I NEED YOUR HELP, PLEASE!!!!

Barefoot TJ

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Staff member
Mar 5, 2010
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As some of you know, I have developed a bad case of tunnal carpal syndrome in my left arm from my wrist to my under arm triggered by the reaction I had to the antibiotics, yes, more tendon damage, and it doesn't help that I am on the keyboard for hours on end (although, I have probably crept my typing speed up to 100 wpm. Hee.). It's strange that my feet are getting better, and my arm is getting worse, but then through this healing period, I have used my arms/hands/fingers to type, but stayed off my feet most of that time.


I am in a great deal of pain while trying to type just this, and daily while trying to keep the site and the club going. What I do requires several hours on the keyboard each day. Until I can get the inflammation down in my left arm, I don't really know how I will be able to keep up. I would like to reserve most of my typing for growing the chapters and replying to member's posts, since I think the member's posts may just be the most personal contribution to this site I can make. I have many jobs here at the BRS, and they all involve my communicating with people through the keyboard. I am not asking for you to take on all of these jobs, just one...


I am needing help with someone taking over the news on the front page. You need organizational skills, a writing ability, and a desire to help. Basically, you add a Member Profile of the Week and Member Blog of the Week every Monday, which I will send to you. For the Member Profile, you write an article about the member being profiled. And you try to add one fresh story per day. At this point, I would accept just two new stories per week and the two Member features. Normally, these things come from member's race reports or other things I find and work on to produce.


If you would be interested but think for even just a moment, you will not be able to follow through and maintain this effort for at least two months, then please do not apply. I would rather not have to go through multiple people to find someone who could help out. At the same time, if you like it down the road, it could turn into something long-term, if you wanted it to. I really need help in this area. The pain is quite intense at times. It would really help to have someone else do some of the site's typing and inputting because it is critical that we keep the site fresh with new information and keep the membership growing.


Of course, as always, it's a voluntary position, and either you or I can end the relationship at any time for any reason...no hard feelings.


Thanks for your consideration.


TJ


[email protected]
 
P.S.  Please excuse me if I

P.S. Please excuse me if I cannot get a new Member Profile or Member Blog added to the News Show this week. We'll catch up soon. I promise.
 
I can help you with typing-

I can help you with typing- let me know what I can do. I'm on the computer all day at work, and could work on things during lunch/after hours (I disconnected my home computer).
 
I'll PM you.  Thank you.

I'll PM you. Thank you.
 
I guess that's better than

I guess that's better than hot beans. Hee.
 
I've spent the past hour

I've spent the past hour learning my Windows speech recognition software. Hopefully, this will help me.
 
Aww, hope it goes away fast

Aww, hope it goes away fast TJ. I would volunteer but I suck pretty bad at writing...



Anyway, the main reason for my comment is (not to clutter an important thread, though I am pretty good at it) but to recommend you look into proper typing ergonomics... Not typing would probably be best. But as long as you have to/want to type, good ergonomics certainly can't hurt.
 
Yes, I had thought about

Yes, I had thought about getting a good work surface, but I have to experiment with what will work for me, cause less pain.
 
Hey people, I just wanted to

Hey people, I just wanted to step in here and add a little emphasis to TJ's request for help. You know, like when you're listening to the public radio fund drive and you think it's going to end and go back to the program and then that OTHER guy comes on with a whole new guilt trip/sales pitch?

Anyway, we users of the site know just how useful and positive a place this can be. Where else can we get tips on technique, gruesome injury photos, even more gruesome photos of homemade shoes, maddening music suggestions (peaceKaren grrrrrrrrr.....) and pictures of Marilyn Monroe's dirty feet (Longboard do you have a file of these things)?

But gettting all this up and running has been a ton of work, and keeping it going is going to require some people to step up. This is especially important because founders of organizations tend to get tired after a while. They can't do it all alone.

The best way to help is to make a commitment you can actually fulfill. Some little job that you can work out with TJ, like the one she wrote about... doing one Member Profile or Member Blog of the week. Or some other task. It doesn't need to be gigantic, but the important thing is that you be able to do it reliably, so that TJ (or whoever) can cross it off their list.

I've tried to do this in my own small way, creating the Library section and the "minimal shoe standard" drafts.

Please join me in adding to this community.

Stomper

ps. now back to hacking Longboard's IP address, looking for that stash of pictures.
 
Thank you for that, Stomper.

Thank you for that, Stomper.
 
TJ:  I used to be able to

TJ:

I used to be able to listen to a guy named Pete Egoscue on the local radio. He advocated healing body issues by working on realignment of the 8 major core points through gentle movements (much like Yoga). He wrote a number of books, all based around the theme "Pain Free". You can do a websearch and find out more about him and his programs.


