United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

"Black humor"

Definition: [n] the juxtaposition of morbid and farcical elements (in writing or drama) to give a disturbing effect



I just know there must be others out there who have used "black humor" at times to deal with this injury! Periodically, my husband or I have just said something that the other finds horrifying and yet we both end up laughing hysterically after a moment. We can't be the only sick ones... anybody have any to add?


Perfect job for BPI baby: "product model". Just prop their BPI arm up on the product and... it stays put!

Question from rude stranger: what's that tape all over his arm for?
Answer from impatient mom: it keeps his arm from falling off.

If our son learns sign language, will he "talk" with a lisp?


Ok, so maybe when they're written down they seem worse... I sure hope no one is offended!

Kate

Kate
Most obpi adults share "Black Humor"

The one about sign langauge hit home!
After college my daughter took a sign langauge course for fun... she asked me to join her??? I just look at her and began to laugh she fogot I could raise my arm or use my hands. I reminded her its a good thing I was not deaf or I would have a real problem... silly but if I could not laugh at myself I would not have made it in this world. A good sense of humor has truly helped me get past the rough spots.
Laughing is good for our spirit and laughing at ourselves enables us to make mistakes without being embarassed.
Kath

well Kate - I was alittle hurt at first - I guess we always let Brittney lead on the funnies and we (our family) never do because it is so personal - but then I thought of how often my daughter makes fun of herself. We laugh alot - not at her but with her. My very favorite is when she tells about the day she was born. She says, " I looked at my right arm and it was swinging all over the place and then I looked over at my left arm and it was just laying there and so I thought to myself - WELL --- THIS can't be good!!" She laughs alot about her injury - I have more funnies but that one sticks out right now.
Christy

Just thought of another one - one time in Walmart Brittney (balance issues) turned a corner and knocked down an entire display of stuff, fell, got back up, and started laughing/talking loudly - that she was going to 'SUE" because look what happened to her arm in that accident - "It's bent and I can't straighten it or lift it anymore - I want money!!! She is a very funny kid. It helps us all so much to laugh about stuff....
Christy

Dear Kate, saw this message and just had to reply. Our son 20 had the misfortune of receive a right bpi last year. I have to admit that during all this time he has never lost his sense of humour and neither have we. We laugh with him over some of the "black humour" comments that he makes in relation to this injury. I agree with everyone if you don't retain a sense of humour you will fall into a "black hole" My favourite comments from my son is when I ask when I am going to the shop if I can get him anything he sometimes replies "a new right arm would be nice, and I don't care what colour it is either" or when he gets really bad pain and he bends to the ground and I ask if he (silly me or course) is getting bad pain, he replies "no I'm just checking out these ants on the ground".....regards Narelle

Kate,
You're not the only sick ones. We haven't said much lately, more often when Matthew was a baby. Laughter does the soul wonders!!

Cindy

i remember when my 2nd daughter was an infant. we would comment on how hard it is to change diapers/ feed her with both arms getting in the way!!

My favorite reply to someone is let me give you a hand with that. Once I went to the beach with a friend and took a metal detector, I was so excited we found an arm on the beach(a baby doll arm)but it was a lefty and I needed a righty.
I have a good friend who is legally blind. A few years ago in the State of Florida a handicapped person could get a free hunting license. We were going to apply for a license so she could hold the gun while I would aim it.

Me again - sorry. This morning Britt said that she thinks maybe she should marry a man that was a premature baby because she is curious about what would happen when they had kids since she was over 10 lbs. (Not sure why that came up - we were on our way out the door for school!)

She has a left arm injury - she once told me that she wants to marry a man with a right arm injury so they could work well together and then travel the world living off of their settlement checks. LOL
Christy