PN and handwriting …

@ray666 Ray, Here it is not PN, but essential tremor that is the culprit - like you, I was always doing my notetaking by hand, and everything was legible. Yesterday I wrote down 4 columns of numbers, and when I went back to add them up, there were several I could not read - and I used to do this all day long. And I was trained as a draftsman back when drawings and all the printing on them was done by hand so my printing was precise, and I hand wrote the labels for all binders, boxes, etc. When I compare things I labeled 40/30/20/10 years ago to today - yikes!
Saturday evening, we were with friends, and one was describing doing the accounting for his now 95 & 100 year-old in-laws - remarking that their formerly precise printing is now getting extremely tiny and illegible. We laughed - I had to take over my Mom's stuff in her 70's because her scribbling was causing me gray hair. So, maybe it isn't just PN or tremor - but a little bit of age as well?

So, all that said, I guess it's not the worst thing to happen, but it sure is frustrating - at least I have a good excuse for not being the note-keeper in meetings!

My writing is smaller & less legible, but I just thought it was related to age. Maybe not.

Hi, Sue (@sueinmn)

You and I have more in common than just our neuro ailments. I, too, trained as a draftsman when I was in high school. Mine was an art school, and those of us in Dr Muller’s drafting workshop called ourselves ‘architecture majors,’ although that was a bit pretentious.

I mention this because I, too, once hand-lettered legends on blueprints so precisely that anyone looking at the blueprints would have assumed the legends were printed by machine. That sure isn’t true any longer!

For years, friends and I were fond of exchanging handwritten letters. That, too, is no longer true. With one exception, my paper-letter correspondents have all either given up writing by hand and instead resorted to email, or given up corresponding altogether (too darn old), or died.

My only remaining letter-writing friend has penmanship resembling mine: squiggly, tiny, sure evidence of aging.

You’re right, though: things could be worse … far worse. Truth to tell, I’d happily have my handwriting go from almost unreadable to totally unreadable if only I could recover some of my youthful balance.

Cheers!
Ray (@ray666)

P.S. You’re right, too, when you point out how poor handwriting can be a big asset at meetings. When the chair asks, ‘Who’d like to be our recorder?’ we can quickly answer back and say, ‘Anyone but me!’

Hi, @kmcain

For a long time, watching my handwriting deteriorate, I flattered myself by saying that the deterioration was not due to age but to my being too darn busy. After I retired, I continued to flatter myself telling myself the same thing, even when I wasn't busy at all. 🙂

Ray (@ray666

My handwriting has ALWAYS been terrible but now it's goten so bad that I try to use talk to yext when I can, or hve someone else write for me

I used to have great penmanship and I used to get asked if I went to Catholic school.
Now that my right hand is numb, I can’t even hold a pen, or sign my name etc.
Very frustrating!

@ray666 Ray - well, another "uh oh" and here I thought it was just getting older that my handwriting is way worse. I'd say about 5 years ago, numbers have become a challenge. I didn't tie it to PN but reading your post, I double checked with my wife, and she said that in 2018, my hands were tested and the neuro doc said I have a slight case of PN in left hand. I'm sure it is in both by now due to normal PN progression. So yes, we can add this to the list. My suggestion, do not write numbers with a pen, use a pencil with a good eraser. Ed

@ray666
I had deteriorating handwriting along with other symptoms and diagnosed with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (spinal cord compression/flattening injury). I would drop things due to weak hands and couldn’t read what I wrote in my checkbook. I used to have very good handwriting. I had ACDF surgery to stop the progression of injury but have residual weakness/numbness in both arms/hands/fingers. I also have idiopathic small fiber neuropathy and told I have PN so believe my upper/lower limb symptoms are a combination of SFN/PN/spinal stenosis/DDD. My recent EMG upper/lower shows bilateral carpal tunnel but believe it is tied to my cervical spine/myelopathy.

Yes, I have experienced the same thing with my handwriting. Like you, it has never been beautiful, but it has deteriorated in the last few years.

PN wiped out my elbows down & knees down, so I’m thankful I even learned how to hold a pen again (and a fork, my toothbrush, and TP 😵‍💫) My handwriting is atrocious; I take so long to write a check legibly that I do all I can electronically.

I believe you said you make to-do lists; I do, and shopping lists too. I’d get to the store and have no idea what a couple items were, so now I text or email myself or spouse the list (typing and spellcheck errors are risky too). So I know PN certainly can affect handwriting but am embracing Siri and Alexa and whoever is inside the GPS in my car.