Hugh is smirking, the bastard, while the prerelease stress is getting to me. So the book listing and series page have been updated.
Somebody asked about the hands and keyboard issue. Yesterday I used the regular keyboard. Today the hands are hurting. Took ibuprofein. Debating going to the doctor, who will most likely advise me to stop typing.
In other news, working on Avon novella, which is going slowly due to my ergonomic typing being slower than molasses. A lot of you suggested voice-to-text software. Unfortunately I have an accent, so I recorded this for you for giggles with Google Chrome voice recognition
drawing dictation
I am writing this sample in Google Chrome voice recognition . why did you add space before the period? oh my God
All Families have those moments our family just had them more often than others. just at our family kitchen and stuff my face with pancakes.
Arabella, my youngest sister, peered at me across the table. Quotation mark why are you here? You don’t you don’t even live here anymore, Nevada.? I had officially moved out yesterday. I spent the last nine years of my life living the second floor Suite in the warehouse that serve both as our home and our business. Given that I spend most of my time was corner and we were officially engaged, I decided to move out. so you but you won’t dictate to me that’s because they convicted suggesting the software
The last bit is Gordon being offended that I refuse to dictate to him. I can’t. I am too used to typing. 🙂
Lose the jitters! The book will be amazing and your adoring fans will start demanding the sequel within 3 hours of it being published!
Why wait? Can we request the sequel right now?
🙂
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Iron and Magic and have to say it IS amazing! I can’t wait for Amazon to open up their ratings so I can post a review there. Good thing you are publishing other amazing books/novellas/serials to keep the BDH occupied while we await the sequel. Although I confess, we still will not be waiting patiently.
+5
Hope your hands feel better soon and the pre-release stress fades.
Just six more days! I hope your hands feel better soon. Thank you for all the great books over the years!
Sooo, is it definitely a trilogy?? If it does well, is there even a tiny chance we might see something set after Magic Triumphs???
Not for this trilogy, but I am sure there will be other projects.
I’m kind of sad, since I’m pretty sure I’ll love it, and at the same time excited about all the possibilities!
(*cough* Roman book *cough*)
Roman book! Yes! *basset puppy waiting for dinner bowl*
Roman book +1
Roman book + 1 here too please ?
Roman book+1
Ohhh… Roman +1
+1
At least Gordon understands your accent and the transcript will be perfect *shrug*
So I will admit to being slightly hypnotized by the count down meter every time I check in on the blog. I catch myself getting stuck watching the seconds tick down…..
Tick tick tick can’t wait
Today I checked the blog and it was 06 00 28 plus some seconds, for half a minute I didn’t see the 6.
Me: YEEEEEES! my God! The book will be out in 28 minutes!!!! YEEEEEES!!! Wait wasn’t it 7 days yesterday?
At that moment I noticed the 6. ??? PAIN, there are no words for this kind of pain!
As with the rest of the BDH, we all can’t wait. Having 2 authors mean your not going to make mistakes single authors do. Your writing is great, doesn’t matter if it’s a blog or a story. I don’t know if it helps with the jitters, but I don’t believe you have anything to worry about. Have you checked your pre-orders? Yeah, I know, your letting your baby out into the world for the first time. Scary!
I was developing carpel tunnel and found wrist support great. They reversed the problem. I’ve used both medical wrist guards and bowling wrist supports and both worked, although the bowling style were much cheaper. I feel your pain! Okay, I remember your pain.
Wrist guards helped my daughter and she just slept in them.
I must admit, l just reread Wildfire because I can’t get enough of Nevada and Connor, so every little new snippet is welcome (and savored). I’m sorry to hear about your hands, though.
me tooo…. reread Wildfire… twice. maybe more than twice. lol…
Your accent is charming.
There are dictation programs available that have settings for different accents. Russian accented English is common enough that I’m sure you could find one that would work. Dragon has decent software that I’ve used for non-accented English voice to text and I think they’re well regarded.
Came in to recommend Dragon TTS over Google Chrome, agree whole heartedly with this. I’ve watched a Norwegian software developer write code using Dragon TTS; I would be wrong if I said that writing a novel would be easier, but it’s on a similar scope.
There are also some very interesting solutions directed towards those who can’t type with keyboards at all that don’t involve TTS that may be worth investigating, should it come to that point.
Good luck!
My mom gave me dragon a couple of years ago. It did a surprisingly good job, and I spent some time playing recordings of different accents, just to f*ck with it for my own entertainment.
Using the new keyboard will get better with practice. Good luck finding the time and patience to practice.
Love the new photo of Hugh!! It is incredible, he is gorgeous,sexy and I just want to wear his leather jacket . Love that jacket. But what is he holding in his bloodstained left hand?
And so sorry about your hands. Wish I could help.
And love your accent.
And getting excited about the countdown. I also just watch it count down.
I zoomed in on the picture and it looks like he’s holding a rolled up bit of fabric or something. I’m curious as to what that’s supposed to be, too.
Curious about why he’s holding a shotgun instead of a sword, but just because Kate can’t shoot a barn from 10 feet away doesn’t mean Hugh has the same problem.
At first, I thought he was holding a flat bottle (like a pint of whiskey), but whatever it is extends behind his hand. That part looks like a ball-peen hammer, but the front part is too wide to be the handle, IMO. So, no firm ideas from me.
There should be a sword in there somewhere, but unless the pommel is behind his head, I don’t see it.
The shotgun would be for stopping power. Vampires feel no pain, so you aren’t going to take one out by wounding it…
it looks like a multi-barrel pistol… like a ‘pirate’ style kind… you can see the 3 barrels when the photo is enlarged… There must be a reason more guns than swords in this …maybe easier to kill vampires with firearms?
I love the pic of him too….except for that wig.
I love him, but i want to give him a brush or just Resort to giving him a haircut,
I thought the left hand was holding a brush for a moment ?
Lol.
When my wrist or hand used to hurt, my mother use to tell to sook them in warm water with salt. Why? I don’t know but it help.
Hope you feel better.
Warm water with epsom salts – I do this for my hip. Epsom salts contain magnesium which is absorbed through the skin and helps with tense muscles.
IA – I am very excited for the book. Can’t wait. Also, do you find yourself clenching your hands at night in tight fists? You can buy Posey hand grips and sew them onto fingerless gloves (so they don’t slip off at night). You won’t be able to clench at night. I made these for myself and a couple of family members.
For many people, carpal tunnel syndrome happens when two finger tendons swell inside the tendon sheath. The swelling presses on the nerves which run through the palm, up the arm, across the shoulder to the junction with the spinal column.
One method of relief is to stand with good posture, the shoulders and body perpendicular to the wall an arms distance from the wall. The injured hand/arm on the wall side of your body. Raise the injured hand, stiffen the arm, fingers up, palm touching but not pressing on the wall. Turn your head and neck to look over and slightly behind the non-injured shoulder. You should be stretching your neck, shoulder and arm muscles. Hold it for a couple of seconds, not longer. Repeat nine more times. Do this exercise every couple of hours. This exercise stretches and relaxes the muscles, thereby reducing the swelling. After a while, you will not need a wall for a prop.
So just out of curiosity, have you and Gordon both done speed tests? Who types faster?
