going through. As everyone had said to me, just be patient, you will get the hang of it soon. Have to admit I have since started to also learn to fish with my left hand. Good luck and keep trying remember what they say "practice makes pefect"

Regards Michael

I learned to write by sitting in front of the t.v. w/a note book and just writing. Everything. ABC's--words--lyrics--doodling little pictures--anything to learn to control the pen.
I have two styles of writing--one for notes that's just for me--an almost shorthand that I can understand and gets the job done.
The second is more tedious--it's real writing, so that other people can read it, and it looks pretty good-- BUT---my handwriting breaks down too sometimes and no matter how hard I try it still looks like crap. Fortunatly(?) I got moved from 2nd grade to 3rd grade early in school and completely missed the basics of cursive writing--I never learned how to write in cursive. I only learned to print, so I suspect I have it a little easier than most folks.
Wanna hear something strange? My left handed writing--(when it's good)- looks identicle to my old right handed writing.

Same here. But then it IS the same brain controlling the motor reflexes, just back-to-front. It's amazing what the brain is capable of. Just a shame that alcohol tastes so good, coz it doesn't help the motor skills too much !

tell the school you are attending and they will set you up with a school councler for disabled students and yes they will help with note takeing and much more.

When re-learning to write with my non-dominant hand I read a little book, I can't remember the title, but one suggestion in it helped my writing develop much quicker than I'd expected. The suggestion went something like this - "As you have already learned to write you already know how to spell the words you are writing. Instead of trying to write the letters of each word, concentrate on the entire word. Practice writing words not letters". As I mentioned this escalated the legibility of my writing to new levels within 2-3 months. I can now write very clearly with my left hand.

hi andre!

when i first realized i wasn't getting my right hand back, i went out & bought a crossword puzzle book and erasable pen! then i just did crosswords (easy ones). it took me two years but that's only because i went through a period of giving up trying.

now, my writing still isn't great, but i take notes at meetings for my volunteer group and it's not too bad. i still do crosswords too. granted, my printing is better than my writing, but that just takes practice.

hope this helps,

hugs,

jan