Struggles in Daily Tasks
With Poland Syndrome sometimes the simplest tasks can be immensely difficult, creating great struggle in simple daily tasks.
Today is a great example of that for me.
I managed to hurt my wrist while washing the dishes today!
That likely sounds insane to most, but it’s a true story (and thankfully a first). Washing the dishes can be difficult. I am left handed; my usual method is to hold the object in my left hand and hold the sponge in my right, Poland’s hand. I have some grabbing ability but mostly it is a matter of balancing the sponge long enough to allow the pressure of pressing it against the cup/plate/utensil/etc to keep it from falling.
Somehow the twisting required to accomplish this task was not agreeing with my wrist and now it hurts. In fact, trying to type out this post for you is more difficult and painful than normal as a result.
Such challenges can be quite frustrating. The tasks that should be simple and easy can be difficult and slow and painful. So many times I’ve said out-loud or to myself in an angry fashion, “IF ONLY I HAD TWO WORKING HANDS!”
The challenges are real but the frustration doesn’t solve anything. Getting angry or wallowing in self pity doesn’t magically change my circumstance. Nothing positive comes from it.
Instead I need to grow in the ability to be thankful for what I can do and what I do have. Be thankful that my arms work, and that I have some mobility in my right hand. Thankful that I am able to do most things and even be thankful for the challenges because in the challenges I can grow in patience, perseverance and gratitude.
2 thoughts on “Struggles in Daily Tasks”
Sometimes I forget I have PS until I realize I have over work my hand/arm. Usually every three months my hand would cramp up to the point my hand would close up in severe pain. I then would have to use my other hand to straighten out the arm. Its gotten worse over the years now I find myself calling out of work due to the pain of my tendons, which bothers me because its my dream job. My current job requires the use of both my hands, at first this was not an issue…. My whole life I’ve been treated differently because of PS but I always felt that I could do whatever I wanted in life regardless of what people thought of me. Now I’m 27 almost 28 and starting to feel as though I’ve been wrong.
Hi Gamaliel,
I don’t necessarily think you were wrong. I do think you need to be aware of your limitations and work within them. Don’t know what your job is, but find a way to perform your tasks so that you are not overworking your arm. Be smart about it. Be creative. You may need to allow yourself a brief break through the day, just to stretch the arm and hand.
There certainly are things that I will never do and never be. I’ll never be a pro-basketball player. Aside from my hand, that wasn’t my gifting. That’s okay. I think it’s a disservice to younger people to give them open ended hopes and dreams that are not based in reality — “you can be whatever you want to be.” There are real limitations that each of us have.
But despite the struggles you have, you can still aspire to be better. A better version of you. If this is your dream job and you have been able to do the job thus far, find a way to continue to do so.
In one post here I commented that by the end of my post my hand was hurting. A brief break, a stretch of my hand and arm and I would have been fine to continue to type. Figure out what works for you.
🙂