Left-hand mouse

With my right elbow still painful and aggravated by using a mouse, I’ve moved the mouse over to the left of the computer.  I’m trying very hard to get used to using it left-handed, but it’s making for more slightly-bitter laughs than productive work.  Mouse actions you’d take for granted have become a conscious effort, at best slower than usual, and at worst it becomes quite an effort to click on the right icon or link, or cut&paste.  I’m sure that’ll improve with time.

Meanwhile, I also catch myself reverting to my natural state: subconsciously moving the mouse back to its normal place, and once even reaching over with the right hand to use the mouse while the left hand remained on the keyboard, before correcting myself.

Yesterday morning I also went to NHS Direct and used their online self-diagnosis tool.  It told me to go and see my GP, so I went and asked for an appointment.  To my surprise, they gave me one that very afternoon!  The quack diagnosed tennis elbow which came as no surprise.  He also said it’s a very common affliction, and that most sufferers are not tennis players 😮 .  He gave me an exercise to help improve it, and suggested it might take about six weeks to go away.

I guess that’s time to become ambidextrous with the mouse.  Could be a useful skill for the future!