United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Frankie is a teen now and getting ready to go on a class trip for two days to Gettysburg, he wants to be able to cut his own food but only has use of the one hand he has a rocker knife but that can't cut meat what does everyone else do. At home I serve the meat cut up and when we go out to eat I cut it at the table I have tryed asking for it to be cut up before being served but frankie hates that because they look at you funny and ask why. Sometimes I feel like saying (could you do as I request without needing an explanation please but that would really freak frankie out he's big on not making an issue of things. Mare

Great Question Mare,
My solution when eating out/in public is always order something whose meat portion can be cut with the side of a fork. MOST meat cooked in good restrauants are cooked tender and can be cut that way. When in doubt I ALWAZYS order Hamburgers and ask that the burger be cut in half by the Chef...[Like Red Robin's are really b-i-g
burgers out West here in WA!

HUGS all around!]
Carolyn J

Mare,
I have a answer for you when they ask for an explanation. "Because I am the customer that's why" I worked in retail for years and those are questions that you don't ask. I wish things were the way they used to be......GAYLE

Mare
Frankie will have to get use to eating out on his own more and more now that he is maturing.

I always ordered foods that I could cut with a fork or did not need cutting.
I can hold a knife in my right hand but cutting some foods was difficult because of the lack of strength in my hand.

He will soon learn to look at the menu and order what he can handle independently and that will not draw attention to his situation.
There are many good dishes that do not require the ability to cut up meat and people don't even notice.

Kath robpi/adult

Not sure if its an option to hold the fork in the bpi hand and cut with the other. That works well for me, although I have made a mess before. (Remembering the time my knife slipped and I pushed some of my food onto the table) Things happen. I most often skip the knife all together and cut with the side of my fork or where I need to will just pick it up and bite a piece off. We do what we need to to get things done. I hope Frankie has a great trip to Gettysburg!
Hugs,
Amy

Mare

here's a link to the awareness section of UBPN
http://ubpn.org/awareness/A2002linkresource.html
at the bottom you'll see that we had restaurant cards
the link is now bad but maybe nancy can find this page for you and get you a copy of the cards.... they were well done - it was just a small business type card that he could hand to the waitress (so no one else knew) that asked the chef to cut up the entree into manageable pieces because of the disability...

If frankie can lay his hand on the table and has enough strength to hold it there he can use adaptive devices on his BPI hand to hold a fork while he cuts with another. There is something called a universl cuff which you can wear around your hand like a bracelet and put utensils in it.

Its hard to explain in words. But if frankie sees an occupational therapist I would ask her. She may be able to problem solve some adaptive strategies. Thats what we OTs do
Becky

Hi Becky
Frankie's palm faces the ceiling so the back of his hand would be on the table and he is unable to turn it in. I want to Thank Everyone for there help it means a lot to ask a question and get such quick responses it just show how much we all care. thanks Mare

Your question made me think....I never realized that the foods I prefer to eat all do not require a knife to cut them. When I was a kid I hated eating spaghetti because my mother insisted that the noodles should be rolled on a spoon with the fork. I could never do that.

It is interesting how our arms affect every aspect of our lives and we don't even realize it!

Kamren,

I always thought the noodles were to be rolled on the fork, using a spoon as a helper. Whichever way it goes, I could never do it either. I use the edge of the fork to cut the spaghetti. Then I shovel it onto the fork if the pieces are short, or wind them on the fork if they are too long to shovel. My attitude is: We do what we have to do in a way that works for us. If my table manners offend anyone who has the nerve to speak up about it (which would cause their manners to offend me), then I can speak up, too. I can remind them about my arm, and suggest that they try eating with one arm tied down at their side.

I'm the kind of person who figures out what to say in a particular situation after that situation has happened to me. Then it never happens again, so I've never actually done what I just suggested, but now the words are there in my head if that situation ever happens again.

Joanie