Short intro and longer question
 

I have lurked much since diagnosis, so I hope a short intro with longer question is ok. :o

I've been diagnosed with PD since December 13, 2013 at the age of 49. I am the breadwinner in the family & so far am managing. My question today is about tools to help in my working day.

I'm right handed & of course my tremor started there :-) Doc is working with me on modifying meds to help with some right-sided dyskinesia, which has impacted my right hand with tight, flexed, painful positions plus I have a ganglion cyst and old damage from a broken wrist.

So, I'm looking for suggestions for tech that could help with note taking, as that is the task that is mainly affected right now (and I constantly need to take notes, oh, recorders are not a possibility.)


I've been looking at the Bamboo Folio - if I can get my chicken scratch to a digital platform, without having to retype it I'd be way ahead, because I can review and clean up more easily. For those days where I would inevitably be without my magic writing pad, I would love my magic writing pad to let me read my notes to it, so they could still be transcribed for upload, using something like Dragon Natural Speak.

Bamboo actually uses paper & a special pen, haven't spent enough time on their site to see if I could even load an app to it.

So, are there tablets where I could take notes even without paper & they have microphones (probably?) & I could load Dragon to it?

I expect that I probably need to consider something like a Surface, not a somewhat limited-purpose tool like the Bamboo might be.

(I know I can probably train myself to use my left hand, too & that even might be good for my brain...but some cool tech might be fun & employer is good about accommodations, but they don't have an unlimited budget either.)


I would really appreciate any suggestions for gear or other forums that could help me with this search! I apologize for the length of this and let me know if this should have been on another board.

Thanks! Anne (whose tech dream is to have her Nokia flip-phone back so she can make d@#% phone calls!) ;)

WELCOME!

I think your have the key item, Bamboo Folio

If you can write clearly enough to use that, I would do just that.

I still use a pen and pad of paper. I need to take brief notes as cursive has never been a strong point and writing too much is difficult. So a few key words then I'd type up notes later, often sending my notes to a trusted coworker with "Did I capture the key points?"

To keep track of different threads, EveryNote is a decent program that allows multiple styles and inputs into it. Current working on "Emma's Watch" which was the BBC program about the lady with Parkinson's that was helped by wearing a watch. The invention that helped me write again - BBC News I couldn't figure it out at first, but finally pieced together enough clues to build my own version (six vibration motors on order, they will be spaced around my wrist, each turning off in a specific pattern over 2 seconds) so I am trying to capture everything I find on the subject.

Get Evernote Basic for free or upgrade to Plus or Premium | Evernote Just a heads up they limit number of devices to sync and storage space on the FREE version.

Don't overlook Google Docs if you have an Android. I have a home shopping list everyone in the household can see. So I can say "Google Add Almonds to Shopping List". When my wife runs into the store she can see the list, and what I have added to it.

How I do that is explained here:
Add Items to Your Google Keep Shopping List with a Voice Command

Thank you for the input and information! I apologizing for being slow to get back on.

I saw the BBC video, too! Fantastic!

As much as I hate adding another doctor, I think I need to visit an orthopedist to take a look at my hand. I don't believe all of the pain is from PD.

I'll check out your links! Anne