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[The Duke]

All I can say is I’m glad we now type. Started a new job today, and I needed to note down lots. An hour in my hand was killing.

Luckily there isn’t much writing involved going forwards. Also I need to spend the night typing my notes up!

Id offend someone if I gave them my written notes. They would thing I’m anciant Egyptian or Chinese.

 

[Richard]

Steve, when I have had recent periods of hand trouble I found some of the dictation methods on both mobiles and PCs to be my friend. The spell checker has also done a better job than I usually manage ‘freehand’, especially, but not limited to medical supplies names. Before I retired I also found typing up not free handing minutes during meetings was a very useful facility, allowing minutes to be distributed as the meeting ended, not three months later when action points should have already been resolved!

[The VFM Addict]

God, that reawakens a nightmare.   I was once on a large committee the basis of appointment to such seeming to have been that either you had valuable and relevant experience – or – that you had nothing whatsoever worthwhile to bring to the table but were both absently minded deaf and an extreme pedant.    Getting Minutes approved by all after each meeting was even harder than trying to get agreement on May’s deal through Parliament.

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[Richard]

I forced agreement on each ten or twelve word minute BEFORE things moved on. Generally we reached agreement without an issue as they wanted to sell something and we wanted it to work on our situation. Back in the 1960s I did manage to wind up one committee after about 10 months as the minutes shrank down to half an A4 page. I cannot now remember what that was about.

[Bob Williams]

Handwriting from the age of 5 was taught in my pit village school to classes of 45 or more. It was pure copperplate and I got the hang of it quickly due to my big brother having attended the same school with the same female psycho dwarf teacher. He did not want to see me suffer the continual rain of head slaps that he endured, because he knew my temper would result in trouble. So he taught me to read and write at home from the age of 3 and I was off to a running start. However, he also shared my weakness with numbers, which led to me having trouble with Maths until I met a teacher at Secondary Tech school who gave me extra lessons. Until about 20 years ago, when my hands and arms became affected by the spinal nerve damage, my handwriting was still good. It has progressively deteriorated, to the point of illegibility and severe hand cramps. Computing, mice and keyboards saved my communication skills.

Dave, I know my Aspergers gson has this problem of ‘brain working so quickly that hand cannot keep pace.‘ He told me that a long time ago. His few handwriting examples are really, really tiny and I had to actually read the birthday card he sent, with a magnifying glass. He worked out that Tiny Writing = Less Effort and Economy of space! Having watched his hands fly over a keyboard and hardly pause to use the mouse in a blur of movement, I often give silent thanks to the brainwave that had me building his first computer, trying to solve his communication, spelling and writing. As he is now No.2 to the boss of a successful IT company, I must have done something right!

I taught our dyslexic son to write in uppercase letters, with spaces between letters and bigger spaces between words, which has progressively improved his ability to send and leave messages. He is teaching our No.2 gson to do the same. It works for us, but it takes a lot of time and patience. On both sides!

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Tippon]

Bob Williams wrote:

Having watched his hands fly over a keyboard and hardly pause to use the mouse in a blur of movement, I often give silent thanks to the brainwave that had me building his first computer, trying to solve his communication, spelling and writing.

I can still remember the difference in my English homework once ‘proper’ computers found their way to school. My handwriting has always been awful. I’ve got to struggle to slow my thoughts down enough for my hand to be able to get it on paper, if that makes sense. Once I got used to typing, I could type at a much closer speed to the words forming in my head, and everything was suddenly clearer.

There were three or four of us computer geeks in school, and it was a point of pride that we could type faster than the IT teachers and the typing teacher. She wouldn’t let us do a typing test to prove it though, as we hadn’t taken typing as a class ??

 

[Bob Williams]

” My handwriting has always been awful. I’ve got to struggle to slow my thoughts down enough for my hand to be able to get it on paper, if that makes sense. Once I got used to typing, I could type at a much closer speed to the words forming in my head, and everything was suddenly clearer. ”

Ryan, this matches the explanations of both my gsons, who are at opposite ends  of the spectrum. Senior gson said his thought processes were so much faster than he could write: junior gson said that he could not write down what he wanted to express, because the words floated away and jumbled up. Both of them now mange to type words, meaning and sense keeping pace and both type with amazing speed. Junior, being severely dyslexic, has benefited most from this I believe, but both lives have been enormously improved, in the first instance by simply being able to communicate accurately and clearly. They make an interesting pair of cousins: one is slim, neat, tidy and prides himself on his accuracy. T’other is a big lad, doesn’t give a damn how he is dressed, but also values accuracy and exactness in everything he does. They always wind up together at family ‘do’s’.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

When I’m very anxious or excited I can’t talk. The words get jumbled up into what sounds to me like normal sentences but to everyone else they are nonsense.

