Living With One Hand

We, who were born with two healthy hands were indeed very lucky. I just realized this two years ago when I experienced and accidental hard fall that dislocated my left wrist. It was a very, very hard slide on a slippery, mossy cemented pathway. It was good I didn't hit my head. My closed umbrella helped a bit in protecting my right hand too.

I didn't lose my presence of mind though, so I quickly instructed my niece to do a hard pull on my hand and..."click"... the dislocation was reduced. The wrist bones were realigned. This simple maneuver if not done correctly and on time could cause a lot of medical and surgical problems if not a lot of money.

So, my left hand was temporarily disabled. Supported by a sling, it was not painful and there was no swelling although every time I moved my fingers severe pain was triggered at the dislocation site which of course was quite understandable. I had to maximize the usefulness of my right hand. Meantime I also discovered hundred and one limitations.

It was difficult to wash and to use my face towel to sponge-bath myself and certainly sponging my right armpit was simply impossible. I could neither button my pants nor secure my belt without any help.

Brushing my dentures was a Herculean job as well as cooking and washing the dishes. Ironing the cloths was a climb to Mt. Everest. Simple eating without the aid of a fork was very uneasy. Furthermore, sleeping was always a dreamless night as it was very difficult to find a correct position without experiencing pain. Typing on the computer was entirely a different ritual.

But there were many interesting discoveries too. Like I could wash dishes by putting them one by one on a basin while soaping and sponging each one before finally rinsing under a running faucet. I could wash a face towel by squeezing it over soap under a pail of water before a final hard squeeze then running it over my body. I also discovered that by putting the handle of the dustpan between my knees I could easily sweep in the trash and the dust.

I could put on my writs watch with the help of my chin to lock it. I learned to eat without fork by tilting my plate and pushing my spoon to catch the food. I learned a lot of other special maneuvers and rituals though I wondered if these could all be possible if my right hand was the one damaged.

Now I knew why God created us with two hands... because one would hardly be sufficient. As I review the song, I have two hands, where a line says "clean little hands are good to see". I would like to add: "Big healthy hands are a necessity".