[nabs-l] Trying to read braille

Sat Aug 10 20:07:00 UTC 2013

Reading Braille with one hand is slower, but it still works. It may
not be a great way to read books, but to read short notes or to use
when speaking in front of a group, it should be fine. It's a better
option than giving up Braille altogether, in my opinion.
Arielle

On 8/8/13, Antonio M. Guimaraes Jr. <freethaught at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> Anna, thank you for your original message. Yes, this is a personal decision
> for you. My personal choice in this case would be to avoid reading so much
> braille. Yes, I am a descenting voice in an Organization and environment
> that advocates for braille literacy, but I would think that reading braille
> for braille's  sake at the risk of discomfort, pain, and health problems
> would not be worth it.
>
> Antonio
>
> On Aug 5, 2013, at 12:47 PM, Anna Givens <annajee82 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> It is different then carpel tunnel, but similar.  There is a surgery that
>> can be done for hand tendonitis, where they take some of the inflamed
>> tendons out.  However, surgery, is a very last resort for me.
>> But true.... It is an option.
>>
>> I guess I could investigate reading with one hand.  I was taught to read
>> with both hands, because it is faster.  But... I don't know that much
>> about braille reading and I could try it out.
>> Thanks
>>
>> Anna E Givens
>>
>> On Aug 5, 2013, at 8:43 AM, "melissa Green" <lissa1531 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> sounds like carpal tunnel to me.
>>> I had carpal tunnel and they did a surgery called carpal tunnel release
>>> on
>>> me.
>>> Haven't had any more problems.
>>> its something to be investegated.
>>> Blessings,
>>> Melissa Green and PJ
>>> Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot
>>> drive out hate; only love can do that.--Martin Luther King, Jr.
>>> facebook Melissa R Green
>>> twitter: melissa5674
>>> Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/melissagreen5674
>>> skype: lissa5674
>>> Goodreads Melissa Green
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Anna Givens" <annajee82 at gmail.com>
>>> To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Sunday, August 04, 2013 6:51 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Trying to read braille
>>>
>>>
>>> Well I am very sorry you had to deal with that, but I am very glad to
>>> hear
>>> about it, because I have asked around and I couldn't find anyone who had
>>> had
>>> this experience.
>>> I told my doctor that I read braille and that it could be part of the
>>> problem.  He just gave me the normal advice.... Anti-inflammatory,ice,
>>> physical therapy, and wrist brace.  And then he said, The best treatment
>>> is
>>> to not use your hand. But that is very unrealistic, for anyone.  So just
>>> try
>>> to not use it as much as possible, and when reading relax it as much as
>>> possible.
>>> So that is what I do, I need to do the exercises more often, now that I
>>> am
>>> reading more.  But yeah.... I dont know what to do.  Did your pain go
>>> away?
>>> Or do you still have it?
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> Anna E Givens
>>>
>>> On Aug 4, 2013, at 7:41 PM, Lucy Sirianni <lucysirianni at earthlink.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi Anna,
>>>>
>>>> I'm so sorry to hear that you're going through this! I've experienced
>>>> severe wrist and hand pain, likely due to the amount of time I spend
>>>> reading and using my BrailleNote.  (I'm an English Ph.D.  student, so I
>>>> do
>>>> a lot of reading and writing, and like you, I prefer Braille to other
>>>> formats.) The thing that helped me most was soaking my hands in
>>>> ice-water;
>>>> I also purchased wraps that would allow me to use ice more continuously,
>>>>
>>>> though this was not as helpful as just plain ice-water.
>>>>
>>>> My case never got so bad that I needed to see a doctor or to consider
>>>> taking a break from reading Braille, but I share your concern that
>>>> reading
>>>> in spite of the pain might cause your condition to worsen and ultimately
>>>>
>>>> make reading impossible (or at least very hard).  Have you spoken to
>>>> your
>>>> doctor about the potential risks of reading Braille?
>>>>
>>>> I'll be interested to see what other advice you get as this has been a
>>>> recurring problem for me as well, and it's terribly frustrating, not to
>>>>
>>>> mention painful.
>>>>
>>>> Very best of luck in dealing with this!
>>>>
>>>> Lucy
>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: Anna Givens <annajee82 at gmail.com
>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>> Date sent: Sun, 4 Aug 2013 19:07:27 -0500
>>>>> Subject: [nabs-l] Trying to read braille
>>>>
>>>>> Hey, so I have a problem, and I am not sure it can really be
>>>> solved, and I know what to do but I just thought....  Well maybe someone
>>>>
>>>> else has been through this:
>>>>> I have tendonitis in my hand, so basically it hurts when I use
>>>> it.  I am desperately trying to get my braille speed up so that I can
>>>> use
>>>> it in college.  Braille works a lot better than listening to speech, for
>>>>
>>>> me.  Since a few weeks ago I am reading 20 to 40 pages a day of braille.
>>>>
>>>> This is hours of reading.  The treatment for tendonitis in your hand is
>>>> to
>>>> not use your hand.  Obviously, I cannot do both.  I take
>>>> anti-inflammatory
>>>> meds, and do hand exercises to strengthen hand, as doctor suggested,
>>>> also
>>>> use ice, and when I am reading I really try to relax my hand (although
>>>> that seems to be difficult for me to do.  The pain is getting worse and
>>>>
>>>> worse.  But I don't want to stop reading.  I am afraid that it is just
>>>> going to get so bad I won't be able to do it.  This is very frustrating!
>>>>
>>>> I don't want to give up braille, but I don't want to be in pain.  It is
>>>> my
>>>> decision what to do, but has anyone ever been through anything like
>>>> that?
>>>> And what did you do?
>>>>
>>>>> Anna E Givens
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