Ask HN: Just survived cancer, but now disabled, need advice

[xnewwayx]

Hello guys, I in my early 30s, spent 10 years building a career around my small video production company. Just found out I had cancer in May, and spent the whole summer in hospital, went through 2 surgeries and radiotherapy. Luckily I'm fine now, but due to the surgery my right hand is now disabled. I can't work in video production anymore, and frankly I'm depressed and feeling useless. I just want to ask what I should do now. I'm weaker now but I can still use computer with my left hand. I'm not asking for a money making method to get rich, just something to make me feel useful and help pay the bills. (All my savings are spent on the surgeries). Thanks.

[lunixbochs]

Hi, which OS are you on? My free project https://talonvoice.com combines speech recognition, eye tracking, and other novel methods to completely replace keyboard/mouse input for people with hand or other injuries (Windows and Linux support are in beta)

I’ve struggled with hand injuries myself. If you are patient and willing to do some calls / screen sharing and work with me, I’m happy to spend some of my free time with you to see if we can build a workflow for you that enables you to be productive with only one hand.

[xnewwayx]

Hi, thanks but I can still use computer just fine, a tad slower but ok.

[hos234]

Have you thought of Teaching? You could contact schools and orgs that run training/workshops etc and see what full time/part time options are available that suit you. Some of them might have experience with this stuff and might point you in the right direction eg - https://www.inclusionfilms.com

[xnewwayx]

Thanks, I've thought about teaching too.

[saluki]

If you enjoyed video production could you use technology to keep working in video production?

Custom foot pedals, voice to text, mouse with left hand.

Here's a thread on setting up pedals for keyboard input. https://www.reddit.com/r/PUBATTLEGROUNDS/comments/9q4rph/hea...

Glad to hear you are fine now. That's the important thing.

[throwaway8689]

Agree op should look into this. I've had RSI-ish problems and mouse with my non dominant hand was not too hard to learn.

[xnewwayx]

Thanks!

[Meandering]

Have you considered an apprenticeship? I'm sure it isn't ideal for someone who seems to have a lot of drive and probably is use to handling every detail. But, if you can get a recent grad or promising young family-member/friend to join you, there may be ways to adapt. You could step back and focus on clientele and the big picture in addition to fostering someone else.

[xnewwayx]

I'm quitting video production for a change, also harder to cope with deadlines/ stress from work now.

[kresten]

Make a YouTube channel that authentically documents your day to day life.

Your audience would be other people in a similar situation.

Communicate stuff of interest to your audience, get a slab of money from google.

[xnewwayx]

Thinking about that too. Maybe can help inspire others with similar situation.

[anotheryou]

If left hand works well you'll adapt! If it's a bit weak there are some helpers possible.

For fun I changed my keyboard layout to something exotic and felt really handicapped at first (totally self inflicted, and not comparable at all to what you go through mentally). It's OKish after a month, and now I type faster than I ever typed on qwerty.

Mouse:

I think with 30 your brain will adapt very well to your left hand. If it's too weak maybe the fingers can do more work so a trackball or something could work. The switch to the left hand is a brainfuck anyways so it doesn't matter if you also change the device, just settle on one quickly.

If hand/arm are alright, but fingers weak: click with something else (e.g. your foot). I can research or build hardware for that. (cheapest solution: remove all but one key from a keyboard and use a tool to map that key to click)

Keyboard:

The most common fix I think is having a modifier to "mirror" the keyboard. E.g. when you hold space and press a button on the left side of the keyboard it will register the key that is on the right side of the keyboard. There is scripts for this readily available, just let me know if mac or PC and I can find one for you (or you google).

Editing:

For editing you'll need shortcuts. You could either try to change them or find a mouse that has a few more programmable buttons. If neither works you can probably script something.

If everything fails I'll build you bunch of stomp-pedals for the feet that register as a keyboard (like guitarists have; just for shortcuts, not for typing).

[xnewwayx]

Thanks! I'm used to typing and clicking with my left hand now.

[olegious]

Read the story of Rick Allen. He is the drummer for Def Leppard, one of the biggest rock groups in the world at one time. He lost his arm in a car accident and learned to play drums with one arm and a modified drum kit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Allen_(drummer)

[xnewwayx]

Thanks

[rwesty]

You have your left hand free. It's a tough situation and I'm very sorry you are going through this. I would suggest learning to use the computer with your left hand, things will click (excuse the pun), faster than you think. Good luck to you man, wish you the best. What is the name of your company if I ever need video production?

[xnewwayx]

Thanks! I'm used to doing things with my left hand now. Due to stress from the work I plan to sell the company to one of my employees and do something new for a change.

[DoreenMichele]

List of Remote Jobs or Gigs Platforms

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JfNAbUX_lN9K3MCNHO15...

Potentially of interest:

http://writepay.blogspot.com

r/gigworks

r/workingonline

r/freelance

[h2odragon]

Tutoring. Put out flyers / ads for people to come to you and pay $100/hr or whatever to learn the tools and workflow necessary for them to become their own utube star.

It's trite, but I'll say it anyway: dont focus on the things you cant do, focus on the things you can. That can include "working out how to do the old things again now that its harder".

Good luck

[xnewwayx]

Thanks, I like to think like I'm playing a game in harder difficult haha

[equalunique]

You probably have already checked out some ambidextrous mice, but FWIW, this is the left handed mouse I use: Elecom M-XT4DRBK

[xnewwayx]

Thanks, I still use my old mouse, just swap the buttons.

[tartoran]

First wait to gain your strength back, it will come back soon. Then think of your alternatives. You could eventually go back to your old self but you have the opportunity to leverage this experience in your future decisions. They say for a reason “what doesn’t kill makes one stronger” for a reason. Wish you the best!!!

[xnewwayx]

Thank you, I'm trying to leverage this situation too. Maybe it's a turning point for something better.

[th582ujdj]

On the bright side, it will be easy for you to jump the line for Superhuman email if you hit them up.

[agustif]

You could hire interns/apprentices to click and type for you, some coders do this.

[xnewwayx]

I can manage to use the computer, just find it hard to cope with the stress