When Life Tries to Tell You Something (What does a hand affliction mean?)

Am looking for input on what a sudden onset of a physical affliction may mean.

Besides the obvious physiological causes- the medical side, got that covered.

What I hope to gain from the ATS contributors is ideas as to what may be a point being driven by the Universe/Lifeforce/God/Spiritual Selves/Universal Goodness/Subconscious Actualization. What does a hand problem so intense it renders the limb useless mean?

I'm not giving more details until after some replies, hoping there are some. Keeping it vague until the community-farming for insight from like-minded people is fruitful! I have a hunch that experiences of physical nature are sometimes more.

What does a hand mean? Loss of function of a hand? Please think metaphorically, symbolically, broadly, then we'll narrow it down
Thank you for your time!
Kkrattiger in NM

reply to post by kkrattiger


Carpal Tunnel.

It may be time for a girlfriend? JK


IDK perhaps life is saying not to do something like just go out and grab it maybe its a stoppage that is forcing to think about other apparent issues you may not coherently see yet but its that important you have to grasp it before finding it the hard way. Just a thought.

reply to post by kkrattiger

There is something you have been meaning to do. Something you have put off, where you have denied your inner knowing of what you must do. Your sense of guilt has left you punishing yourself by denying you use of the limb that you feel should be busy doing... whatever it is.

Maybe?

Forgive yourself.

Do you have feeling in it?

reply to post by kkrattiger


This may have nothing to do with the hand.

Life has a way of getting our attention and many times it is through pain of some sort.

Open your mind and senses and whatever you are to notice will come to you.

Peace

reply to post by new_here


The pain is my dad's. His hand has been incapacitated since Dec 17. I am feeling frustrated with the speed of recovery & his attitude towards the process. He is not elderly.

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. This is the kind of response I'm hoping for.

Brotherman
"...but its that important you have to grasp it before finding it the hard way. Just a thought."

Wow, and yours is better than mine.
Did you intentionally use the "grasp" pun?
If you didn't, I think your higher self did.

The left side of the body pertains to feminine qualities ( nurturing,etc.) and also the females in your life, as mother/sister/daughter/female boss,etc.

The right side pertains to the masculine aspect, and its qualities/people.

If your dominant hand is affected, are you afraid to reach for something? Engaged in work you don't believe in/fell right doing? Stifling talents?
Does your hand being affected keep you from doing something you need/should, but don't want to do?

Are you getting attention from those who normally hardly notice you?

reply to post by dizziedame


Thank you for the response.

The speed of onset and the nature of the affliction are what have suggested to me, upon reflecting after helping deal with the issue with my dad for 3 wks, that it may be indeed as you said
-a way of getting his attention,
which could hopefully lead to productive introspection & action in some life section

Anyone else?

HAND SYMBOLISM
METAPHORS USING A HAND

Thank you for the consideration, all. I appreciate having a place to share this & ask for input.

reply to post by Brotherman


After my initial negative reaction to the joke (I am a girl), I read your reply again and find valuable the thought of needing to grasp something nonphysical & being sidelined to gain the time to ruminate.

Thanks!

reply to post by nugget1


Another quality respnse. Am feeling heartened by the input of people like yourself.
Am going to bed now but will reread your post and reply again.
It's his nondominate, left hand.

Thank you, ATS

reply to post by kkrattiger


The entire hand or just part, because there are different nerve tunnels in the neck, shoulder, elbow and wrist that control different aspects of reduced to zero mobility and feeling.

Cheers - Dave

kkrattiger
reply to post by new_here

 

The pain is my dad's.

Just to clarify... is there physical pain in the hand, or are you referring to the painfulness of the experience he is having?

His hand has been incapacitated since Dec 17. I am feeling frustrated with the speed of recovery & his attitude towards the process.

Attitude of reluctance/disbelief? (fear of failure) ...or resigned to his fate/hopelessness? (doesn't feel he is deserving)

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. This is the kind of response I'm hoping for.

Don't mention it.
Can you think of ANYTHING he might be 'holding back on' accomplishing?

I am feeling frustrated

I can understand. It must be so hard to watch unfold. He picks up on that, though. He doesn't show it much, but he may develop a subconscious need to 'prove' to you the recovery process is as useless as his hand, and thwart his own healing (without even realizing it.)

