Trying Again with Dragon NaturallySpeaking

[Lyne]

I am once again speaking with Dragon naturally speaking. I've completely uninstalled my original installation, then I reinstalled and did one short training session. I'm hoping by not repeatedly "saving changes" over many months that I will in effect not corrupt my profile. I think that mindlessly allowing it to update really messed it up. I think depending on the time of day and how I'm feeling that I may actually sound like a different person, i.e.: speak differently depending on my health situation on any given day-and how much long power I have or don't have. Dragon is pretty amazing with just an initial installation and very basic 10 to 15 min. training session.

I wasn't even going to spend lung power to verbally say all the punctuation, but it's not too bad so far. However if I do start speaking in long run-on sentences you will understand that I'm getting worn out having to speak every single type of punctuation out loud.

I will try Dragon speak in the forum area with this new installation. But if it does not work then I have to dictate my new replies to any thread here (off-line) and then copy and paste into the forum. I'll see how it goes.

The main thing is that wanted to let you all know that I have been unable to use my computer for what will amount to a whole week now. This has been agonizing, but since I over did typing in several areas online and off-line I really damaged the muscles and tendons in my thumb and hand joints, but especially my thumb. There is a part of me that's quite like a rebellious little child-when it starts to hurt instead of heeding that warning that my body's giving me to stop I just keep working through the pain and of course that makes the repetitive motion damage worse. The end of last week I was both typing too much over at Renderosity, here at HiveWire, and in my e-mail program. Typing is harder on my muscles and joints then even "mousing".

So once again I've had to learn the hard way-well the little girl in me has had to learn the hard way-that when it hurts you stop! Dealing all of my life with the worsening case of fibromyalgia (which is a nerve-muscle disorder) is very frustrating. Put that together with the fact that I never really had parents helping me learn self-discipline means that I can get really angry at my health situation and I try to plow through it which of course does not work. The only thing I can do is literally stop using my hand-my thumb for as long as it takes to completely recover. And before you suggest different ways that I can use my hand with the computer, please be assured I've tried all-tablets every kind of mouse etc. but the only thing that works is a thumb controlled trackball mouse. Of course try going without the use of your thumb in general daily life! Oh my gosh!

In many ways I'm actually proud of finding ways to work around my health issues, but a lot of the time I'm pretty frustrated and angry. I really am working on being more compassionate toward myself. That means a form of self talk like: "Awwww Lyne, it's no wonder that you have trouble dealing with all your difficulties with the lack of loving parents in your life" -when I say that to myself, it actually makes me feel better- if that makes any sense?

I am a born communicator and to be cut off from communicating with others is unbelievably frustrating and isolating for me. I miss doing my art for sure, and I miss communicating with you all. Hopefully by this weekend I will at least be able to use this new installation of Dragon more effectively and more often for communicating and get back to my artwork as well.

please forgive any typos because of Dragon not understanding what I'm trying to say … Well now that sentence done right here is working! So there is hope …

 

[Miss B]

Dragon seems to be doing just fine Lyne. Sorry you're hands were bothering you so much. Hopefully Dragon will help you at least spend time on the forums.

 

[Lyne]

Dragon seems to be doing just fine Lyne. Sorry you're hands were bothering you so much. Hopefully Dragon will help you at least spend time on the forums.

That's because I wrote all of it off-line except for the very tale land and you can see I'm starting to have trouble no I mean Dragon is starting to have trouble responding properly to me so I will have to say anything significant off-line and paste it in so be it whatever works right ? or type like I did for that? P

 

[Lyne]

I can't edit either the pop-up edit window does not like Dragon or vice a versa sigh

 

[Dragonsegg]

I am just now finding out how badly it sucks to have issues with your hands. I am old enough so I should not be surprised (58) but for whatever reason I have never had a twinge until the last couple of months. So now I have been playing a game, a MMO, that I really like and my hands are killing me. I'm hurting when I try to game, its waking me up at night with spasms, and generally just not working right. I can't mash the space bar 5 times a second for 60 seconds so I can tame a horse, what the heck... And apparently I have to ration my monster killing so I don't just kill my joints and arms. For me though a lot of the pain in my hands and arms seems to be because I sleep on them wrong. It didn't matter before but maybe you can think about that Lyne if somehow you stress your nerves with the way you rest. From what you have said it seems you have tried different input devices but maybe there is something else you can do to not cause a flare up.

