In Praise of the Left Hand
A letter written by one of our patients
This column will be very brief. I am writing it with my left hand. About 72 hours ago, Dr. Alejandro Badia operated on my right hand, and it is now bandaged. The procedure was to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as tendonitis in the middle finger. It would be helpful for readers to better understand the causes and treatments of these very common ailments, which are easy to diagnose and treat in the hands of specialized physicians. They can do so, for example, by visiting the page http://www.drbadia.com, belonging to Dr. Badia, one of the five physicians at the Miami Hand Center, where I have received very professional and compassionate care at all times.
The operation is what they call minor surgery. But not quite as minor as I might have thought. Otherwise, I would have written this column before the surgical procedure and would not now be going through so much trouble. Three days with very limited use of my right hand have increased my admiration for people with disabilities who, through determination, manage to remain useful and independent. I have experienced countless difficulties, not only in dressing and eating, but even in simple activities such as opening an envelope, a box of cereal, or a bottle of medicine. On the first day, it was even difficult to turn the pages of the newspaper. However, I have discovered that with patience and the help of my teeth, nose, elbow, or foot, many things can be done with the left hand. With it, I have wanted to write this column, even if it takes me the entire afternoon. I feel satisfied with myself that, except for a few errands my daughters have helped me with, I have been able to manage on my own. It is true that with each passing day I improve considerably, and I am confident that tomorrow or the day after I will be able to type on the computer with both hands. A well-known cardiologist, also a patient of Dr. Badia, was back in the operating room just one week after surgery on both hands—this time as the surgeon—performing open-heart procedures. Without a doubt, it is worth enduring a few days of discomfort to eliminate the possibility of far worse damage.
I am making the effort to write today as a way of trying, even if only for a few hours, to experience what life is like for people with disabilities and to better understand them. I also wish to express my recognition and gratitude to the scientific researchers and physicians dedicated to caring for our health, such as Dr. Badia and his team.
This column is also a tribute to the left hand, so little appreciated by those of us who use the right one. We do not exercise it enough, which is why it is harder for us to manage with it, but in this case it has served me well. Of a good diplomat and mediator we say that he has a “left hand.” It is a fitting expression because the left hand, even with limited strength, manages to be useful in difficult situations. Less decisive and confident than the right, in the end it proves to be just as effective.
Given the always dramatic events taking place around the world that fill the news every day—and which I could have commented on—it might seem that I have not used this space well. Forgive me, reader. I hope that at least this column will make you reflect, as I have during these days, on how many blessings we have that we are barely aware of. The first of these, without a doubt, is health.