I should issue a challenge to my brothers. There is one brother who could probably equal or surpass me in speed, but I think we’d be way ahead of the other two. Unless they challenge me to typing on a laptop. I don’t use laptops as frequently as standalone keyboards, so I can’t type as fast. Plus I hit that stupid soft pad in the middle a lot and suddenly my cursor jumps way back in the page and I start inserting text in the wrong place.
So who’s faster? Ilona or Gordon?
Get another mouse and you can lock out that center pad. I never was any good with it anyway; it feels very clumsy to use.
Maybe that’s what I do, drives me nuts. Really slows me down backtracking and fixing stuff.
That keyboard fixed all my issues. You just have to be patient and eventually you’ll type just as fast as you did before
Ha. I love Hugh’s smirk… best to your hands. dictation never works for me either and I don’t have an accent that I’m aware of. It is like playing that telephone game we used to play as kids. where one person starts a secret and it goes around the circle and you hear how it got warped by the time it reaches the last person… 🙂 Can’t wait for the book.
By the way, I was noticing, especially with Innkeeper, how truly great you guys are at naming places, people, houses…Lord Kurr, Betin Cagnat… Seveline… sounds like sniveline every time in my head. I always struggled with what to name characters when I tried to write and it was obvious in my choices!! And with Hugh… we get the back story of how a ruthless warlord got his name… love the way you word smith. 🙂
I played Dungeons and Dragons in college with a pharmacist for a dungeon master. At lot of characters were named after drugs. They sounded just right.
Ha! That’s hilarious and awesome at the same time.
There’s a Tolkien elf or prescription drug test somewhere…
Yes, yes, he is smirking. And it’s annoying. But it’s completely in character. (Don’t you just want to see someone wipe that smirk off his face? Be honest. Don’t you?)
Any bets on whether or not it happens?
Oh, darlin’, I feel your pain and I haven’t been typing (except for this, anyway). I hope you get the ergonomic keyboard working soon. Just keep plugging away. It will get better, probably faster than you think now.
Do NOT worry about your book. It will be a hit. You two don’t write anything else. I preordered mine as soon as I could. I will buy the hardcopy, too, when I see it offered. Will there be a library binding? I like those as I’m hard on my books.
I’m looking forward to the new Nevada novella, too. (Also preordered) I do see what you mean about the voice to text problem. I doubt that’s going to work. If it gets bad enough, try dictating to Gordon. It might not be as bad as you think and, if your hands are balking, it’s better than not working on the novella.
I am looking forward to the book, and, am sorry for the book release jitters.
However, I (literally) feel your pain about the hands. Maybe a story in sympathy, if I may?
I had such bad ‘claw hands’ from years of relentless work typing that when I happened to be in Singapore for a legal conference, I went to a local reflexology place for hand reflexology (yes… that is a thing). Oh. My. Gods. It was incredibly painful (and I have had a pelvic condition that has left me with childbirth level of pain for 6 months…I joke not. The hand reflexology was worse in terms of pain level).
Now… I had had Asian foot reflexology in a previous work visit and knew that it was…ummm … more robust than what is usually practiced in the West, i.e. I was left with bruises. It says a lot about the benefit I felt that I had after that, that on another visit I tried the hand version. However, I so, so, so wish that I had not.
What makes this story worse was that after I had bravely not screamed through the entire hand reflexology session that the therapist (a lovely gentleman), frowned at me and stated ‘these are the worst hands I have ever seen…I do them again for free’, and, he did the full session immediately again. I was too dazed with pain to disagree, and, at some level probably thought it would be good for me (Catholic upbringing…has a lot to answer for).
Did it help? Not particularly. There was quite some bruising afterwards! But it was a wake up call. Yes, I am stubborn enough to require excruciating pain to change my habits. I started using Dragon software (I have an accent, and, write legal material with complex vocabulary. Dragon ‘learns’ vocabulary and accents. It does take time to get up to speed, though). Once I was used to it…and where there is deadline pressure is no time to start trying… I found that I was quicker and more fluent in ‘typing’, although, all people vary in adaptability (habit and haptic feedback and all that). A basic version of Dragon is available for free, although it does require an internet connection.
Once I was not typing all hours of the day, I really started seeing the ‘declawing’ benefit of a simple exercise set by my physio: take a reasonably strong rubber band. Place over your hand to the first knuckle level (just above the thumb finger knuckle to littlest finger knuckle) and open your fingers (ie push thumb and littlest finger outwards against the tension of the rubber band). Relax. Repeat 20 times. Repeat it 3 times a day (some people recommend more, but I found this more achievable).
I no longer have claw hands or hand pain. It took time, though.
My best wishes that you find something that works for you.
Thank you for the snippet. I had fun trying to figure out the real message behind the transcribe.
For hurting hands, I strongly suggest that you get your forearms, upper arms, shoulders and neck massaged. Avoid the hands and wrists. Your forearms are probably super tight right now. Everything is connected. Tight forearms lead to painful wrists and hands. Hope you feel better soon. *Hugs*
This is excellent advice.
+1
Will Kate and Curran be in this book? If so, does Hugh get reunited with his horse?
I recently started having problems with my hands when I knit. I finally went online to JoAnns and ordered what they called a “craft glove.” It is more of a mitt than a glove and is billed as “therapeutic comfort for crafting hands.” It is stretchy and so tight that I clench my teeth at the mere thought of putting it on. But once it is in place, I can knit comfortably for as long as I want, when before I had to quit after a single row. The combo of warmth (yeah, I know. I live in Phoenix) and pressure really seems to settle what ails my hands.
My mom would knit a couple of hours and her wrists would start to hurt. I crocheted her two fingerless gloves up to the elbow to keep her hands and forearms warm. She loved them.
I love the Kate Daniels series, sad to know if is ending. I just now got into Nevada and Conner books, loving them so far! Reading White Hot now, I so want to read this new series! I’m hoping to see Kate and Curran in this series as well. Waiting for Magic Triumphs to come out. Thank you guys for such AWESOME books!!!
I’ve had hand/wrist issues for a couple decades, courtesy of my keyboard-intensive jobs. My advice based on what worked for me:
1. Try to de-stress as much as possible. Yes I know this sounds ridiculous when you have so much to do, but a lot of the pain can be linked to stress.
2. If ibuprofen isn’t enough to lessen the pain, try contrast baths: hot and cold water, soak your hands and wrists alternating in each for 2 mins, a total of 10-12 mins. I use flower vases for this.
3. Sleep with wrist braces on, to make sure your hands and wrists are in neutral position and have a chance to heal while you sleep.
4. If wrist support seems to help you, you might try kinesiology tape instead of a bulky brace- it stays on for several days and is waterproof.
5. If you can learn to touch type (which shouldn’t take too long considering you type a lot already), the Kinesis Ergo board you have is the best I have ever used.
6. If one of your hands hurts more than the other and it is your mousing hand, you might consider using the other hand and/or get a trackball instead.
7. Posture often counts for a lot- you might try switching to a sit/stand desk. You could try it out with typing at a kitchen counter with your keyboard on top of some books or boxes and see if that helps you.
Best of luck and thank you for everything you do!