One of the things he used to do on the radio program is invite people to call in with their questions about pain issues, and he would instruct them to do some simple movements right there. In most cases, their pain immediately disappeared, and Pete would tell them "See? You are NOT broken! There is nothing wrong with your body! You don't need surgery! You just to need a little bit of re-alignment!"

He spoke often of carpal tunnel syndrome, and how it was NOT a problem with the tendons in the wrist at all --- it was a nerve problem in the shoulder that manifested as wrist pain! One simple exercise he recommended to alleviate the problem was this:

1. Stand with your back to a wall, heels touching the wall, shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly inward.

2. With your butt touching the wall, let your stomach relax and let your belly sag naturally. The small of your back will curve and won't touch the wall. Let the back of your head touch the wall or get it as close to the wall as you comfortably can.

3. With your shoulder blades touching the wall, raise both arms above your head, arms straight, and try to press the backs of your wrists against the wall at the 12:00 position straight above your head. If your wrists can't touch the wall, don't overly force them -- gently press them towards the wall. Press and hold for 15 - 20 seconds.

4. Move your straight arms down to 11:00 and 1:00 positions. Press the backs of your wrists against the wall or in the direction of the wall and hold for 15 to 20 seconds.

5. Repeat with your arms at 10:00 and 2:00 positions like above. Repeat with your arms at 9:00 and 3:00 positions.

The whole routine should only take a minute or two.

Repeat this routine several times a day. Gradually it will be easier to touch the wall.

This will realign your shoulders, helping to take the pressure off the nerves and removing the pain and inflammation in the wrists!


IN ADDITION:


Throughout the day, be aware of your upper back shape - Is it held up erect with your shoulders pulled back (good!) or is it rounded and slumped with your shoulders hanging forward (bad!).

While seated in front of your computer, keep your head erect and your shoulders pulled back (think of folding your "wings" (scapulas) in). In fact, try to keep those "wings" folded in all the time -- when standing, walking, and running! Don't let your shoulders roll forward, rounding your upper back.

ANOTHER EXECISE:

Pete Egoscue almost always includes the "invisible chair" exercise with all of his treatment plans. This is where you stand with your back against the wall and slowly slide your back down as you inch your feet forward until you are in or close to a "seated" position. Don't wear slippery socks for this one! Once in the seated position, hold it for as long as you can, until your thigh muscles are burning. Its important here to remember to relax your stomach and lower back as above. Let your stomach hang naturally, relaxed, allowing your lower back to arch. Don't hold it in!



I strongly believe doing these things will really help alleviate your wrist problems. Hey - it doesn't cost anything and it can't really hurt, can it? If it doesn't work - you always have the conventional slice and dice treatment surgeons love to do. :Sp



Ryan in Vancouver, WA
 
Ryan -- That's really good

Ryan -- That's really good stuff.

I'm glad to see you're posting on the BRS forum now. A few years ago, some of your posts about starting barefoot running really resonated with me. Especially, about running in place, and then going from there.
 
I shall get off my heiney

I shall get off my heiney right now and go try it. Isn't that cute? The computer spelled heiney. :cool:
 
It creeps out my kids. 

It creeps out my kids. They're like, "You talkin' to me? Because the program starts by your saying, "Start listening." It really confuses them when I say, "Stop listening." Ha! It actually remembers how I say something and if it gets it wrong and I correct it, it will get it right the next time. Cool, huh?
 
OK, Ryan.  I did those

OK, Ryan. I did those exercises, and I was able to keep my heiney, my shoulder blades, and my head against the wall with no problems. The sitting one was a bit difficult for me, since I haven't run very much since the middle of March. I have lost much strength all over, and I'll have a lot of work to do to rebuild my strength.

Thank you for the exercises. I will try to do them several times every day and let you know how I progress.
 
TJ, I just saw this.I am

TJ, I just saw this.

I am home most of the day with my kids. I can help out around here. I'm not a big one for typing as I get distracted too easily with a 3 year old and a 16 month old. Let me know what I can do though!
 
Barefoot TJ wrote:It creeps

Barefoot TJ said:
It creeps out my kids. They're like, "You talkin' to me? Because the program starts by your saying, "Start listening." It really confuses them when I say, "Stop listening." Ha! It actually remembers how I say something and if it gets it wrong and I correct it, it will get it right the next time. Cool, huh?



That is pretty cool. Are you starting to talk like a robot to your kids. Start listening Go clean your room exclamation point And don't shove it all under your bed period stop listening.
 
 Spam? Are you paying BRS to

Spam? Are you paying BRS to advertise?