Makes trying to get a lady interested very difficult. In the end i just used to get an extra drink, if they accepted it I would calm down a little, if not I would sit down and contemplate life.

The last bit is a lie.?

[Tippon]

Bob Williams wrote:

Ryan, this matches the explanations of both my gsons, who are at opposite ends  of the spectrum.

Funnily enough, when the ‘quiz*’ was posted a while back that gives you an idea of whether you’re on the spectrum, I got a result suggesting that I was. It wasn’t particularly high, but it’s been sitting at the back of my mind. A few of the questions about things like socialising and shyness got me, because if I’d answered when I was school age, I probably would have got a much higher score. I worked in a nightclub when I was 19, and was forced out of my shell. Looking back, I’ve learned loads of coping skills to get around my ‘problem areas’ (not the right phrasing, but my brain’s not working properly today. No offence intended if it’s a bad phrase).

After PM was diagnosed I mentioned it in a conversation with my wife and my mother as I’d only really heard of people being diagnosed when they were young (not that Nolan’s old 😉 ). Without hesitating my mother said that she’s wondered for a while whether I’m on the spectrum, and Ellen agreed. She worked in a school for years, so saw what it was like when people started recognising autism and diagnosing it properly, rather than just labelling the kids as naughty or sending them away to other schools. I’d finished school before any proper understanding came in, so missed that boat. I keep forgetting to ask my mother why she didn’t mention it before now.

 

Bob Williams wrote:

T’other is a big lad, doesn’t give a damn how he is dressed, but also values accuracy and exactness in everything he does.

Yep, I’m like that too. Very frustrating at times.

 

*Not the right word, but the meds are kicking in and making my brain fuzzy again.

[The Duke]

I also aced that test! Was I wrong in thinging a high score was good! It told me nothing I didn’t already know.

I’m sure most of us here are on the spectrum as our interests are awfully geeky, dare I say to the average person even anal. Its all about know why and how things work. Then spending hours finding out this stuff, that in reality has no baring on our lives.

We think and say, we like it cos it’s our interest, but is it just our interest because we want the control of knowing exactly jwo things work. If any of you are like me, lack of control of situations give me massive issues.

I always put it down to the militery teaching me everything has an order, and you need a plan for evey outcome. As I’ve got older I began to think, the military was just an excuse, it’s just my nature.

Also explains why I like numbers, they don’t lie, they work or they don’t. When they don’t, you find out why.

It’s a control issue. Now if I could only get my English under control! That fight I gave up on along time ago.

Feels like counciling all of a sudden. Lol.

[JayCeeDee]

The Duke wrote:

We think and say, we like it cos it’s our interest, but is it just our interest because we want the control of knowing exactly how things work. If any of you are like me, lack of control of situations give me massive issues.

Echoes very much with me!! Do you make a bad passenger when somebody else is driving?? I most certainly am – the wife has been known to tell me a bad ride is better than a long walk!!! I’m not sure what  she meant by that at all!!???

I also don’t like either type of roller coasters or the other flying seat fairground rides, but if you put a wheel, an accelerator and a brake pedal on them I’d probably be off the tracks  more than on – think Scalextric. I put it all down to a lack of being in control.

If I’m being totally honest now, probably a little OCD too – but only on irrelevant things like coasters and place-mats on a table that I sit down at!!??

[Bob Williams]

JayCeeDee wrote:

” If I’m being totally honest now, probably a little OCD too – but only on irrelevant things like coasters and place-mats on a table that I sit down at!! ”

With me, it’s pictures on the wall. Any wall! It drives me batsh1t, can’t stop looking at them! I have at times asked in restaurants, etc if I can straighten them, which drives my missus batsh1t in turn. I have done that for so long at home now that she is used to it. However, when we went to her old friend’s house once I asked if I could do it to 3 pictures and she had to explain that it was not me being weird. I straightened them and her OH got a bit too clever, said he didn’t think they were straight. I asked if he had a spirit level and he brought one. The smile died on his face when the level revealed that I was right and they were absolutely level.

My missus goes there on her own now….?

I also have to hang my clothes in a certain order in the wardrobe, and store other clothes neatly in drawers. Learning how to fold and roll socks in pairs during Army service, was a revelation to me. If I don’t do all this properly, I get a tad anxious about it. My son and No.2 gson are untidy, it drives me crackers. But daughter, No.1 gson and his sister are like me.