Oh I forgot two more things!
8. You can do a light massage on yourself by rolling a pencil between your forearm and a tabletop.
9. Make sure you get up and take a break at regular intervals! There are lots of free desktop apps where you can set a timer for this. It’s so easy to get sucked into what you are doing and then suddenly you have been typing for 4 hours. Set a timer to get up like every 10-20 mins and walk around. Taking a brisk walk can help because it increases your circulation.
Cheers and good luck!
No jitters. It will be an awesome release!
I hope the hands feel better. It’s really crappy when parts of your body you need don’t cooperate.
Honestly the dictation program didn’t do as bad as I expected. I’m from Iowa so my accent is fully American, and as far as I know have no speech impediment (other than my brain getting too far ahead of my tongue, or words falling into the lightning sand or getting eaten by ROUSs), and when I try to use voice to text, it mangles my words beyond all comprehension.
You are going to get us to love Hugh, I know it. Jitters not necessary.
Have you tried wearing a brace while typing? It helps some people with carpal tunnel. And/or altering the height of the keyboard to have opposite flexion from what you’re doing now.
I laughed so much at your comments in the dictation. Why in the world is there a space before the period?! Makes no sense! And Gordon lol. I am glad it picked up his voice too so we can see how he really feels!
🙂 I’m soooo excited for the Hugh release!!! It’s nice timing for my birthday and even though I got to read it in advance (I can only say that it was an awesome read) I have been saving a reread until release day/birthday!
Also… Hugh’s hair in this cover! Whoa! He’s got more volume since the last picture I’ve seen of him! Like a Pantene before and after commercial 🙂
I do understand your wanting to type – I think that way too. And then go back and rearrange a word, a sentence, or more. Trying to say it, when you can’t rearrange it is maddening. Then there is the frustration of seeing what the software put down instead of what you thought was going to be there.
I have tried it, and the corrections took more effort than just typing it would have.
So I can see it for a first draft, and that it is something you are just going to have to get used to. At least, we hope so.
Your writing fires our imagination. It sweeps away the world we are in and puts us into someone else’s life. It gives us something to think about besides the mundane. For me, I love the books. Then I love the audiobooks. They are the best way for me to get a lot of the boring, repetitive stuff done. I don’t get distracted by something more interesting to do when I get to be involved in your worlds and your characters.
So thank you for what the two of you do, and what you struggle with to do it.
I always say that I compose through my fingertips. 🙂 (I’m also so incredibly grateful that I can do touch-typing and don’t have to look at the keyboard while I type. I didn’t learn until I was about 24. Seriously one of the best investments in myself and my career that I’ve ever made.)
I’m looking forward to Hugh. I have the day off from work so I can read at my leisure. Book Day!
I had carpal tunnel syndrome years ago. What worked for me was shiatsu massage – one session per arm (It was so painful after he did the first arm that when he asked me if the other one hurt, I lied and said no. However, when I awoke pain-free next day, I went for the second arm.).
Years later, when it threatened to return when I was typing my dissertation, I moved to dictation, but not the half-hearted Chrome version. (Any dictation software that doesn’t handle punctuation more complicated than a comma, or understand quotes and capitalizations, drove me and will drive you crazy.) I used Dragon dictation for the PC (much better version than the Mac version). A classmate hooked up his Bluetooth microphone to Dragon so he could dictate as he paced and found that very productive. There is a transition period, of course, but once it clicks, you go like the wind.
I hope you find something that will help you soon.
We sympathize with you very much, dear Ilona!
Dragon is really good – it needs proper training but once it understands your speech patterns it is really good. Does still need editing, but that’s easier that typing the whole thing out.
For me it’s the opposite, if I use an ergonomic keyboard for any length of time, my hands will be killing me. I have multiples of my favorite keyboard, so I can plug into my laptop wherever I want to work. Loved the translation including your comments!
Also looks like Hugh has a dueling pistol in his left hand.
The accent thing I get. I kept getting bad secret shopper reviews because they couldn’t understand my Caribbean accent. Since then I’ve learned to code switch between my Caribbean accent and an American one. Maybe give Gordon a chance so your hands can rest. My husband understands me and all my family members after 13 yrs of marriage.
Try not to worry about the book. The BDH is waiting to dig into it and beg for more within a few hours.
I love this image of Hugh. and the “part time Jackass” Can’t wait for this book!
I must be getting really old though. That bit of hair, or leather, hanging down in front of his face annoys me. Keep getting distracted by that – it looks like there was something hanging down in front of him, and they just didn’t clean it up.
Luckily, I don’t buy your books for the covers, so this really doesn’t count.
Oh the paw agony!!!! You might ask your doctor about Meloxicam. It helped no other pain than my hands. But them, yes. (And it also controls the swelling. 🙂 Plus IMAK makes a gamers glove that works better than the braces and arthritis gloves for me. Voice recognition software was totally useless. Gordon is a sweetheart, but dictating is nowhere as satisfying as seeing the story appear from your hand.
We are looking forward to the paper copy of Hugh and Magic!! Release days will be triumphant. Thank You!!
Thank you, Ilona Andrews for snippet.
Personally I found Dragon to be best as it learns as you go. Accent or just sick elder slurring when chemo wiped Dad out and he wanted to send us an email. But he had already been using for about a year prior to chemo.
I wonder if Gordon is faster typer than you or not. Guess you will have to have a type off to see.
Something else to consider is left brain/ right brain usage when typing. One of my siblings makes up letter while she types whereas I plan out before I type.
I only glanced at the updated book page (ooh, 3 chapters available) and series page (I have to pretend to work at least), but I have a question…
Is it Nimrood or Nimrod? On the series page it was Nimrood, but I have Nimrod stuck in my head. Of course, now that I say it out loud, I don’t think it’s Nimrod. It’s hilarious, but I don’t think it’s Nimrood. Did the modern word nimrod come from Nimrood? I’d love to see Curran point that out to Roland sometime.
Does anyone know if the print edition is available on Amazon yet? I don’t have an e-reader and can’t find where to buy the physical book. Thanks for your help 🙂
I’m eagerly awaiting delivery of Iron and Magic! Just a few days more.
I found that applying Aspercreme (contains Lidocaine) on the inside of my wrists as well as wearing wrist braces while sleeping cured me in about six weeks, but I don’t write books all day.
(I like the smirk.)
My husband uses Dragon, Naturally Speaking Home Edition, for voice to text software. He has bad physical issues caused by typing and is a computer programmer, so he’s tried a lot of different things to help.
This is the type of keyboard that I use, and I found it easy to get used to: https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Ergonomic-Wireless-Desktop-Keyboard/dp/B00CYX54C0/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1529529543&sr=1-5&keywords=microsoft+ergonomic+keyboard
My husband uses a vertical keyboard, but I have no idea how he ever learned to use it. If you think you want to try it, I can dig up more information for you.
+ 1 on the MS ergonomic wireless keyboard and mouse.
Dragon can adjust for accents, but it will take a couple days to set it up.
I switched to an ergonomic keyboard and it did help, my speed picked up after adjusting. Elevating the screen, also helped with better hand posture, as weird as that may sound.
Good luck!
