The Essential Utensils according to Gaby

Cack handed: “Awkward, Clumsy, prone to dropping things” – Cambridge dictionary

I have mentioned my disability in previous posts “Where I Am Now”, and “My Disability Shoes, Laces and an AFO.”

I’d now like to share some of my day to day life experience of living and hopefully, maybe shed light to help others. I am a reluctant leftie as I am supposed to be right handed but my right hand is paralysed, therefore I am forced to use my left which has to do twice as much work and causes me to be extremely cack-handed, see above.

I struggle so much with leisure activities such as playing video games. I’ve loved video games for as long as I can remember, but obviously could never use controls which required two hands. I struggled with handheld consoles like the Nintendo DS because of the size of the screens and where the buttons are positioned on either side. I thought that all was lost until 2 years ago, while at a Youtube convention I got the chance to try out Splatoon2 using a pro controller on the original Nintendo Switch, which you can find out more about in a previous post “Summer in the City 2018.” Two years on and I now own the Nintendo Switch Lite with a Pro controller which is specifically advertised for complete handheld gaming on the go. However, it is also possible to use it on a tabletop using a stand, which is the method I use.

I also enjoy filming my Youtube videos about my doll collection. I have had to buy a tripod for this activity as holding the camera is impossible. Enough about hobbies, I’d like to discuss some real life shenanigans

I have always needed my food cut up, which can be quite embarrassing in company, as I can’t use a knife and fork. However, last Christmas my aunt and uncle bought me a knork that cuts up food such as fish, pies, sausages etc. etc. The knork is very thick but it isn’t sharp, At meal times I also use a non-slip table mat to save me from chasing my food around the table. I have to take this with me when I eat out!!

I have a jar opener which I have recently discovered can also be used to peel potatoes by holding the potato in position so it doesn’t move as I use the peeler. What a faff !!! I think I can safely say that I’ll be buying tinned or powdered potato in the future, that is if I can find a tin opener that can be used by left handed, cack handed people. I have a chopping board which is very good at helping me to make salad and butter bread and toast.

I also have a pair of left handed scissors that I use for cuttng paper, opening my cat’s food pouches and any letters I receive in the post.

Steps and stairs are another challenge for me so much so that without a handrail on the left side navigating them is a huge obstacle. Without the handrail on the left side I am forced to use my childhood method of sitting on the stairs and shuffling down -not very elegant. Even high kerbs can be a problem. It has been suggested by many well meaning individuals that I should use a stick, that is very kind of them but, unfortunately this just isn’t possible as then I would have no hands to use at all 😀

It is known that throughout history lefties haven’t had an easy existence. For example, they were once thought to have been evil and deemed to be involved with the devil. They were also forced to use their right hand by having their left hand tied behind their backs and some were even given corporal punishment. I am very grateful that I didn’t receive this treatment in my generation. I found school incredibly hard without being beaten for being a leftie. At school l had to have a scribe (somone to write for me) for exams. I still need assistance today when putting pen to paper.

Finally I must mention the problems I have when shoe shopping which I touched on in a previous post. What I didn’t mention is that the soles on my trainers have to have “treads” like tyres. Flat soled shoes cause me to fall over when walking on uneven surfaces. This cuts my choice of footwear even more.

Because shoe shopping is always very difficult and dissappointing I find that as I leave the shop with 2 pairs of boring old trainers it gets me down, until recently when I managed to buy some house slippers that didn’t need elastic bands to keep them on.

There must be so many people who struggle with the same sort of problems and I’d love to receive any tips which help one-armed cack-handed people.

Of course all these problems can be used to get out of doing chores such as washing up…. hoovering… cleaning floors…………