Are You Woodworking With A Disability?

[cabinetman]

This subject comes up rarely, and for those of us managing to continue with our craft with varied handicaps, it may be interesting to become aware of how we cope with what hinders us and how we deal with problems. I'll start off this confessional with my hands and fingers. Over the years I developed carpel tunnel syndrome, which I've had the surgery in both hands, but was about 10 years too late for better results. It probably won't get worse. Before surgery, I had constant numbing and tingling, with pain up both arms. In addition to that, have tendonitis in both hands which causes stiffening of fingers and locking and unlocking effect. Doctors think the isometric stress caused by hand held routing, and hand tool use was the major cause. Exposure to shop chemicals has been determined to influence the nerve damage in the fingers and hands. Have a slight dislocation of the shoulder, which may not be surgically repairable, and a torn abdominal muscle, which I'm waiting to get much worse before I do anything about it. I've had a herniated disk in my spine since the late 70's that I refuse to get surgery for. If I'm careful, there's minimal discomfort. I could just pick up a cup of coffee wrong and feel that knife go in, get crooked, and get sciatica for two weeks, so not lifting and twisting is a practice to get used to. Other than these things I'm fine.

My work effort is affected by not having a lot of feeling in the hands and fingers. Strength of grip is so-so, and motion with arms gets tricky. Handling tools takes a lot of concentration, and dropping things is a problem. I have to plan for easy methods for lifting heavy objects, maneuvering large sheets with leverage, and have had to go to mostly all non toxic chemicals and finishes. Stopping is not an option, it's doing what you can and finding better and easier ways. I'm sure that if this was just a hobby for my weekend pleasure it might have been a different story, instead of it being an everyday, all day routine.

Anyone else here that's working around a problem or two?



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[25]

Physical only or mental as well?

[JR]

I'm woodworking with an inability. Does that count?

JR

[cabinetman]

JR + 25 sounds like a perfect employment team.



"I'M NEVER WRONG - BUT I'M NOT ALWAYS RIGHT"

[gsmittle]

Interesting thread, this... Two summers ago I had extensive back surgery to stabilize sphondolysthesis at L4-L5, plus remove stenosis from L1-L4. Before surgery I couldn't stand for more than half an hour before the pain in my back and the numbness in my legs was too much to stand. I taught for a year wigged out on pain killers. (My students say I was REAL easy to get along with that year!)

Now, I'm pretty much pain-free, but I have to watch how much I can lift (80 lbs is the absolute limit), and I can't bend over for too long. Before surgery I couldn't do any woodworking at all--now I can stand for 8 hours or so and work, as long as I don't get too ambitious about lifting things.

Oh yeah, my near vision isn't what it used to be, hence bifocal safety glasses.

g.

[HarmsWay]

I'm also woodworking because of my disability. So I guess in terms of woodworking I don't have a disability other than I have to take it easy and think every action through (not a bad thing right?). However, my disability keeps me from doing things I'd rather be doing. Such is life.

[MilDoc]

I've worn a prosthesis since I was 16. Now have some hip and knee pain and can't stand for too long or walk too far. But my shop is small and I have a nice stool!

[HarmsWay]

But my shop is small and I have a nice stool!

Mine are usually okay unless I've eaten too much cheese.

[dlminehart]

An aside: I'm reading an autobiographical book by a neurosurgeon, often referred to as a "brain surgeon". I was surprised to learn that most neurosurgery is actually performed in the spinal regions rather than in the skull. Spinal surgery is apparently more lucrative a practice, both because far more people need it and because they may keep on needing it over the years.

[Pappy]

Had a disk removed in '87 (L4-L5). Was told in '90 that I had 2 more herniated in the same region. Also have 3 bad ones in the neck, all minor. Surgery is inevitable, but only when I can't function without it.

I also suffer from frequent bouts of Acute Cerebral Gastritis.

[Howard]

Is that anything like Cerebral Rectum Inverse???

[Pappy]

Massive Brain Farts!

[eezlock]

pain....

Yeah I'm having lower back problems ( had them for 30 years) they come and go mostly come and stay for a while, same with constant neck problems
as a result from a bad car wreck 35 years ago, now left knee is painful
after 23 plus years of truck driving and all the gear changing...but we don't and won't let it stop us....keep on, keepin' on slower than before but still
steady hittin' it. Chin up, my dear old dad use to say this gettin' old crap
ain't what is cracked up to be! A good chiropractor comes in good to know when things get too bad to tolerate. eezlock

[billwmeyer]

I blew out my right knee in high school football, and the left knee is worn out from sparing the right knee. I will need to have both replaced someday. I can't stand for much over an hour most of the time. I have a bad back also, too many years on the farm and in retail. The knees didn't help my back, because with bad knees, you lift with your back not with your knees. I am also a type 2 diabetic. I am sure that will cause me some problems when I decide to replace those knees. I do not heal as fast as I used to.

Bill

[TheRic]

My only real disability is my hearing. It has it's advantages, as in the machines don't seem as loud to me as someone else, specially when I work with my hearing aids off. Even with them on I can't hear the little things that tell me the machine is going out, or is being a little overworked.