Ilona, Don’t stress. Of course Iron and Magic will be a huge success Even those of us who hate Hugh because he is responsible for the death of Aunt B will buy the book because our favourite Authorlords wrote it.
We want to know more about the back and side stories of the people in Kate Daniel’s world and trust in your skill to redeem him. I have just reread Magic Binds and noted the reference to the “White Warlock” whom I assume is Elara so I’m looking forward to finding out more about her. If the witches are wary of her then she is probably sufficiently badass to match Hugh.
I am so sorry your hands are giving you grief. I had to have both hands operated on for carpal tunnel a few years ago and found not being able to do things with my hands very frustrating and limiting. I hope the new ergonomic keyboard helps and that you can find a dictation software that works well for you.
Thankyou BDH for the hand exercises and suggested solutions to counter pain. I think building up strength and suppleness has to be beneficial.
Whoa! Wha…? Obviously, I missed something… so sorry you are having pain… been there. Mine was centered in upper back & neck from being so short and normal office chairs don’t fit me nor do they get my elbows above the normal desk height so edge of desk was cutting into forearms and constant shrug to hold hands up that high was pulling my spine out of alignment ending up in excruciating back and neck pain while hands were numb and tingling due to pinched nerve. I sincerely hope that is not the case for you. Ergonomic office chair for petite peoples helped me. Make sure your ergonomics are correct for your health and best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery.
I’m really confused. I was at Indego to make sure they are getting the book so I can pick it up the day it comes out or shortly thereafter, but they do not have it listed. Is it only Bri g released as an ebook?
I will buy it regardless, but was hoping for a hard copy.
I hope you read these comments. Try a hospital supply store and get arthritis gloves. Mine ran about $30.
They took some getting used to, but I swear they helped. I do feel like an urchin since the fingertips are cut out to allow keyboard/tablet use.
Ohh, I am so excited about this book, I can’t sit still.
However, I would be very, very, very, very, … happy to see a Roman book. I just love him too.
Who am I kidding, I love everything you guys write.
Hugh wouldn’t be Hugh if he wasn’t giving you a hard time, no? 😀
I wouldn’t dictate either. My brain and my hands have an understanding that my mouth can’t match.
About your hands, have you tried going to a chiropractor? I spend damn near 24/7 on a computer (I graphic design by day and I’m addicted to the internet by night). Ever since I started going my wrists feel so heavenly, once I was kind of shocked by the lack of resistance afterwards. It definitely hurts when my wrists are at their worst, but the relief is worth it.
I keep waiting for Amazon to have a pre-order for the book, but hasn’t happened yet. I check everyday, and am really looking forward to reading the book. I have my heart set on receiving it by Tuesday when it comes out.
Why don’t you buy some wrist braces for your hands? You can buy them from any drugstore or Amazon. I have mild carpal tunnel and that’s what I use when my hands and fingers feel numb when I wake up. I sleep with one on my left wrist, which is the worse hand.
I was going to suggest the same. I had to do that because I was getting close to carpal tunnel syndrome criteria. Wore the braces at night and while at the computer for about 6 months and problem resolved.
me too!
Yup, try wearing the braces at night or when you aren’t typing. Then get the stress balls to work with that help as well.
You might also try finding a good physical therapist to work with you. They can do heat/cold treatments as well as try electrical impulse and massage techniques. Plus they can teach you how to do stretching exercises to help your hands.
+1 If it will help, great. I’ve found ergonomic keyboards tricky because I never used them for long, but with ever-so-annoying practice you may get better. Janet Evanovich’s hands got so painful she couldn’t shake hands. Of course, she was very old and may have had arthritis, but you are still young.
Or parafin treatments? I had repetitive motition problems and physical therapy helped me (and I kept typing). Part of the PT was parafin treatments … they feel sooooo good.
Agree! So much so I bought my own paraffin wax kit so I can do at home.
It is fabulous! It almost relaxes me thinking about it…
There are three things you must do.
1 let your hands heal so they stop hurting. Braces will help with this.
2 stop reinjuring your hands. Consult an ergonomic specialist and have your workspace assessed by a professional.
3 change your workload so that you are not overloading your hands. Typing is designed to put greater stress on your left hand (all the good keys are on the left side), and modern keyboards dont allow for the end of line carriage return break from typing that typewriters had. At the end of every line, Shake your hands, jazz hands style. Every 20minutes make a cup of tea, or pick up the phone. If voice recognition software is too wonky – dictate it.
Because constant nerve damage is permanent. It only gets worse as you get older, and it’s not just typing, you could lose the ability to knit, to draw, to play an instrument, to hold a book upright while you read.
I read Hugh’s excerpt and can’t wait, but had a quick question about the timeline. In the excerpt, Roland explains the magic waves:
**
The man smiled. “Good. All things exist in balance, Hugh. The civilization your parents built pushed the technology too far, and now the magic has returned with a vengeance. It floods the world in great waves, crushing the technological marvels and spawning wondrous creatures. It ushers in a new age from the birth pangs of apocalypse. Our age, Hugh, mine and yours. In this age, you will call me Roland.”
**
So that means that the First Shift must have already started when Hugh was 7 (so it must be at least the year 2010). But the KD books take place in early 2040s, and Kate thinks at some point that Hugh must be close to 50 in MAGIC STRIKES. So is Kate wrong about Hugh’s age? Is he really 40?
Thank you so much – can’t wait till the book comes out. 🙂 🙂
Ur timing is off yes High was found when he was 7 but he should be over 100 years old because pretty sure he was found in the 1800s there’s an excerpt about Hugh being sold as a young kid and how his devotion to Roland started that I can’t find right now that I’m referring too
You can trust nothing that comes out of Roland’s mouth. 🙂 The knowledge of how old Hugh is comes from Roland. Roland lies. He lies through his teeth. He lied to Hugh numerous times, he lies to Kate, he lies to everyone.
So Roland’s pants are on fire. As in the saying “Liar, liar pants on fire.” ?
But doesn’t Kate’s knowledge about Hugh come from Voron, who along with Roland found him? Why would Voron lie to Kate? Well, about Hugh’s age, anyway.
If you decide to switch mousing hand, I recommend thinking ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ finger for ‘left’ and ‘right’ click retraining.
On a lighter note, your speech to text adventure reminded me of Victor Borge’s “phonetic punctuation” routine.
Oh, Borge’s sound effects! I LOVE that!
I tried dictating to my computer when I had carpal tunnel thanks to my pregnancy, and I just couldn’t do it, even though my fingertips were numb and my belly was so big I looked like a T-rex trying to type. So I feel your pain. 😉
Love everything, one question…
PART TIME jackass?????
<3
I know. I thought he was a full time one. ?
Even Hugh can’t be a jackass ALL the time. A man’s gotta sleep. 😛
(Unless he hogs the blankets.)
When I spoke to my doctor about my hand, elbow, and shoulder pain (excessive crocheting, gaming, needle felting, and origami) he suggested hand exercises and breaks every hour to do them.
He also suggested having someone check my computer set up for ergonomic changes that could be made (not just your keyboard but how tall is your desk, chair the monitor and are they causing strain) he called it Ergonomic Workspace Assessment. He said you can check online and find people to come to do it or online assessments that you do yourself.