Does he have feeling in the hand at all?

reply to post by kkrattiger


I sorry about cracking a joke it was a 50/50 and if you were a guy was hoping you would've found some humor in it we can still be pals right? I did think about what you were asking though, it occured to me that your body does ache when it is telling you something even though nothing is truly physically wrong. Kind of like knowing your about to get into something dangerous and that pit in your stomach drops or the reactions you have when terribly nervous. Those are extremes of course but if something someone knows for whatever reason there may be a way the mind is using the body to illustrate something by mind body cohesion type deal. Its of course only relative to the individual perhaps the hand means more then just a hand in its symbology the mind its attached to sees? Just a thought.

kkrattiger
reply to post by Brotherman

 

After my initial negative reaction to the joke (I am a girl), I read your reply again...

Haha, I did the same thing for the same reason. Brotherman, there are Sisterwomen in the room, LoL...

HAND SYMBOLISM
METAPHORS USING A HAND

Can't "handle" something.
Gotta "hand" it to ya. (conceding another person's worth)
Threw in his "hand" (gave up)
Can't "grasp" something.
"Handy" (like skilled or helpful) Which would mean he isn't feeling it. (Skilled/helpful, that is- although he isn't feeling his hand either!)

Found this interesting. Can't source it b/c it's part of a thesaurus feature on my Mac...

(Hands) control, power, charge, authority; command, responsibility, guardianship, management, care, supervision, jurisdiction; possession, keeping, custody; clutches, grasp, thrall; disposal; say-so.

Lastly, I found the following here: Link

When things get out of control, we say they are out of hand. When we want to take control, we try to get a grip, or get a handle on things. When we are missing a view of fundamental reality, we say we are out of touch. When we are likely to say something, truthful, but possibly embarrassing, our mothers tell us to sit on our hands. This last one describes the interesting relationship between the hands and speech. Stifle the hands and the mouth is mute...

reply to post by new_here


When I think about my hands I think it is most closely attached to creation.

Brotherman
reply to post by new_here

 

When I think about my hands I think it is most closely attached to creation.

You know, I have to agree with you here.
That and carrying/holding things.

I often find myself saying to myself "I just can't handle this anymore" - and I try to catch myself and counter that thought - because it is such a strong image that I don't want it to materialize in a physical way.

"I can't handle it"
"I can't take this"
"I can't hold on anymore"
"I don't want to handle this"

reply to post by kkrattiger


I feel it means that one has worn one's own hand/hands out with doing too much - both in the world of work and also for other people. It seems to be a message that one needs to throttle back and by taking the use of one's hands away - temporarily or
permanently one is given the time to sit and contemplate one's actions and look to balance one's life better.

It also may mean that one is suddenly incapacitated perhaps and must let others in to help.

reply to post by new_here


"Gotta "hand" it to ya. (conceding another person's worth)
Threw in his "hand" (gave up)
Can't "grasp" something.
"Handy" (like skilled or helpful) Which would mean he isn't feeling it. (Skilled/helpful, that is- although he isn't feeling his hand either!)

Found this interesting. Can't source it b/c it's part of a thesaurus feature on my Mac...

(Hands) control, power, charge, authority; command, responsibility, guardianship, management, care, supervision, jurisdiction; possession, keeping, custody; clutches, grasp, thrall; disposal; say-so.


Lastly, I found the following here: Link

When things get out of control, we say they are out of hand. When we want to take control, we try to get a grip, or get a handle on things. When we are missing a view of fundamental reality, we say we are out of touch. When we are likely to say something, truthful, but possibly embarrassing, our mothers tell us to sit on our hands. This last one describes the interesting relationship between the hands and speech. Stifle the hands and the mouth is mute..."



This is fantastic. Very very helpful. I'm so glad I made this tgread on ATS.


For everyone:
Week of Dec 17 my dad's hand swelled up to twice it's size. Dr at hospital in our small town sent him to a larger hospital 100 mi away. Home after the night. Days later back in the large hospital, this time staying for a week (I spent Christmas Eve & Day there with him)...
Discharged after days of IV antibiotics. Dr had decided after 3 days of iv A.bs to surgically excise some of the stuff causing swelling. No abcesses found on 2 MRIs. Cultures from hand surgery grew nothing (iv ab's had probably killed the infection).
He was in intolerable pain the whole time. 9 or 10 in the scale. 2 iv pain meds. Now, today, it only just started to go down in swelling on last Friday. He has been absent from the office for 3 weeks, longedt he's ever gone since starting the co. in 1979. Been on the couch in living room laid up. Must elevate his hand above his heart so it looks like he's pledging allegiance when we're eating out or out n about.