[nabs-l] Trying to read braille

Anna Givens annajee82 at gmail.com
Sat Aug 10 23:54:48 UTC 2013 

Ok... Thats what i was thinking..... Like it is doable but not a good option for college level reading.  I was trying to get my reading speed up so i could use it in college.  But it doesnt look like this is going to work out.  So then I need suggestions...has anyone lost their sight and found out listening to things just isn't their thing?  Not that you just don't like it.  But it really doesn't work.
I don't know what to do ....

Anna E Givens

On Aug 10, 2013, at 3:07 PM, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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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>> 
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