All of it really helped not only the above-listed pains but my back pain as well because it’s all connected.
So, maybe talk to your doctor and if they suggest you stop typing, maybe see a new doctor?
Hopefully your ergonomic keyboard typing gets faster with practice. I switched years ago to the Microsoft Natural and I just can’t type on normal keyboards anymore.
I also had issues with my hands, got so bad I lost feeling in my fingers. I had to use voice-to-text software for three weeks while the aggravated nerves got some rest.
At the time, voice-to-text was a fairly new technology so you had to ‘teach’ it your inflections, prounciation, etc. The program had me read a chapter of Treasure Island to it so it could match my voice and speech patterns to the computer-known text.
Here’s the scenario
Ray: What are you doing?
Me: I’m reading Treasure Island to the computer….
Ray leaves shaking his head.
I feel your pain.
I have carpal tunnel in both hands, nerve damage in three fingers. What worked for me was wearing braces – a day set and a night set. Stop sleeping with my hands under my pillow – maintain a neutral wrist position at all times. Make sure my desk allowed for a 90 degree elbow angle, neutral wrist position while typing. Take rests every 10minutes of typing and move hands in a different non typing way. Because the only time my hands didn’t hurt was while doing the very thing that injured them – typing. It took about 6months for my hands to recover to where I could go without the braces. It got better, and I no longer have constant pain. Maybe 1-2 short events a year now.
As a massage therapist that works for chiropractors and deals with orthopedic conditions I say get a massage! I know, probably easier said than done considering how busy you guys are, but definitely a thought if even just at an airport kiosk when you are traveling. If I lived in Texas I would treat you for free, the least I could do with all the enjoyment you guys give me with your books. Will come offer my help if you ever tour in Illinois.
Good luck!
Hugh’s book is so different from any of your other creations, I can understand you having some prerelease jitters… but you pour so much of yourselves into your writing that I’m willing to bet you’ve experienced them with each book you’ve published. I have a feeling this one will top the best sellers lists too.
The collective intelligence of the BDH is amazing! I was going to mention getting an
at-home PT program to bring you relief from the discomfort
AND doing Nerve Stretches too. The ergonomic specialist, paraffin dips, and wrist guards were things that hadn’t occurred to me. They sound like great advice for someone who sits at a computer and creates worlds with words for their living. In the meantime No Heavy Lifting! It won’t improve your condition to tug on unwieldy boxes while moving your daughter to habitable quarters. Please consider having her pack it and recruiting help with the move.
I’m praying for you and your family’s overall well being.
I knowvoice to text software can be tricky, especially with an accent but Google is not a good indication.
I use Dragon professional voice to text software and it is brilliant! I have a thick Irish accent which makes my voice unrecognisable to Amazon Alexa, Google assistant and even other human English speakers sometimes, and I will admit, the dragon software struggled too in the beginning, but because of its adaptive accent technology it “learns” to recognise your words. After two weeks of tedious talking and correcting text it worked great and continues to do so now. It is *expensive* software but a god send if you suffer RSI and have to do high volume typing. Once it is calibrated you will never look back, so smooth and just brilliant performance.
I bought dragon and it was such a pain to learn that it lives in the closet in the box it came in. Thank God I don’t have major hand issues past numb and stiff because of MS. I do endless paperwork for various reasons. Dragon did not behave the way it said it would for me. It was like using software that had another programs instructions with it. Phooey! If I have stacks of things to get done, learning new software will wait till I have the time and am not enthusiastically plotting its demise.
During my last bit of time at Microsoft, I was released back to work with the restriction I wasn’t allowed to use a keyboard or mouse. Microsoft, used to the antics of software engineers, decided that this meant I couldn’t have them in my office at all. So I learned to use Dragon. For everything, including writing C++ code, on an alpha version of Windows, for an alpha version of Windows, that wasn’t entirely compatible with the Dragon engine.
…it actually went very well, though part of it was that I had incredible support. Microsoft hired me a trained, who came in and taught me a bunch of tricks. Whenever I ran into something it didn’t seem to be able to do, my coworkers took it as a challenge “Ha! We’re Windows! We can makes computers do anything!” …and then during the transition I spent a while working part time as an accessibility advocate, and one of the people I ended up in contact with was a blind software developer who worked for the then-current owner of Dragon. (Okay, I don’t know if he had much advice for my situation, but I learned a lot from him generally.)
It went pretty quickly, but it’s was still really weird in terms of how it affected my process. And while it was no problem at all for things like work emails, I’m not sure I ever used it for things like real writing (and this overlapped with the period I was doing fairly serious food writing, which yes, I did with my ergonomic keyboard at home.)
Don’t be nervous. It will be great! Sorry to hear about the hands I can sympathize. Mine ache on and off. Didn’t start bothering me until I was breastfeeding ? first kid that was 8yrs ago. Got shots in both wrists that hurt like hell but worked for a long time.
Totally different question but is that a different Hugh? I did a side by side, hopefully I can post it right. Is it just me??
Same Hugh, different angle and lighting.
It’s all in where they part the hair. Anime use this technique all the time to “differentiate” their characters, one will have black hair with a tuff falling to the side of their face and another will have exact same hairstyle but tuff will be criss-crossed in front of their eyes ?
Same model.
Many years ago, I had severe hand, wrist and lower arm pain that eventually progressed to my shoulder. I did hand/wrist exercises, hand rest at specific intervals, physical therapy and changes were made to my desk, office chair and computer placement after an Ergonomic Workspace Assessment. Although the changes helped, once the pain progressed to my upper arm/shoulder, immediate surgery was recommended to prevent further nerve damage. Although the surgery, recovery period and subsequent physical therapy on both wrists took months, the surgery was a success and there’s been no recurrence since. My family doctor referred me to a Neurologist so I strongly suggest you seek a specialist for a second opinion.
I haven’t seen acupuncture suggested, so I would try it. A coworker had tennis elbow that took 3 sessions to get him back to normal. I used it on a dog with hip dysplasia with good results. I used it on myself for joint pain. It doesn’t hurt and I’m a needle weenie.
I have read the ARC of Iron and Magic. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. It’s amazing. It’s fabulous. My husband whined until I lent him my Kindle. He and I read completely different things. He thinks it’s fabulous. You have written something that will appeal to just about anyone who reads genre fiction.
Ok, maybe you do have something to worry about-your devoted fans reading it in record time and wanting MORE NOW. 🙂
(We also both agreed that the sex scene is the hottest we’ve ever read. We never agree on that sort of thing, so this is kind of a miracle by itself.)
Kathy! You are CRUUUUEEEELLLL! I am impatient enough as it is…. ?
+1 what Jan_nl said. Kathy you are cruuuuueeell!!
Sorry!!! I just wanted to reassure Ilona that it’s awesome. Look on the bright side, you have it look forward to as opposed to my husband and I who are both, “OMG, WHEN’S THE NEXT ONE!!?”
Oh, that’s just cruel and mean.
oh my god. Can’t wait. I might have to force myself to read it slowly! The way I take my time with ice cream while my daughter plows through like there’s no tomorrow…
Heh. Don’t bother trying to read it slowly….it’s a lot like a rollercoaster and eventually you’ll just end up gulping it down as fast as you can. Savor it when you re-read it!
