I will be having CMC arthroplasty (thumb joint replacement surgery) on my right, dominant hand. The recovery is lengthy and I will have extremely limited use of my hand for about 6-8 weeks. At that time, I'll be embarking on physical therapy, always a treat. I'm right handed, and there are many things I cannot do with the left, on which I had the same surgery last year. I'm hoping the right hand turns out better than the left!

I expect there may be delays in responding to emails, as typing with one hand is slow going. I thank you all in advance for your patience during the recovery period.

Barbara... it may take some practice, but typing is still possible.

http://technocrat.net/d/2006/7/7/5307

Are your toes dexterous?

epicurus1 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 15:05:26 PST
I too have been a life-long toe user. I remember as a kid "converting" friends to the idea of picking up things with their toes. I'm very right-handed, and very right-footed. I've always been very flat-footed, with unfortunately short and chubby toes, but with a huge space between the first two. Over the years I've had the "can you do things with your toes?" conversation hundreds of times. I've met a handful of people who have as much toe-awareness as I do, or even more (for instance, a college friend who told me she consciously practiced doing everything with her toes that she did with her fingers, "just in case...") A short list of toe-dexterity which I have been a party to (mainly as toe-user, sometimes as observer): writing with pencil, pen, or marker (that means keeping your heel in one spot, not moving your whole foot to write); picking up coins; folding paper; dialing a phone; typing; picking up a book and turning pages; interlacing toes (like folding hands); undoing buttons and zippers; operating switches, keyboarding, piano; opening up a wallet and removing money (I taught a girlfriend to do this); untying shoelaces (I once met a woman who claimed she could tie laces); lighting matches; eating (jellybeans, grapes); opening doorknobs; opening small jars (medicine bottles). I've had a couple of friends who have worn the title "monkey toes" with pride. My college friend was able to tear off a match from a matchbook and light it, using only her feet. I've always found that people who use their toes without a second thought are brighter, more creative, less uptight than normal.