Serious health problem
Since march im having a real problems with RSI,
mainly my neck, my right point and middle finger are suffering. because of the tention of my neck muscles i have headaches 80% of the days, i cannot concentrate on things like i used to, and im have real problems sleeping.
now i visited a dokter wich just told me to take a week rest and continue.. < fakn noob >
i visited cesartherapy, but it didn't help me very much
now im going to try acupuncture today.
aside from that, i cannot continue working behind the pc like i used to do, ells it wont heal and i will only make the problem bigger. there for im about to dropout my multi media study, but also my future as game artist.
now im wondering what to do next...
the things i love doing is photography, drawing and sculpting, but i dont know how hard it is to get a job in that branche, and isnt it more freelance work..
maybe i should do something totaly appart from art, and keep it is a hobby,
another thing is that i like to move to canada within a couple years, but getting a visa is getting harder by the day since im going to drop out of school and dont have completed an education
i was hopeing you guys could tell me something about art related jobs that dont involve much pc work, i dont really know where to go at this point.
thanks for reading my rabling.
mainly my neck, my right point and middle finger are suffering. because of the tention of my neck muscles i have headaches 80% of the days, i cannot concentrate on things like i used to, and im have real problems sleeping.
now i visited a dokter wich just told me to take a week rest and continue.. < fakn noob >
i visited cesartherapy, but it didn't help me very much
now im going to try acupuncture today.
aside from that, i cannot continue working behind the pc like i used to do, ells it wont heal and i will only make the problem bigger. there for im about to dropout my multi media study, but also my future as game artist.
now im wondering what to do next...
the things i love doing is photography, drawing and sculpting, but i dont know how hard it is to get a job in that branche, and isnt it more freelance work..
maybe i should do something totaly appart from art, and keep it is a hobby,
another thing is that i like to move to canada within a couple years, but getting a visa is getting harder by the day since im going to drop out of school and dont have completed an education
i was hopeing you guys could tell me something about art related jobs that dont involve much pc work, i dont really know where to go at this point.
thanks for reading my rabling.
Replies
I like you went to see a Dr and found that my stomach was spasming for no reason at all. To this day no diagnosis has been reached. It feels like I swallowed glass and this is EVERY SINGLE DAY. I have been suffering for years.
Suffering is just a word and cannot describe the pain or the essence of what I go through. I am not trying to discourage you at all. I now take vicodin, and hydromorphone, to just get by.
If becoming a game artist is your dream, as a person who deals with extreme pain daily I found that game design. Well texturing in particular was my passion. Pain is very distracting and I am not as productive as I used to be. As I see Unreal Tournament 3 screenshots and the industry passing by so to speak I get very very bitter. I refocus that negativity into pissed off pure determination. Things aren't as enjoyable anymore while I'm working in max and photoshop but I still get the same satisfaction when I've completed something great.
This may sound horrible or discouraging to you. I hope your symptoms subside. Mine didn't and I found a way to continue. I have no idea about a job in the industry as I may not be able to keep up due to my health. Like I said I have been dealing with pain for years and now I expect it, can predict it, and jump to work when I know I'll have a good couple of hours or a good day.
I am about to start preperations for an Unreal Tournament 3 level. All custom meshes and textures. Don't let this get you down. For me I have to watch out for depression as chronic pain will do that. Try to keep a positive outlook no matter how bleak things look. It does improve your situation. To me its not weather I will ever get the job I want, its the struggle to not let my dream slip away. Dont let go of it.
When I complete something despite my pain I actually am even more proud of my accomplishment then work I did before I was sick. My work is something I consider sacred to me now. I'm not trying to be discouraging. I don't want to sugar coat what chronic pain will do. Only you know what you are going through and the same goes for me. Just thought letting you know you arent alone may be comforting, and that I still work and try to keep my dream alive. My advice is to do other things but still strive for your dream. I see it as I'm 75 yrs old and do I want to look back on my life as I gave it my best shot or let pain get the best of me. I'd rather fail giving it everything I could. I'm not referring to you when I say that. Thats my own person situation and thoughts. I don't want you to take that statement the wrong way. I have idea what those headaches are doing and I dont want to come off as if I'm preaching. This is just what I feel and this is something you will have to figure out yourself. I definitly dont want you to think I am saying you should do this or take this approach. Thats not what that statement means. Just my thoughts on me and my situation. I just dont want you to mistake that comment and tink its about you. OK ramble over.
