Day 6/245

I'm starting to establish some good habits. Already, I've got my left hand reaching for the toothbrush without having to think about it. I'm doing dishes with it too, and of course, I haven't written with my right hand in about a week now.

There's a lot more to do, though, old habits to break that I don't even realize I have. One problem that I keep running into is that everything is on the wrong side. I'm not really talking about the usual lefty complaints, like that the CD-ROM is on the wrong side, or that scissors won't work, or whatever. I'm talking about the things I can fix, like what side of my sink the soap is on, or where I keep the remote control.

I find myself having to rearrange half my life, and the new position isn't always as convenient. I'm not sure how much of what I'm experiencing is right handed ergonomics, and how much is my natural clumsiness with that side of my body. In a way, though, it doesn't matter. I've got to be able to deal with the world as it is, and as I increase my dexterity, I'll get used to the ergonomics and cure the clumsiness.

I'm having to retrain my right hand too, since it's not used to the support role. My usual tactic is to do something the way I'm used to and observe it, then try to mirror it. Ofter that results in my right hand trying to do its usual thing from the other side, but that's an impulse I have to resist.

Meanwhile, writing is going pretty well. My handwriting has improved even over this last week, although I still have to remember not to bear down so hard. Also, my handwriting degrades exponentially when I'm put into an awkward situation, like holding the paper in my other hand instead of at a desk. Still, it will come.