Well, I am in the same boat, the same part of my body has been affected for the last 6 months. The funny thing is that every MD, nurse, therapist etc. ask whether I am right or left hand dominate (right) and then comment on how fortunate I am that it is not my right hand, I laugh inwardly every time for unless someone has the experience of suffering the use or major limitation of a hand/arm it really makes no difference which side is crippled. In short many thing I once did "right handed', I now do "left handed" because the left cannot play the support role for the right has it always has done.

I have to ask for help from my wife often, cutting food is a big one. MY shoes I just have laced loosely so that I can slip them on. I can tie shoes but not very tight and I avoid it, but when I do I pull the laces tight with my right, then trap the tensioned laces with my left on up the shoe/boot, however, I cannot tie them up tight as I would like.

I cannot fold clothes, typing is very painful, the pain in my finger tips is akin to a small hammer smacking my fingers at every key stroke and the knuckles/wrist ache fiercely. Putting on socks is slow and painful, I cannot squeeze toothpaste from a tube and so on. I cannot carry even 1lb more than a few feet before the pain becomes too intense, so I tuck soft light items under my left arm and trap it against my body


The most important thing I found is to keep at it, keep trying to do those little things with the affected side at every opportunity, stretch and massage your left hand several times a days, make it a habit !