It's a good thing I was never good at photography....

[pjaye]

Yes, the title is said with a bit of sarcasm.

I've been in incredible pain with my arms and hands. I had to go today for testing, best outcome would have been carpal tunnel and surgery. Worst outcome, something that can't be fixed.

I have a degenerative muscle issue in my arms. Can't be fixed. It's just going to get worse and the pain will also get worse. I currently have problems with dropping things, my fingers joints swell and the pain on most days is about a 7.

There is absolutely nothing they can do except to see if physio might help a little. So, not sure what I do now. The diagnosis I think hasn't sunk in yet and I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with it. I think knowing that eventually I will have to give up photography is what hurts the most. It's been my therapy for years and one of the things that helped when the bipolar was at it's worst. Incredibly sad at the moment and the diagnosis really shocked me. So not what I was expecting.

Any prayers/positive thoughts, funny jokes would be much appreciated at the moment.

 

[PixelRabbit]

Aw Barb, (hug). So sorry to hear this, I know what it is like to get a diagnosis that you feel helpless about. Please remember there will be ways to continue with your photography, DIY rigs to help hold the camera if a time comes that you need help, I'm positive the forum would be able to collaborate and figure out how to create the tools you may need to continue doing what you love.

 

[Designer]

Thinking of you! :hug::

 

[JustJazzie]

So sorry you had such a shock this morning! Im not familiar with your setup, but could a swap to mirrorless be in order?

If that doesnt help, then I hear you can use google glass to take pictures with mind control. ;-)

 

[SnappingShark]

There's always tripod shooting!

or this.

 

[tirediron]

I'm very sorry to hear this Barb - however there are lots of things; tripods, remote releases, etc that may make things easier, and in the meantime, I'll send Robbins over to be your photo-monkey!

 

[pjaye]

Aw Barb, (hug). So sorry to hear this, I know what it is like to get a diagnosis that you feel helpless about. Please remember there will be ways to continue with your photography, DIY rigs to help hold the camera if a time comes that you need help, I'm positive the forum would be able to collaborate and figure out how to create the tools you may need to continue doing what you love.

Thank you. I know it's not the end of the world and I'll hopefully figure something out. Scott is pretty handy and not adverse to slugging my gear around for me. I think I just didn't expect this to be the issue and was really shocked. I'm not hanging the camera up just yet. :hug::

 

[pjaye]

Thinking of you! :hug::

Thank you. :hug::

 

[pjaye]

There's always tripod shooting!

or this.

View attachment 81444

I have something that looks like that! Unfortunately, it's a flash drive I've been using the tripod. I hate the tripod. But I'm working on it. Just have to adapt.

 

[pjaye]

So sorry you had such a shock this morning! Im not familiar with your setup, but could a swap to mirrorless be in order?

If that doesnt help, then I hear you can use google glass to take pictures with mind control. ;-)

I have a Nikon 7100. The issue is lifting any weight in my arms. My hands are going completely numb and if they aren't doing that, the pain is tremendous. But I'm all over those google glasses!

 

[pjaye]

I'm very sorry to hear this Barb - however there are lots of things; tripods, remote releases, etc that may make things easier, and in the meantime, I'll send Robbins over to be your photo-monkey!

LOL Does he know you're sending him over? That would just thrill me to death! As I said in a reply to someone else, I'm working on the tripod. I really hate it, but if that's my option, then I'll learn to love the damn thing. I have a remote too. I'm just going to have to adapt. I can do that.

 

[tirediron]

I'm very sorry to hear this Barb - however there are lots of things; tripods, remote releases, etc that may make things easier, and in the meantime, I'll send Robbins over to be your photo-monkey!

LOL Does he know you're sending him over? That would just thrill me to death! As I said in a reply to someone else, I'm working on the tripod. I really hate it, but if that's my option, then I'll learn to love the damn thing. I have a remote too. I'm just going to have to adapt. I can do that.

No, not yet, but if you just make a noise like a wounded banana, he'll find you in a heartbeat!

 

[sm4him]

Wow, sorry to hear that and you will definitely be in my prayers as you begin to adjust to this "new" future.

I am currently reading a book called "Until I Say Goodbye--A Book About Living" by Susan Spencer-Wendel. It's a book about her journey to live fully in the face of a diagnosis of ALS. I'm not that far into it yet, but I've found it an interesting perspective on how to face difficult diagnoses positively. I started reading it because I'm searching for any books that might help me better minister to my friend who lost her husband so unexpectedly a few months ago.
It might be worth a read for you.

I hope that you're able to figure out ways to continue doing photography, but more than that, I hope that you are able to find and embrace the many joys of life no matter what happens with your arms and hands.

 

[Derrel]

Sorry to hear about the doctor's visit, Barb. But give up photography? NO! No way lady! You're gonna figure out a way to do it DIFFERENTLY, not just quit it! Helmet camera, chest-mounted camera, shooting with a flip-screen camera hung from your neck, or strapped to your forearm, whatever. You can still partake in photography. I saw a wheelchair guy a few years ago with a serious probably C5 spinal cord injury, meaning his hands had very,very limited functionality,and he had a bracket mounted to his wheelchair. His hands were little more than flippers, as is a common term in the para/quad community (believe me, I actually know this from experience) for the resulting hand function that remains after a C5 level spinal cord injury, and yet he was still shootin' photos. You probably will need to adapt or change equipment so that it matches your specific needs, but I am pretty confident that one can still do photography with a wide variety of physical challenges.

"It's not over until it's OVER!"

 

[pjaye]

I'm very sorry to hear this Barb - however there are lots of things; tripods, remote releases, etc that may make things easier, and in the meantime, I'll send Robbins over to be your photo-monkey!

LOL Does he know you're sending him over? That would just thrill me to death! As I said in a reply to someone else, I'm working on the tripod. I really hate it, but if that's my option, then I'll learn to love the damn thing. I have a remote too. I'm just going to have to adapt. I can do that.

No, not yet, but if you just make a noise like a wounded banana, he'll find you in a heartbeat!

Someone is going to have to tell me what a wounded banana sounds like Maybe if I dress up in a gorilla costume?