What I do for money which I enjoy is creating logos for local small businesses. I just finished 2 logos for two lawn services. Its freelance and nothing stable but its important to me to feel productive. It was something that didn't take too much time and was all photoshop. Made some quick cash and more importantly kept me working on something.
I would look into private freelance work. It pays my bills, well some of it and if I'm feeling sick I don't really have to answer to the man as deadlines aren't as much of an issue which is a big hurdle for me as I don't know when pain is going to strike really bad.
This is a shady tactic but I often tell clients I have a lot more work then I really do which gives me a lot more time then I would usually have to complete work. Its a shady tactic but it works as long as they get updates and I haven't been dropped by a client yet. I've had 11 logos for small businesses in the last 3 months. So I can take on what I feel my health will let me.
I make good money doing this and usually print out logo examples, show a lawn service in the area my work and give them a card. Not the most glorious work but it keeps me in this nice apartment. =D
Now I'm sure you can find something much better. Just get creative in your tactics. Now with that said I have had nothing but happy customers so its a win win.
My friend got just under a grand painting a small Mural at a car wash with a pirate theme. I'm looking into this as well. While I do these things I'm always working on or researching game art. Just because something else is paying the bills doesn't mean you have to let go of your dream job.
Thats my current situation and I never open up to anyone like this but your problem is exactly what I'm fighting as well. Use your talents for other things but keep your dream job in mind, in focus and smother it in hope and determination.
Best Wishes
Private Message me if you want to talk. I'm in the same boat you're in it seems. Best wishes
some info for you at wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataflam
Toradol (generic called Ketorolac) is another NSAID that is fast acting and available as an injection. I've had to take this in the past too for the same reasons, tension headaches and inflammation caused by work related stress. With this particular medication I was literally out of my mind with pain, couldn't concentrate, and generally miserable. I received the injection and the pain was gone in about 15 minutes it was amazing.
Surely drugs aren't the answer but for the short term until you can find a doctor who will listen and you're able to find some lifestyle/ergonomic solutions to suit your condition they might provide some relief and make your search for treatment more productive. Neither of the drugs I listed are narcotics. They won't make you tired and don't have the issues of psycho/physio dependence associated with controlled substances.
As far as doctors go you probably ought to see an orthopedic doctor, someone who specializes in joint/tendon/rsi issues (and if that fellow you saw was an orthopod I suggest you see another). I'm not sure what sort of doctor would tell you to go rest for week considering the kind of pain you're in and how it's affecting your life but as is the case in other professions not all doctors graduate at the top of their class.
One last thing when you're describing your symptoms be very sure to explain clearly the amount of pain you're in and the degree to which it affects your life personally and professionally. Not so long ago I saw an interview with a doctor who was explaining how many of them begin to arrive at conclusions for diagnosis simply by their first impression of you. Sometimes you really have to sell your issue, it's ridiculous for sure but you really have to stand your ground. So if he says hey go home and rest a week you have to let him know that you've been trying that and it's not working.
Chronic pain really sucks but there are doctors out there than can and will help, some help easily, others you have to shove in the right direction.
Good Luck, and I hope you feel better soon.
Rens and Armagon I'm very sorry to hear about both of your issues. Coming from a family where my father could only use one leg and had one lung due to working in the steel mill, I can certainly vouch for the statement that depression is certainly a factor of chronic pain. I only hope you don't give up the same way.
Have you attempted to tailor your passion into an environment that is easier for you to work in? If standing up greatly relieves the pain, there's plenty of standing workstations for you to work with or build your own. Ergonomic mice, keyboards, and chairs are all also designed for proper posture and blood flow.
Forgive me if this has already been taken into account, I'd just hate to see someone passionate about what they do have to be held back from it. The best of luck to both of you.
http://www.evoluent.com/vm3.html
same as jackablade, the verticle mouse works for wrist problems.
i could hardly walk after sitting in shitty office chairs (i was rough on the body in my youth) i asked for a new chair with lower lumbar support and i've been better ever since.
Let food be thy medicine, and let thy medicine be food.
- Hippocrates
Hey, I hope you get past this, and that it doesn't affect your work.
