This blog post is for writers who may be facing a similar experience to what I’m going through currently. I lost the use of my right hand, the hand I do everything with, due to fracturing the bone while walking down the stairs to get off a bus. My hand slammed against the metal pole and I heard a loud crack! Several hours and three x-rays later, the hospital confirmed that I had a fractured bone. I was told that it will take six weeks for a full recovery.
What was I supposed to do for the next six weeks since I cannot work? Should I stay in bed all day feeling sorry for myself or should I take some action?
I decided to make the best of the situation. The fractured bone in my right hand was indeed a minor setback, but I would not let it beat me. Although my right hand was injured, I still had a fully functional left hand! Instead of worrying about all the things I could not do, I started focusing on everything I can do and what adjustments I needed to make to help make it easier to cope.
So here are 6 things I did to cope with my injury and to stay positive.
I accepted that I had to do things differently.
Since I have temporarily lost the use of my right hand, I had to start using my left hand to do certain things. Writing and typing became a huge challenge. How was I supposed to write down notes and type out my manuscript with only one hand?
I had a few options. The first option was to use only my left hand. The process would be very slow but eventually, I would complete my manuscript.
Option two is to ask someone to write down notes and type for me. Fortunately, I had a family member who had some free time. The other option is to use speech recognition software. The software breaks down the speech audio into individual sounds and then transcribes each sound into text.
I am a very independent person and I took pride in being able to do things for myself and helping others. Now because of my injury, it has been a very humbling experience asking others for help. I’m really glad that I have my family close by to help me.
It has been challenging trying to do things differently but I decided that I’m not going to spend my days lying in bed feeling sorry for myself. I decided to use the time to do things that make me happy. I was having a stressful time at work and needed some time off. Because of my injury, I now have the opportunity to relax.
I remind myself that this injury and the minor setbacks it has caused are only temporary and I will have a full recovery in a couple of months. If your injury is temporary, you can also remind yourself that it is short-term and you will recover soon.
I focused on other things I enjoy and that make me happy.
I enjoy reading, writing, and spending time with my family. But because of the demanding hours and long commute to work I have not been able to do all the things that I enjoy. But since my injury, I have been able to take walks in the park with my sister and spend time with my niece when she gets home from school.
I get to read more as well. I purchase and download eBooks from Amazon or I buy books from my local grocery store when they are available. I just finished reading a romance novel.
Writing, on the other hand, is a bit more challenging. I can’t use my right hand to write because of my injury and I cannot use my left hand because I don’t have that ability to write equally well with both hands (known as Ambidexterity). So what I did instead is search for information online about how to write a novel since that is a skill that I want to improve on.
I started doing different exercises.
Before my injury, I was doing a few yoga exercises to stretch different parts of my body. But since I don’t have temporary use of my right hand due to my injury I have to come up with other exercises to do. You can find low-impact exercises for people who have had injuries on YouTube.
In addition to low impact exercises you can go for a walk, that is, if you do not have an injury to your feet, knees, or legs. Fresh air and being around nature can be therapeutic and healthy. It is also a much better option than sitting on the couch all day watching television.
I did some research on how to recover from my injury.
Although doctors are great at diagnosing and treating illnesses and prescribing medicines, they don’t really give much advice on what foods to eat or what vitamins to take to speed up the recovery time. So I decided to do my own research.
I searched online for foods that can help heal broken bones. I learned that our bodies need key nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and protein to help build strong bones and repair fractures. Fortunately, these nutrients can be found in the foods we normally eat. Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt contain vitamin D and calcium to improve bone strength and growth.
Meat has a strong source of protein that our bodies need to build new bones and repair the existing bones after a fracture. White meat such as chicken and turkey breasts are high in protein. Fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel also contain protein. You can also get a rich source of protein in pork tenderloin and lean ground beef.
Eggs also contribute to the healing of a fractured bone. Eggs contain vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, iron, protein, and B vitamins. These are all the nutrients we need to boost the healing process.
I started to eat more healthy foods.
Now that I knew what foods were required to repair a bone fracture I started to eat more of these foods. I had eggs or cereal for breakfast, a cheese or chicken sandwich for lunch, and a chicken or lean ground beef for dinner. I also added vegetables and fruits to my meals.
In addition to eating healthy foods, I also take multivitamins and vitamin D supplements. I read that the body needs vitamin D to help absorb calcium which builds healthy bones.
I set new goals.
Taking time off work to allow the bone fracture in my hand to heal has allowed me to have time to think about my life and all the things I still want to accomplish. I decided to use this time to set new goals, and you can too.
As a writer, think of all things you need to develop or improve to achieve your writing goals and have a successful career or business. Do you need to update your website? Add this to your to-do list.
Do you need to increase your web presence? Then one of your goals could be to gain 100 more followers on Twitter or increase the number of likes on your Facebook page.
Or maybe you have been struggling to finish writing a romance novel or a nonfiction book. You can set a goal to complete your manuscript by the expiration date of your fit/sick note.
Whenever I accomplish a goal, I give myself an award and this motivates me to start working on the next goal.
Whatever goals you have set for yourself, you now have the opportunity to work towards achieving those goals.
Conclusion
Just because you have a temporary life-changing injury, it doesn’t mean that your life is over. There are things that you can do to make your life more manageable and enjoyable while you recover from your injury. Do some low-impact exercises. Go for a walk. Enjoy being outdoors in the fresh air.
Spend time with your family. Start doing things that you enjoy and make you happy. Set new goals and eat healthier foods.
Your writing is important. If you cannot write because of your injury (like me), look for other ways to write. Ask a family member, use your other hand to write, or use speech recognition software. Improve your writing skills by taking an online course or reading articles/blog posts.
Remember that your injury is only temporary. So don’t waste your time sitting on the couch feeling sorry for yourself. Get up, get active, and stay positive!