 

[Lorraine]

I have fibromyalgia too, Lyne, it really does suck! I've also got lots of arthritis in my hands and it's that in my right thumb that gives me the most grief. Plus I've used my phone too much and I've pinched the nerves in my elbows (I know call them my ow-bows). And like you, I hate to stop what I'm doing just cos it's hurting. I'm afraid I treat my body somewhat as I treat my computer: you are mine, I own you and you will do what I want! My doctor despairs of me sometimes, I get told I am a Very Bad Girl. Story of my life I do hope your hands stop hurting real soon and I will try to be kinder to mine.

 

[Miss B]

I've suffered with acute CTS since my early teens, and back then they didn't even have a name for the condition, but any repetitive motion will do it. I even have special wraps I wear when I spend a lot of time on the computer. They even have them with braces to keep your wrists as still as possible.

 

[Lorraine]

Oh yeah, Miss B, had that, bought the tshirt, went under the knife on both wrists AT THE SAME TIME under LOCAL anaesthetic! Not something I recommend to anyone. One at a time and a general anaesthetic please. One of the only times in my life I completely lost my sense of humour...considering I was still making wisecracks when my children were being born, you can tell how bad and painful it was ~shudders just thinking about it~

 

[Miss B]

One thing I learned early . . . if it hurts, stop what you're doing. Two of the secretaries at my old firm both had the operation, and one had both of them done at the same time as well. I was determined never to let it get that bad.

I also suffer from tennis elbow on my left arm, so am often seen with a gel band at the gym, and sometimes I wear it here in the house.

 

[Lorraine]

I did manage to conquer tennis elbow with that strap you put on just below the elbow. Plus I've dealt to frozen shoulders and housemaids knee with physio. My body would not pass a warrant of fitness, it would get redstickered and put off the road for good with a "please do not bring back for a retest" as it left the testing station.

 

[Szark]

I have osteoarthritis throughout my body including my hands, what helps is a daily dose of Krill oil. So much better than fish oil. But even with that cupping my hand over a mouse can cramp the hand up. Not good when I am doing 12 hours days working on the PC. Yeah paid work not hobby.

 

[Miss B]

That's why I haven't used a mouse in many years Szark. I don't know what I'd do without my Wacom.

 

[Seliah (Childe of Fyre)]

Lyne,

Don't ever worry about run-on sentences or other punctuation things. I'm sure that we're all intelligent enough to be able to put those in ourselves when we read your posts.

If Dragon helps you, then Dragon is fine by me. Lack of punctuation is an understood quality of Lyne's Dragon posts, and it is NOT a bad reflection on you at all!

Keep doing you, Lyne. Take care of your health, and do what tou have to, and in the ways you need to.

I do understand the frustration of uncooperative hands. Did you know that ALL of my pc work is done with my mouse velcro/taped to my hand? I do that because I have CNS damage for other reasons that leaves me with tremors in my limbs. Sometimes my arms will randomly jerk off to one side or another before I can stop it or let go of the mouse. My Bear jokingly suggested tying the computer mouse to my hand one night when it went soaring across the room. Imagine the shock on his face when I promptly did just that?

So no worries, Lyne. You work in the ways you need to. We're all, I'm sure, capable of inserting punctuation for your pet Dragon.

 

[Lorraine]

We're all, I'm sure, capable of inserting punctuation for your pet Dragon.

This

 

[Pendraia]

Seliah's right...health first.

@Lorraine...

 

[Lorraine]

 

[Miss B]

Seliah's right...health first.

ALWAYS!!!

 

[Szark]

ALWAYS!!!

note to self "don't argue with Seliah"..ever.

 

[Lorraine]

Never!!!!

 

[Szark]

yeah and that.