Steve, my dyslexic gson has always been fascinated by numbers. At 12, he developed a thing about Pi: was absolutely riveted by the fact that it could never be worked out to decimal places. As he does most calculations in his head, he told me that he got to 100+ decimal places and decided all the mathematicians were right! (I doubt anyone here does not know about Pi, but it starts at 3.1428572857…. if I recall it correctly, and just goes on and on.) He loves numbers and I honestly think he sees the world through numbers, not words.

Humans are individually weird, which reminds me of something that cat-loving No.1 gson once said: “Cats think humans are just large, weird cats!”

 

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

John- I don’t make the best of passangers. So Ill always either offer to to drive, or on long trips do the lion share.

Bob, yes we are strange in our own ways, but we here may range in age, but we are similarly weird. Lol. I think it comes with being technically minded.

We can disagree on other things, but always have the geek in common.

Tbh, I don’t mind disagreeing with someone on one issue or more. I never carry it into another thread. Just like in real life, I can have an argument with the wife, but to her annoyance, as soon as its finished, I can then talk about the next subject.

Now her on the other hand, doesn’t let go so easy. I don’t understand the need to keep myself annoyed. As it’s only myself that sufferes. So I don’t see the point. As soon as I finish one topic, for me that’s it, a line is drawn under it, and I move on.

This drives my wife mental at times. She for some reason can hang on to suff for days.

[PlaneMan]

Tippon wrote:

After PM was diagnosed I mentioned it in a conversation with my wife and my mother as I’d only really heard of people being diagnosed when they were young (not that Nolan’s old ). Without hesitating my mother said that she’s wondered for a while whether I’m on the spectrum, and Ellen agreed. She worked in a school for years, so saw what it was like when people started recognising autism and diagnosing it properly, rather than just labelling the kids as naughty or sending them away to other schools. I’d finished school before any proper understanding came in, so missed that boat. I keep forgetting to ask my mother why she didn’t mention it before now.

Ryan, see the GP about it. Get an assessment arranged. At least you’ll know one way or the other.

I’ve had (and I still am receiving) some amazing help from the Integrated Autism Service in Penarth. For the first time in over 2 decades I can see a slight change in my mental health and mum keeps saying that I’m getting better. It’s going to take years but it’s finally going in the right direction.

[Tippon]

Thanks Nolan 🙂

I’ve got a possible chest infection and maybe a flare up of the Vasculitis to deal with first, which may result in a hospital visit. Once it’s all sorted, I’ll have a chat with my GP. If I do get admitted, I might have a chat with someone there, especially as it’s in Cardiff and Vale, and they seem to know what they’re doing 😛

[PlaneMan]

No problem matey.

Good luck with all the other stuff. ?

[Tippon]

Thanks 🙂

[Richard]

I hope you get further than our daughter. She saw the ‘expert’ a number of years ago. Now some years later we have still not had any useful feedback, other than “go away and wait on developments“.

[The Duke]

Richard, I got the same reponce about my back in 2000/1, went back every year till arond 2010, scans, deteriation, etc.. Still the same answer, noting we can do for 4 disks. (L2-5). So I just never went back the following year.

In hindsight a stupid mistake, as almost ten years on, I have to jump through hoops to get back in there. And my back is worse year in year out, so the yearly scan results would of been nice.

If I want to get back to regular back visits to gabowyn (think that’s how it’s spelt), I need to jump through hoops, and one is physio. I can’t do the physio as it puts me out of action completely. And untill I complete the physio, they won’t refer me back to the back hospital. But I can’t do the physio, as I have a life to pay for, which I can’t do if I’m being tortured and in bed for 6 weeks!

I’m sure it’s turning arthritic down there too. ? Keep popping pills and carrying on… My kidneys will give out first I reckon.

[Richard]

Do some research on what you suspect to be wrong and ask the GP to perform the relevant blood tests that can pick up such as arthritis including which type, try to get auto immune issues screened in or out.

I had the same sort of rigmarole between 2002 and 2012 until one of our then GPs organised an MRI as I could only walk with the aid of crutches and my left leg was withering.

I am not sure how you can overcome the physio barrier, though I have found recent physio therapists to have much better targetted routines than they had ~15 years ago. My recent post operative physio was very, very good, though I stuck only to the exact routines and only increased the repetitions when I could meet the progress point without side effects. Other than that I am generally a crap (im)patient whose strong stitches pull out and whose dissolving ones do not dissolve.

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