To meet deadlines, I have to be proactive with managing hypopara

Having two writing jobs is my literal dream. If only 12-year-old Heather — who used to write stories in the margins of her textbooks — could see me now!

Writing jobs, by nature, do come with the dreaded D-word: deadline. I thrive off of external deadlines, but my emotional joy at meeting them comes with one very big physical obstacle: my hypoparathyroidism.

Typing is a physically repetitive action, which is ripe for leading to muscle spasms, one of my biggest hypopara symptoms. Even healthy writers have stories of typing-related injuries from not properly caring for their body while drafting novels. After two decades with hypopara and a history of ignoring pain until it was extremely bad — I highly recommend not doing that — I have what I refer to as a haunted left arm. My left shoulder and upper arm are consistently in low-level spasms that increase in severity and scope whenever I type at high-output levels.

My solutions so far include long-term physical and massage therapy, chiropractic care, and a hard limit of how many words I type per week, which makes book progress slow but steady. But what happens when I don’t have the luxury of time?

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Deadlines necessitate certain adjustments

In my book life, I’ve been presented with an incredibly rare opportunity that I don’t want to miss, but it does mean writing at a faster pace than my body usually tolerates. Just because I want to double my typing speed doesn’t mean I can without consequences. Over the last few weeks, I’ve made some adjustments that have improved my pain levels.

I started with recommitting to my physical therapy goals. I go to the office once a week so my therapist can release my tight and achy muscles, and then I do strengthening exercises at home to help mitigate spasms. After two years, however, I’ve been slacking a bit. With the help of brightly colored sticky note reminders and a daily alarm, I’ve returned to my optimal exercise routine.

Next, I rearranged my workspace. I love slouching on the couch and typing with my wrists at an odd angle while “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” plays in the background. This position, while fun, is officially off the table. No more slouching, no more incorrectly positioned wrists. Instead, I returned to my recliner, which I paired with a rollaway desk.

I’m unable to use regular office chairs, since the angle of the chairs leaves me with muscle spasms in my lower back. My recliner, which allows me to shift angles regularly and is well padded, has alleviated a significant amount of pain. The angle at which I’m typing is just as important as how I’m seated, and variety is key. As soon as one way feels achy, I shift.

Sometimes, I type with my laptop on the desk or on my legs, but if either the angle of the keys or the weight of the computer starts causing pain, I’ve found a wireless keyboard to be the solution. With the featherlight keyboard balanced on my legs and the weight of the computer on my desk, it’s been my favorite way to type on long drafting days.

I try to rotate between typing and using the dictation tool in my writing software. Dictation, where the computer translates spoken sentences into typed words, is not easy. The software’s inaccuracies, combined with learning how to share what I see in my head verbally, has been a huge learning curve. But once I get a rhythm going, it’s very handy for comedic and dialogue-heavy scenes.

I must also note my ongoing relationship with four heating pads. It is routine for me to have one near my chair for my hips and shoulders during the day. At night, I wrap my arms, shoulders, neck, and hips in heat before doing my physical therapy stretches and using my massage gun. I also have an ice roller ball that I keep in the freezer to run over my aching hands and wrists.

At the time of this writing, I’m just over 30% through my book, which is manageable for the moment. My muscle spasms have increased, but the pain isn’t prohibitive. Hopefully, the steps I’ve taken to ease the repercussions of an intense writing schedule will allow me to keep working until I type my two favorite words: The End.

Note: Hypoparathyroidism News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Hypoparathyroidism News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to hypoparathyroidism.