LOL!!!
Anyone mention Hugh in this image looks like Howard Stern? I had carpal tunnel syndrome. Only it turned out to be issues with my cervical spine resulting from faulty office ergonomics. Targeted physical therapy (yeah,. exercise) 3 times a week knocked it out. Thie ARC was fabulous and I was pissed I couldn’t review on Amazon. Did a Goodreads.
I laughed out loud for quite
a while. You are right about Hugh and Howard
I thought he looked familiar!!
You might want to consider hiring a temporary secretary,,, a really old one, who still knows how to use shorthand. 🙂
You might consider getting a “TENS” machine – available at your local drugstore for about $40. I believe it’s pronouced “tens-ease” and yes I am aware that it is not obvious from the name! The four gel-y electrodes do 30 minutes of electro stimulation that blocks the neural pain receptors for that half an hour without more painkillers. Completely non invasive. Runs on batteries! I had to use one when I was on bedrest for three weeks and my muscles spasmed uncontrollably. Works for all sorts of joint and muscle aches and I recommend them to everyone.
THIS! I have an extreme case of arthritis in my right knee and using a TENS device for a half hour before work allows me to stand for an eight hour shift.
Ilona, I didn’t see more background on the subject, but if your typing is slower on the ergonomic keyboard because you just switched over from a regular keyboard, don’t worry. When I switched over, I cursed for a week or two, then I got used to it. It’s worth it. My gripe is that they don’t have that for Macs.
Go to the nearest MacStore and buy a keyboard plug adapter. Your computer does not give a hoot where the keys are in your keyboard, or how many clever little pieces it has. All it cares about is the shape of the plug.
No, the problem was that Ilona was working in the house, not in her office. In the office she has the ergonomic keyboard. But it was stormy and she stayed inside and typed too much on the normal keyboard. Today the keyboard gods extracted their price.
For goodness REST! Your body is telling you to take a break. Don’t knit, don’t game and don’t type, let the swelling go down.
So, I have had bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome for 15 years now and I hate braces at night…but I have an ease-your-pain helper that’s worked for CPT and tendinitis. Run your wrists under hot-as-you-can water for as long as you can and then immediately wrap them in a towel. Wrapping the end of the towel under your fingers, like a fist, to keep resting position. Sit and watch tv, until you feel all the warmth is gone. Add Advil and I’m usually much better. Sometimes compression gloves feel great, too!
I have a similar problem with my right wrist and some times it can be very painful. My Dr suggested a brace that has a pressure point placement up near the elbow. It is elastic and simply wraps around the arm just below the elbow. The pressure point is about 1 inch from the bend in the arm along the topside in that muscle that runs down to your hand. Any pharmacy that sells braces, wheelchairs etc should have it. Not prescribed, costs about $15.00. They can show you how to use it. Good luck. Ice also helps. Rest area if possible
Are you familiar with PG Wodehouse’s comments on dictation in the Preface to _Thank You, Jeeves_? The first bit of it is quoted here: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/90608-how-anybody-can-compose-a-story-by-word-of-mouth
LOL, thanks for the link!
There are exercises I do to combat carpal tunnel. They involve stretching your tendons. I’ve been doing them religiously for ten years. The pain goes away, you can type. Tia Chi helps too.
The stretching worked for me, too, until I retired and began living with my Kindle in either hand. Had the surgeries late last year, but still have issues due to severity of damage.
If they tell you to stop typing, find another doctor. I understand not wanting to dictate. It’s the same reason I still buy paperbacks or write letters longhand or sticking my fingers into the soil when I garden. I’d keep trying for a solution until I couldn’t take the pain any more because I’m that stubborn.
hi! i don’t usually comment but just this one time, i feel like i should make a peep. have you tried the microsoft sculpt keyboard and mouse? they’ve worked so well for me! the negative incline of the keyboard and poofy mouse have helped eliminate my hand pain. there is a slight learning curve but if you’ve been typing on an angle, it should take no time getting used to!
If my husband told me to dictate to him, I would totally accept! Right away! 🙂
I have chronic pain issues from my hands (tendonitis) to my shoulders, neck and head. I can’t hold a phone up to my ear without pain. Had to stop using my right hand for mousing because my shoulder and neck can’t handle it. I started mousing with my left hand and that was going downhill until I switched from a standard mouse to a vertical mouse.
The vertical mouse is so comfortable. Almost a life changer. A friend had similar results with a roller ball. Not typing, I know, but maybe will help all folks out there with pain issues.
CBD oil and turmeric.
OMG I can’t wait for the book. So fricking excited and the excerpt was so good.
But I am slightly confused by one thing. Isn’t the Golden Legion Roland’s top 50 navigators? How come the excerpt says 100?
I just have to note only one person suggested you not write for a while. It’s not that we don’t love you. It’s that we love you too much.
Not to be a pest, I ask again out of love for the Authorlords, but has anymore be found out about the signing at Shuler Books in Grand Rapids? It is still not on their events calendar. It would be a 6 hour drive across the border so I need to get as many facts as possible before trying to plan for this. Thanks so much!
Probably the BDH is getting excited in similar proportions to your nervousness. I keep logging on to the blog and doing a happy dance while watching the countdown. ?
I think just about all possible remedies for nerve issues have been suggested. I hope that whatever you decide to do (if any) is successful for you. Night braces worked for me for a long time. I also had success from 300mg Vitamin B6/day. This was suggested by the orthopedic surgeon I went to, and 25 years later I haven’t needed surgery.
Do you have access to a jacuzzi? If so, I highly recommend daily aquatic therapy.
Set temperature as high as you can stand it. Soak your hands for at least 10 minutes before beginning a series of hand flexes – make a fist as tight as you can then open fingers as a wide as you can, hold that for count of 10. Repeat for at least 20 times each hand. Soak hands again near jets to get the massage effect.
Aquatic therapy is actually one of the most effective yet least known/utilized types of physical therapy for painful carpal tunnel. The hot soaking loosens your muscles so you can actually extend those muscles completely which is the key exercise.
Good luck!
Do you maybe have the wrong type of ergonomic keyboard?
I am a bit of a slow learner when it comes to physical things but I had very little transition time to my ergonomic keyboard…it just felt natural and I was just as fast before as after.
The problem is that anything fancier than a split keyboard gets custom and super expensive. So experimentation is not usually feasible.
Lots of advice given, I haven’t read it all, but have not seen voltaren cream suggested, it is amazing for pain relief if the pain is caused by inflammation. Also try naproxen instead of ibuprophen, again if pain is from inflammation, icing also really a good way to reduce pain in certain circumstances ie inflammation. Massage, physio, take breaks to stretch, take a break to recover? Please look after yourself!
I really like the version in water with glycerin and just a little DMSO – IME, it seems to penetrate better (…as one might expect, including a solvent…) One of the things I like about it that is means you can spare one’s GI tract all the NSAIDs, which can be a really good thing. (I overused them for many years, before we figured out what was going on with the spine injury.)
You are amazing! Your writing is a wonderful gift we are so thrilled and blessed to receive. Please take care of yourself. You are the only “you” you’ve got.
