It is Thanksgiving time again, which is an extra special time for me personally. It was fourteen years ago at about this time that I underwent my hemispherectomy. It’s hard to believe that it has been so long, but I have discovered a lot of handy gadgets and tricks to help me out in life, and I would be honored to share with everyone!
There are a lot of things that exist out there that make living with one hand so much easier. One of the best things I have found has got to be dycem, it comes in handy for many things because it holds things still. That way, when I am trying to stir pancake batter (I love pancakes!), the bowl does not go flying across the room and make a big mess! I have also found a one handed can opener that I have had for many many years. It is a Black and Decker cordless can opener. It is easy to use and when it was new it had a magnet on it to lift the lid. Nowadays I believe that they have “hands free” can openers, but I still like my older one.
There are many catalogues in existence that are not meant specifically for adaptive household gear, but they have helpful things in them. For example I was able to find a stand that holds my hair dryer so I can style my hair and also I fond a lotion applier that has a long handle so I can get my back. The most recent gadget I found is one that opens soup containers since the metal tabs are so popular nowadays. I put a piece of dycem between my legs so that the container holds still, and I use my soup opening device to get the cans open. It is a simple tool that basically looks like Captain Hook’s hook, but it has a slit at the end of it. These gadgets are hard to describe, but I would be happy to send pictures or catalogue information to anyone. I hope I helped!
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About Me
- Hemi Foundation
- Northfield, Vermont, United States
- Hello all! My name is Alaina Clements and I have been given a fantastic opportunity by the Hemispherectomy Foundation to write to you in this column chronicling my life after a hemispherectomy. I hail from the beautiful state of Vermont where I have lived pretty much since I was born. I am excited and much honored to be able to share my life and experiences with all who want to listen. I had the right half of my brain removed when I was seven, and now, at twenty-one, I am seven months away from graduating from Johnson State College with a B.F.A in Creative Writing. I am very excited to graduate, and also kind of nervous about what the future holds. I can, however, remember a time when it was very uncertain how my life would turn out, but everything has been just fine so far. My family has been very supportive of me in all of my endeavors and I am very grateful. Now that I have told you a little bit about myself, I want to let you know that I am open to conversation and to answering any questions that you may have.