hand/arm amputees in hand-shaking situations
Freelance224
extend their hand out to you to shake hands, sometimes before they realize
you're missing yours.
I'm a free-lance writer who for magazines on health issues. I'm also working on
a novel on the side, and in the current draft one of the minor characters
doesn't have hands. She often uses hooks, but in certain situations goes out
without.
I'd also be interested in other potentially awkward social situations for arm
or hand amputees. Any insights would be much appreciated, so I can round out
this character and make her realistic. You could reply either here or via
e-mail.
Many thanks,
Ann Dexter
Glenn Woodell
says...
>
>I'm wondering about common ways of dealing with situations in which people
>extend their hand out to you to shake hands, sometimes before they realize
>you're missing yours.
I know this is not what you are asking but when I have slow danced I have
warned my partner to tell me if I step on their foot because I cannot tell if I
do.
Glenn
Dlbelfrey
>extend their hand out to you to shake hands, sometimes before they realize
>you're missing yours.
I have met several fellow amps, both male and female who are RBE or RAE and a
couple of folks who are bilateral arm amps, most have worn a prosthetesis.
Upon first meeting and not noticing, which does happen, I have found that they
will either offer the arm with the prosthesis or if not wearing one they will
offer the left hand for that friendly shake. As for meeting a person for the
1st time, who is a bilateral not wearing a prosthesis, I haven't run into that
situation. I would expect that maybe a half bow or nod of the head towards the
person offering the hand would suffice.
Hope this is of some help.
Debbie
redbeard_nv
wound shake with his left, often taking both left or right hand if
offered to him. I had a friend in college who was a forearm amputeee
who did the same thing.
For even further info, look for a 1976 book called "Jay J.Armes:
Detective". Armes as a child had both hands blown off by a railroad
torpedo. He became a very sucessful private investigator with a pair
of Boston Arms attached to his residual limbs (One interesting photo
shows him with a pair of artificial hands he wore when doing an
undercover investigation for the Army). You may also remember him as a
limbless assasin in an old episode of "Hawaii Five-O". They nicknamed
this guy the real life 6 Million Dollar Man. He even had an action
figure made for him.
http://www.bigredtoybox.com/articles/jjarmesindex.shtml
As far as handshakes, it depends on the comfort level of the
individual. The other day, I was in my wheelchair (I am a very recent
RBK) on line for a buiffet in one of the local casinos. The line
wrapped around several times, so people obviously got a good look at
my rather large, ungainly temporary prostethsis. I could see their
eyes go to the steel shaft and rubber foot and their faces turn
slightly grim or embarassed when they realised I caught them looking.
But I was with my wife, grandchildren, several cousins and a great
aunt, etc. and was having the time of my life, so I had a very big
smile across my face. That I think said volumes about my comfort
level, which disarmed their worries and I got a lot of smiles back.
Personality and attitude can change a lot of peoples ideas.
Bob L.
Steve84
or if the person puts their right hand out I just shake that with my left hand. I
have never worn a prosthesis and there is no benefit to making an issue out of it.
Just shake whatever hand the other person sticks out and move on.
Steve
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