I suggest going into JoAnn’s Fabric store (chain store) and getting the Crafters gloves (mine are Prym Dritz Creative Comfort Crafter’s Glove). They are basically compression and support gloves. I can type, cross stitch, and crochet in them.
I suggest going into the store rather than buying them online, so you can try them on and get the ones that fit correctly. Thought I was a size large, ended up with medium.
I teach typing and other “techie” classes (among other subjects) and was a front desk clerk / assistant for 4 years during. Had to have a ganglion cyst removed from my right wrist 14 years ago and need another repair surgery. (All this to explain I type ALL day long, yet never anything as productive as your wonderfully awesome books).
I also had the ergo eval of desk / chair / keyboard done — amazing difference once I got used to it. For personal typing, I use an ergo board (different from the one you pictured), but for demonstration teaching purposes, I have to use the traditional keyboard, so my hands still ache if I don’t wear the gloves.
Hope this helps!
I may get laughed at for this…my father typed a LOT for his work. He was never trained to type so he used the old fashioned hunt and peck method. He typed fast, surprisingly. He never had problems in his hands. So sometimes, when my hands and wrists start to ache I use the hunt and peck method and the pain goes away. I think it is because of the change in positioning my hands.
A friend of mine, a computer programmer, told me years ago that she was having difficulties typing. Part of it was due to the Querty keyboard. She learned to type on the Dvork keyboard. It caused her much less pain. I don’t know if this is an option for you, but she said her hands took much less abuse with a different keyboard format even with relearning to type on that keyboard.
Writing and talking actually use different parts of the brain. I can’t dictate to save my life. I worked for an English-language company in Austria, so while everyone spoke some-to-fluent English, I was the native speaker called on when something had to be phrased EXACTLY right. I began by trying to do it over the phone, but very quickly moved to “I’ll send you an email in 5 minutes with the wording.” Because it just doesn’t work.
Patrick Stuart has severe arthritis in his hands, he uses hemp, cdb oil lotions to help with the pain i think. Hope this helps
Ilona I think the translation is great. It makes you stop and go… wait? what? and not devour at the normal rapid pace.
and really, how else will we stumble across such gems as, “I spent the last 9 years of my life living the 2nd floor suite”
How does that work? Do you have to impersonate the suite 24/7? Is it youTube speak, “I’m totally living this new Urban Decay pallet”
Is it interpretative dance? Living the 2nd floor suite, a play in 2 acts.
I think you should use it at least once a week just to see what it gives you. 😀
PLEASE see an Orthopaedic physician, specifically one who specializes in hands/arms. I spent five years of ever increasing pain and loss of dexterity. Went through four docs in three states all of whom insisted it was carpel tunnel. Finally went to a famous hard/arm ortho whose usual patients are pro athletes. Took him less than one minute to find it was cubical tunnel, not carpal. Thing is all the years of mis-diagnosis left me with permanent nerve damage. Please don’t make my mistake
I hope this wasn’t recent! (But I wouldn’t be shocked…) This used to be a pretty common misdiagnosis. The inability to distinguish between ulnar and medial nerve impingement is kind of a pet peeve of mine*… partly because I ran into myself, back in my piano playing days.
* Ahaha, yes, it will be on the exam. Or at least, it’s likely enough to be that everyone better know it.
There has been every kind of health advice today! Hope some of them work for you 🙂
I picked up on something different. “Unfortunately, I have an accent …”.
Nothing unfortunate about an accent! It’s part of what makes you who you are, and the diversity of accents and dialect speech across the population envigorates language – that’s how languages develop and grow! For example, English and American are diverging as languages because of the varied backgrounds of their speakers.
Pre-release jitters will turn into squees of joy soon enough 🙂
Take care of your self. Don’t worry. Your books are great. I recommend a super duper masseur to massage your poor hands.
We tried adding automated closed captioning for a scientific lecture we wanted to post online. It was painfully funny. My favorite phrase was “feathered zombies”. How it got that from what the lecturer was saying I have no idea. It was easier to just hand type.
Have you considered an anti-inflammatory diet, or using EPA (an omega-3 fatty acid) to lower your cellular inflammation levels? The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in your diet affects the Arachidonic Acid to EPA ratio in your body (AA/EPA) and higher levels of AA (ratios of > than 3) seem to be associated with higher incidences of chronic diseases with inflammatory components.
It won’t specifically address your hands but if underlying inflammation goes down it will be harder for you to hit the inflammatory threshold where your hands give you problems. And inflammation is really being looked at as a key driver of some of our most difficult to control chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, heart attacks etc.
I tried voice to text for a few days a while back. The most humorous things were it trying to understand my children’s names. I didn’t think their names were that hard, but it took over 40 tries for it to correctly get Natalya, and it was the only one in four kids names to ever get right.
What would such software do with names like Ilemina and Wilmos?
You could try CBD cream. It works wonders.
I’ve had very good luck with CBD cream on chronic pain. It doesn’t get rid of it, but it does help get me to a point where I can carry on with my day.
Keep plugging away at the ergonomic keyboard. I switched to them more than a decade ago and my wrist pain diminished considerably, although it wasn’t over night. I did find that once I got used to the keyboard my typing speed improved pretty well, too.
There’s some pretty good suggestions above for ways to manage/minimize the pain until you find what works for you, too.
Good luck! I hope you find our solution quickly. I hate to think of you in pain.
Well, I didn’t mean to upload a huge picture like that. My apologies.
There’s a kind of magic that occurs along the path from the writer’s brain, through the fingers and onto the keyboard. For me, that process is not only mysterious and transformative, but also deeply private, so I can’t dictate either, even if I’m only talking to a machine. I don’t ever talk the way I write.
But as a professional writer, you are a type of athlete and the sheer number of hours at a keyboard takes their toll. An ergonomic keyboard is great but they’re vastly different. You have to find the one that works for you. I love the Kinesis Maxim keyboard, which splits in the middle and is raised to support your wrists. It feels more natural to me than a normal keyboard and I’m faster on it than on a normal keyboard.
I was starting to develop wrist and hand pain too but that fixed it. Plus a very good ergonomic chair with armrests and a huge monitor where I can look directly forward at the screen. I’m two books further now with no issues. Good luck!
your doctor will want to shoot your hands with cortisone to alleviate the swelling. She will first need to shoot your hands with Novocaie, as cortisone is painful. Mit will work well, but you can only do this once or twice before the shots start to break down the protein in your hand muscles. Then your doctor will suggest surgery, on both hands. While you heal, Gordon will have to do more than type for you, he will have to help you dress, do your hair, brush your teeth, use the bathroom. There will be a 50% chance that the surgery is successful and you can resume your typing style/schedule again.
A couple of years ago my wrists and hands started acting out. I got the ergonomic keyboard at work. It helped, but it was not enough.
I got also the standing desk. Switching position from sitting to standing several times a day was a further improvement, mostly for my back, but also for my carpal tunnel.
Then a year ago I began walking every day, with snow, rain, or sun. I go down two bus stop early when I go to work, and I always take at least an hour walk after work (I have a six hours per day schedule, I am aware it helps a lot). My back pains, my carpal tunnel and other small aches have disappeared, I have lost weight and when I go back home I have a lot more energy to take care of all the household stuff.
