United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Here's something weird and wonderful. Today I picked up my left-dominant RBPI daughter at pre-school and her teacher told me that she seems to prefer and does better drawing and painting with her RBPI hand! I have also seen her draw a picture much more accurately with her BPI hand. Is she just drawing more carefully?

Any similiar stories out there? Am I always trying to find a silverlining in all these interesting adaptive events?

I write and draw with my robpi hand. I do most other things with my left hand and appear to be left handed I am neither a lefty or a righty. I put my contact in left handed and put on make up with my left hand. I eat and drink with my left hand. I cannot supinate and was forced to write with my right obpi hand in school. But maybe I was supposed to be right handed who knows... they could never tell by my eyes because I had Horner's.
When I was painting on ceramics and pottery I noticed that I could use either hand even for fine motor skills. I can write on a blackboard with my left hand but only with chalk... that was great for me because I can't lift my right hand to write on a blackboard...

I guess she is choosing which hand she wants to use and that is great. She will learn to use both hands. I think if I did not write or have assigned tasks for my right hand I might forget to use it. In fact I know I would forget to use it. I can hug with two arms but never remember to use my right arm when giving a hug to someone... I did not even realize that until one of my family called it to my attention not so long ago.
You should be happy that she is letting everyone know what hand SHE wants to use.

Kath

Dear Null,
My son is going to be 7 and is in 1st grade, he has a RBPI, he has always used his affected arm to write and to draw, and he is very neat and as you say, accurate with what he draws and writes, his PT and OT couldnt explain why he would have better accuracty and be neater except that maybe because he pays more attention to what he is doing when he uses it, either way, we encourage the usage and love the work he is able to do with the affected hand!

Kath,

I should have written that as my daughter's mother I use both my left and right hands.

I am very, very sorry that you cannot lift your hand to write. Prehaps that will be my daughter's future as she has never hugged me with both arms. You sound like you are a young adult that is aware of these factors in the use of your arm. I wish to encourage you to find that warmth of a good hug. For such a long time my child would not bring her face and her beauty into a hug. I am absolutely certain that you are beautiful. As you walk into that glorious opportunuty of a hug, just say loudly that I want you to hold me....

TweetyBird,

I am very much affected that you have written that you have seen such success in that affected arm. We as parents of the BPI are on a longer course in witnessing development of our beloved children. Again you have offered a reminder that we should let that paint, that pencil, that cayron FALL AS IT MAY.

I thank you so much..

Dear Null
Thank you for your kind words. I wish I was still a young adult... I am 65 robpi, I have three children and five grandchildren. I never realized I forget to use my arm to hug until my niece who is in her 40's said " come on Auntie give me one of those great one handed hugs". Somehow no one called it to my attention before... I guess they just accepted it as the way I am. My family did not make a big deal about me being different. It was to them but I really did not realize it. I was treated so normal... but now I understand every game I played and all the attention I got was about PT and getting me to move.

I thought I was the only OBPI because it was so rare until I was 60 and found UBPN.

Kath

What a wonderful support system we have in these Message Boards! I never realized until now that I, too, give only one-armed hugs! I guess I have a lot of "catch-up" hugs to give!
Being an older ROBPI (50), I find it so refreshing to hear the younger parents share their stories & suggestions. Like Kath, my family never treated me like I had a "handicap"; it wasn't until I was in High School & discovered I couldn't participate in all of the sports I enjoyed that I realized I was different. It still did not stop me from trying; and I still don't let it stop me today.
Now with my Left Arm suffering from "Over-Use" Syndrome, I continue to thank my family for accepting me as they did. They are the same family who are now telling me to slow down - I guess I'm a little too stubborn to listen to them!
Keep sharing your stories. They are truly inspirational!
Cyndi