Write Hand Rule

For a - northpaw, I suppose the term would be - being forced to use one's left hand, and only the left hand, has been something of a revelation. Having my handwriting revert to that of my one year old's self was just the start.

For example, do you notice that you usually hold on to an object when writing on it, to keep it steady? I noticed only when I couldn't do it anymore. I had to write lightly to prevent the paper from shifting with the pen's movements. Anchoring it with heavy object only helped a little, so long as the pen moved away from the point where the paper was held down.

But it was labelling small, smooth-surfaced objects, like the ubiquitous Eppendorf tube, where the real problems appeared. At the moment, I tape them down to a vertical surface to keep them still, while I label them laboriously with my left hand, breath held to minimise the shaking of my wrist. But one-handed wrestling with sticky tape brings another set of issues. And no matter how stable the surface, my handwriting remains at the mercy of my poorly-trained left hand.

I've taken to typing up my lab notebook entries - the notebook is meant for future researchers as well as evidence in patent claims, and I hardly think illegible text would facilitate that. But one-handed typing is tiresome in its own right.

This entry, for example. It's hardly long, but already my left shoulder cramps with the effort of covering the entire keyboard on its own.

Take care.