Final vote in the Alpha Showdown, Kate Daniels v. Mercy Thompson.
Mercy v. Connor was decided by 15 votes!
http://vampirebookclub.net/alpha-showdown-2018-championship-round-mercy-thompson-vs-kate-daniels/
I, too, have carpal tunnel and use the keyboard throughout my work day. Eight years ago, my hair dresser shared that she had been seeing a chiropractor for her carpal tunnel issues. I have been on a monthly maintenance schedule with the chiropractor for the past seven years. It works. No surgery, drugs or medical devices…….
Dictate to your husband. Let him find out how frustrating that is for him.
I was a 911 dispatcher for 12 years, lots of keyboard with no breaks. I did have carpal tunnel surgery and thumb surgery over the years, but I have found ice to be a great friend-especially for thumbs. Also the prescription steroid gel can be very helpful. Supposedly it does not enter the bloodstream so you avoid side effects,. I threw the stuff away after my young puppy licked my hand right after I applied and she ended up needing charcoal and fluids (but that was because she was so young). I would see a hand specialist rather than a GP or orthopedist.
I had some hand/wrist problems from working on computers and a friend recommended acupuncture. It worked for me, and I haven’t been bothered since (going on three years now).
Accupuncture is amazing….
It hurts. You know it by now. You also know its bad enough that a (little) rest, just means the throbbing and little pin pricks of pain will cripple you agonizing repeating shooting pains, if you don’t stop, NOW.
First, change your mind.
You will NOT write just a couple of sentences.
Find someone who will help you build a strategy to work because of this limitation. NOT, in spite of this limitation.
Your hands make your minds work visible.
You’re used to that partnership.
Finding a different path is awkward & doesn’t feel write! (pun intended). First take care of you, and stop sweating the commitments you feel hanging over you.
Cause if you keep pushing it how will you meet them.
How well do you speak the language responsible for your accent. Try a live interpreter who speaks that language & can type it in english, then U & your significant other can edit from there. That suggestion is awkward & has many steps. Its a starting point to get you to think differently, so that ALL U have to do, is type, only those parts that need your hand & mind to make sense to the telling of the story.
Sending you best wishes to find your alternative method.
B well, B blessed, B U
I like this picture of Hugh better than the current wallpaper…it’s more him with the smirk.
Wow. So understand. Because of severe autoimmune illness been there with the hands and typing. I could happily drink steroids so had to come up with other treatments. New motto rest. Don’t quit. Rest. Choose. You can do one or two but No. More. Every night soak hands to wrists in Epsom salts with lavender. Then massage in good cream or oil and put on fingerless gauntlet compression gloves. Go to sleep. Kinda. Nightly until you get used to it.
Could you pick up a second ergonomic keyboard at Best Buy for those days when you don’t go into the office? I agree, they’re not only on point for you, but strangely comfortable.
Don’t know how you feel about Chinese medicine, but a recommended doctor who does the herb thing can be amazing for stuff like this.
I hate Hugh, but he’s on my list now…lol
I have a child with special needs. She uses Google to text,(with word prediction) she’s taught the program well. And it works well for her when her hands tire. I feel crazy using it and get similar results than yours? Word prediction may reduce some of your typing.
To help workout stiffness in fingers try kneading therapy putty or slime. (you can refrigerate the putty for pain or swelling) If you prefer a heat therapy treatment, a paraffin bath works great for easing pain and inflammation in hand and wrist joints. They offer Twiddle Click Cubes to play with to keep your fingers limber. And adaptive equipment to support your wrist while typing. I hope you feel better soon. The paraffin baths work great and give a few hours of relief. So does ultrasound but it’s a more expensive therapy.
I know you’ve probably seen a lot of unsolicited advise about this already. Getting a second ergo keyboard like someone upthread suggested is a good idea. Takes time to get used to new keyboards, if that works and stops the issue awesome.
If it doesn’t fix it then get it checked out, don’t give up until you’ve found an answer. I had similiar issues and they thought it might be carpal and after two specialists and a couple of different tests they worked out what it is and we now have a management plan for it. Hope you get it sorted, really sucks having to deal with pain like that.
FWIW
I have issues (so many issues!) similar to yours, and obviously the problem with your wrists is the swelling. Yes, ibuprofen will reduce the swelling, but you have to sleep with your wrists straight to let everything rest and realign.
Get wrist braces. I order mine from Braceabilty/Amazon. Take 4 ibuprofen before bed, wear the braces, and do it for 1 week. Give it a try. It’s cheaper than a doctors visit and you might be pleasantly surprised.
I have one with a thumb for my right hand and one without a thumb for my left. They are black, not sexy, and make me feel stupid, but I can use my hands all day. After the week is up, you won’t need the ibuprofen if you wear the braces.
Good luck! You have to keep writing, or Nevada will never forgive you! ?
Soak your hands in really warm water a couple of times a day the use fingerless compression gloves. It will help.
Hey, i hope you feel better soon. many new voice recognition software programs new can learn to adapt to an accent. it means they are bad at first but get better the more you work with it. but it also means to but in some time first which i understand can be frustrating. but long term it might be important. maybe you can while knitting do some dictating for a while till it works well enough to be of some help?
this totally isnt coming from an egoistical perspective of me worrying about the lack of books 😛
i enjoy you work a great deal. thank you… again, i guess.
Oh, no! Ilona, hope your hands get better. Sending you lots of love.??
By the way, the Diamond Fire snippets are awesome! Can’t wait for it!?
Everyone else has mentioned physical, let Le talk about the software. My son has a physical issue which makes it very difficult for him to do things like hold a pencil. We bought him Dragon Naturally Speaking for college. It took some training but eventually (about a month) it worked really well. We tried several different dictation software and headphone/mic combinations. Dragon worked best for him. It’s not expensive and they often have a 30 day free trial.
In dictation software we haven’t found Google to be very good.
There has to be a good voice program out there that works with accents. The majority of our physicians are foreign born, some with really thick accents, and their patient dictation comes out pretty good.
Feeling your pain – but be thankful your accent is not Scottish! I’m a Scot with a broken wrist and recently reattempted voice dictation software. Sadly, limited improvement in technology since this notorious skit a good few years back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAz_UvnUeuU
See your Doc. There is more to treatment than Motrin, although making sure you are taking an adequate anti-inflammatory dose is important. Using the right kind of wrist splints at night, Ice and elevation as needed, and checking for abnormal comorbid conditions (ie Hypothyroidism and Rheumatologic problems) is important. No all ergonomic keyboards are equal, as well. Hope you feel better soon!
Have you considered CBD oil to address some of your pain. I am talking about CBD from Hemp, not marijuana. Completely legal, no high (more’s the pity), no chemicals, no side effects. I have terrible muscle spams that I control with the tincture. Know several women who have fibromyalgia who have gotten totally off opioids using it. Another friend has occasional back pain from an old surgery. She vapes it for more immediate relief.
Thank you for all you do for us.
Я не слышу никаких проблем с вашим акцентом!
The cover is awful… but the book is greaaat so far :)))