F is for Fingers
Note: This is part of a writing series called Stroke A to Z: An Alphabet of Transformation in which I document my experience of having and recovering from a severe stroke in a weekly story following the alphabet. Small steps, small stories — like ABC’s.
Do you ever take a look at your fingers and wonder how they can do all those amazing things? No? I didn’t, before the stroke. Pointing, grasping, touching, lifting, reaching, gesturing, pinching, the middle finger, keyboarding, writing, buttoning … your fingers tell and do so much. We take it for granted until they stop working and your precision and power are impaired.
We use our fingers for almost everything as their ability to move, bend, and flex allows us to interact with the world and complete almost any motion or task we need to do. It really affects your life when you can’t do things that seemed so simple before.
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One month after the stroke. Sitting in rehab across from my Occupational Therapist, Morio, with my hands lying flat on the table. On the left hand, each finger could lift up easily, independently. On the right hand, the fingers wouldn’t move, no matter how hard I tried. Lying limply at the end of my hand, all 14 bones and muscles. You can’t use sheer will to make them move, but I surely tried.
Took me three weeks of working with Morio to get those fingers isolated and moving, somewhat. His specialization was working with the fingers after neurological issues such as stroke. He was so good I called him The Magician. He sang a little rhythmic song as I tried to work each finger up and down, then STOP, firmly.
We worked on fine motor development by using pins in pegboards, a hand grip exerciser, therapy putty, sensory tasks, tennis ball and many more. This list provides a good array of what we worked on and a reminder to keep on working on them.
Three years later and my fine motor skills are not the best. I still struggle with handwriting; if I want it to be legible, I have to focus on each letter, slowly, like a child. I generally use my phone or computer to take notes, write, fill in forms but unfortunately that does not help my handwriting at all. There are still tons of print forms sent home from school and activities; I shudder every time I see one as I know it will take me some time to fill it up legibly. Won’t make sense if you can’t read your phone number or email on a contact form.
Writing this gives me a small reminder to contact the Vancouver School Board (VSB) about having forms sent both electronically and by print for accessibility. Some people have trouble writing, others have problems using the computer; making them available in multiple forms makes them accessible to more people. The VSB Advancing Accessibility Report recommends us to “help us identify and understand barriers members of the community may face when accessing VSB services and facilities”, including information and/or communication barriers.
