Changes in my hands

[mary_kay]

I am an artist...love to paint and draw along with just about any other art or craft that I become interested in. I am worried because my hands have really changed in the last few months.  Along with the numbness, I now find that I can't form a "3" with my left hand (y'know - hold my pinky down with my thumb).  Yikes! I am left-handed. Also when I first get up and stagger like a drunken sailor to the coffee pot, I notice how stiff and difficult to close my hand seem to be.  They loosen up after a little while, but are always a bit stiff. Of course this makes me drop things alot too.  Any suggestions? Ideas? Do you think this will come and go, or am I stuck with it?
Bless you all,
Mary Kay

[jensequitur]

My right hand has its good days... I have weakness and tremor, so I can paint if I have my hand propped up.  I also have a bit of cog fog, so my head isn't working right some of the time.  Little difficult for me, because I can't always choose when I get to work on projects...

For a while, it was really working poorly - I thought I would have to go left-handed.  Fortunately it came back - some.

I find my best times are in the morning, and when I get plenty of rest.

[mary_kay]

Yes!  I will paint if I want to even if I have someone pour the paint in my mouth and spit on the watercolor paper!  Recently, I went on a field trip with some of our younger students.  One little 1st grader had a coloring book that he was sharing with everyone on the bus ride. He got other kids to color pages and sign their work. I was one of the lucky people who was invited to choose a page to color.  About half way through my work, my hand ached so badly - like writer's cramp only worse - I wasn't sure I could finish. I took little rest breaks and made myself finish the page.  Keep on painting!  Find a way...
Thanks for being there...MK

[mercyone]

Hearing this is so sad. I am not there yet - but my hands ache and feel terrible at times and then my arms get weak at times and holding a paintbrush becomes a chore. I've been toughing it out - and then I feel better and go on. I've decided that if my hands shake then I will just need to develop a new painting style with wiggly lines.

Mercy

[syndismilez]

Hi!
I too am an artist and love to paint!  I also went through about 4 months of very
bad hand pain. Especially at night and mornings. I now believe they were muscle spasms. All night they would straighten out real stiff. First the left then the right.
After my right arm really went wonko, the pain and spasms slowly went away!  
I was clumsy and just didnt want to use my hands at all!!! I can say now that I have no after effects either!  Yippee!
Now if I could get my fatigue and motivation going, I might try my wonko hand at painting again. I have my sights set on a mural in our family room :)
  
I am probable MS, no Dx.
I sure hope your hand pain goes away too. I had just about thought I would have it forever!  Lovely immune system :)  it repaired!
Cyndi

[wonko]

Me again!

Just a note:  I know that we can all feel that fatigue or symptoms block us from our favorite activities.  But please also be aware that no londer engaging in activites you enjoy is a sign of depression.  You many need to adapt or take it easy or go about it a different way, but please don't quit without a fight.

I've seen it happen in different contexts where people think they are just reponding to limitiations or situations, but it is a SLIPPERY SLOPE, my friends, and the bottom of that hill is depression and that is very serious.

Please do what you can, ask freinds, family, the forum, or any other resource, about ways to keep doing things that make you happy.

[mary_kay]

I guess it's too soon in my process to have any treatment at all.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts.  All I can say is, I agree with you about doing what you love no matter what. I will use my stiff fingers, feet, mouth - with or without a brush to paint if I need to paint.  How about this:   cjacks the dripper      I love it!  Thanks for being there...MK

[cjacks]

Hi MK

This is also my delima.  I'm an artist and can't seem to use my Right hand. Some how , at some time in the last eighteen months  I've become more than 60% left handed , without really noticing at first.  

My right hand is weak , and not as dexterous .   And I was always known for my strong steady hands. not any more .

And I just don't feel like doing any projects.     I have no passion for the things I have absolutely loved and was drawn to do/be . It's probably the fatigue , and the energy I do have is consumed be this cr@ppy search for answers.   Oh boy , I'm on a rant , so sorry

There another thread about the things we do to relax . I didn't participate because I just can't do those things anymore .  Cooking, gardening ,sewing any craft you can think of , that's where you'd find me .  

I can only hope that a dx. will let me focus on my other life, as an artist . My MS specialist said that the Copaxone will help my symptoms within six months. Keeping my finger gently crossed..  If I get the energy and passion back I'll paint left handed or even with my teeth if I have too :) :)    Or I'll create something to hold the brushes  :)  :)

MK   Sorry, I kind of ran with my own thing ..  As I don;t have answers for myself , I'm hardly in a position to give advice ..  Just thought I'd let you know you're not alone ..  Maybe as we each find some solutions we can help each other out ..

If you can paint , then do it , even if you drop the brush..  pick it back up . Keep doing the things you love. Even if you are slower , your talent and passion are still there.  

So , yes your hands may indeed get better. Has anyone suggested physical therapy?

Take care

Jo

[wonko]

Hi MK,

I can relate.  I'm not an artist, but I am a video game junkie, and the changes in my hands forced me to retire (atleast for now) from Guitar Hero III (an awesome game).  

In Jan, I noticed my thumb felt stiff.  Now it's all fingers both hands.  It's not in the joints, hard to describe, but it's more difficult to make a fist.  If I do anything dexterous, my hands start to feel like they are burning.  (I have no diganosis, by the way.)

I am the same way in the morning.  For months it's like waking up in the Twilight Zone, like, this CAN'T be MY body?!?  It is a lousy way to start the day!  I exercise in the morning, even though it's rather difficult to get myself going, it does sometimes help loosen everything up a bit.  The first few mintues feel awful, but I usually mange to hit a zone.  I motivate myself by not allowing myself to have my coffee until after.  

As stated above, this may be temporary.  Even if not, sounds like you are a creative person, so I bet you can come up with adaptations to how you express yourself.  

Hope you feel better and have a good weekend!

[sllowe]

It might not last.  Hard to say.  I pray for you that it doesn't because of your passions.

You need to be able to paint durrnit!!!!

I had lost a lot of fine motor skills, thankfully, even though I thought all was lost, it has resolved greatly.  I can put jewlery on now.  It's my test for myself...LOL....Crazy, but putting on mascara and jewlery is the test I use for my motor skill function.  

So, now I dont' look like a jeweless black-eyed racoon - for now...ha/ha. . . .

-SL