Friends of ASCCA: Windsor Shares Things She Can Do With One Hand

When I had my brain surgery back in 2010, my left side was paralyzed. With intense occupational and physical therapy for a few years, today I can walk, and I have limited use of my left arm and hand. Thankfully I am right-handed anyway, so I don’t have to change too much of what I do. However, during all these years I have had to find ways to adapt to one hand and get myself around everyday struggles, like opening containers and doing some basic survival skills. In fact, over time I have learned that there are so many activities and things a person with one hand can do, from cleaning the house and cooking to gaming and camping.

Some daily tasks around the house have had to be adapted for me to do with only one hand. One of them is opening jars and kitchen storage containers. Since I cannot use my left hand for support when opening a jar, I press my chest or abdomen against the item to hold it as my right hand opens the lid. However, that only works with large jars like jelly and sauces and some condiments, like mayonnaise. To help me open a gallon of milk, for example, my parents installed an under-cabinet jar opener. I have to press the gallon upward and then turn it. As for containers around the house, I do mostly well with small and medium-sized storage containers.

At home, there are several everyday chores you can do with one hand. One is cleaning around the house, like loading the dishwasher and dusting. I use the dusters that come with a handle. Sweeping requires two hands, but I can vacuum with one hand, and I have learned how to fold clothes with one hand.

I recently found out how to put on my shoes on my own which is a big accomplishment for me. Putting my foot in my old leg brace required two hands, and getting the big brace into the shoe and tying my shoes also required two hands. Last year my leg brace was changed to a different style, so now I can put it on myself. I keep my sneakers tied, so they are easy to slip on and off, but if needed, I have a shoe horn with a long handle. The first time I put on my left brace and shoe by myself, I was just trying it to see if I could, and I did it! What a delightful surprise it was for my mom and dad!

Another good surprise for me was being able to take cooking classes. As soon as we found out about OneHandCan.com from a friend, we bought several of their kitchen essentials that I still use today. They have several different kinds of knives, and I use the rocker knife. I also have a set of mixing bowls with anti-skid rubber bottoms to keep them from sliding when I’m mixing. If I have to use a regular mixing bowl, I put a hand towel on the counter for the bowl to sit on; the towel helps keep the bowl in place.

One purchase I use the most from OneHandCan.com is a cutting board specially designed by a stroke survivor specifically for one-handed use. It has three “nails” in one corner to stick and hold fruits and vegetables for slicing, such as apples, tomatoes, or onions. The cutting board’s unique strapping system holds bunches of vegetables for chopping, such as carrots or green onions. You can also strap down a cheese grater to hold it secure while you shred cheese. The cutting board also has two corner ledges to keep things from sliding off, which come in handy when spreading cream cheese on a bagel or butter on a slice of bread.

Some companies, like One Hand Can, make adaptive products. According to Champutee on YouTube, Xbox has a console with an adaptive controller. Other helpful controllers specifically for one-handed use can be found at Akaki Controllers at akaki.co as well as an Azeron Gaming Keypad at azeron.eu. I play the DS which comes with a stylus, which I call a “gamer pen.”

There are also a few other little tricks I’ve learned through the years. For example, I always put my left arm through a jacket first. Also, I have a little tool for buttoning shirts, but I don’t care for button-down shirts, so I have only two, and I use them as cover-ups.

Of course, at Camp ASCCA, it doesn’t matter that I have limited use of my left hand, arm, and leg. All their activities are adapted for special needs, such as mine. I can go zip-lining and tubing, do arts and crafts and archery. All of these are specially designed for our safety and enjoyment, no matter what hand you have available.

Overall, despite the seeming limitations of one hand, there are lots of things you can do with one hand. From going to summer camp and cleaning house to gaming and cooking, your physical limitations do not have to limit you. If there is something I want to do, either I explore a creative way of doing it differently or I find an adaptive device that will help.