I started feeling shitty about month ago and I've gotten back into my exercising and it has helped especially with getting away from the computer.
Stay healthy all just an hour a day keeps death away
Good luck on your future endeavors Rens.
to be a bit more compleet about my problems,
ill give the pain 3 catagories, light, medium and heavy.
mostly when i wake up its around light, and it always has bin the last amount of time. later on the day it mostly becomes medium pretty fast and specialy when i do things behind the pc. i can feel the pain start to grow when i use the mouse for just a little while for instance.
but there are also alot of days it starts out as medium or heavy, a normal painkiller wont bring down the pain at this point.
i've had a couple massages but they mostly didn't take away the tention, i can only hope it helps the bloodflow and stimulates the recovery. the person who did these massages told me my neck felt like concrete, though it has bin a bit better in the summer it now becomes that again
the mucles in my neck feel hard and stiff, and also the pain you have when you make a sudden motion and you over stretch a muscle or so.
also another doctor, and she checked the vert
I would very strongly recommend cardio exercise, anything where you use your whole body. The best would be running or swimming. Two main reasons. It increases bloodflow (both short term and long term as you get more fit) which will help you hands and body in general.
The other benefit is that you are stretching and working all your muscles. Sitting in front of a PC all day means they get very little range of motion and become stiff and painful. As you built up muscle strength the body is better able to maintain a good posture as well.
I used to have really bad lower back pain that is a non issue now as long as i go running a few nights out of the week.
I couldn't lift my arm anymore after a few weeks of consecutive 14+ hours days and it took me half a year to recover. Even though cesar therapie might seem lame, common sense type stuff you still have to live it. You probably have had a sore shoulder/wrist for quite a long time and it'll take at least as long for your shoulder to recover, though you'll most likely always have a shoulder acting up ocasionally. When you notice your arm is actually hurting too much, take a longer break and take a hot shower or something.
I couldn't lift my shoulder at all for about a week and now I'm working my ass of on animations again. Surely it acts up every now and again but I now now how to get rid of it again. Don't give or or become depressed, just accept it will take you a loooong time until you're entirely up to speed again and you have to start maintainnig some more discipline in your workflow. Stop chatting, stop excessive posting on forums and most of all get rid of all your pc games. Sucks, but at least you'll spend all your computertime on your 3D work.
"The way of energy" http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chi-Kung-Lam-Kam...5966&sr=8-1
is a book on this, worth a shot as it seems to help with many things, even arthritis.
-R
All you can really do is keep trying things until you find the right variables that maximize your productivity. My PC did in fact cause me pain without me knowing it. My Dr told me that poeple emit and have bioelectric fields and that my 21 inch CRT could be emitting low levels of radiation that was messing with my field. It sounded wacky to me but I got rid of the CRT and picked up a Lacie 321, god I love that monitor. Its an LCD made for color accuracy and that decreased my pain in front of my PC by 15 percent or so I'm guessing. So while it wasnt the main problem it was aggrivating my condition.
Thanks for the kind words Kovac. Respect.
For me and I almost forgot this I bought a 2007 Honda CBR 600rr sportsbike. Hauling ass on the track and country roads helps my pain. I guess if your having a lot of fun pain isnt as bad for me. For me riding my bike keeps me happy and I do it when I have really bad days. Maybe finding something that you love to do and find really fun could help. I was suprised.
But hang in there Rens, don't give up.
I just asked my producer if I could raise my desk high enough where i could stand. I know a couple guys at work do this and Iw anna try it out.
-R
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I really wish I could do this, too. I don't think it would work at my job.
You guys have my condolences for you health problems. I have feared for just about as long as I've enjoyed drawing that something terrible would happen to my right hand. I've often thought I could teach ol' lefty to pick up the slack, though. Maybe you should try making you left hand do some things, to give your right a break.
hell, go read that thread on building your own cintiq, and mount it on the wall at eye level!
All around artists also can usually find work pretty easily, but a lot of it will involve computer work doing things like graphic design. Still, theres lots of other stuff. You could be a sign painter. You could sculpt and paint prototypes for toys. You could work on your art skills and just go the gallery route, although god knows thats tough.
Best of luck recovering.
I've been lucky no to have any of these issues seeing as I've spent a great deal of time in front of the PC, especially at a younger age. I always makes myself get up and walk around on a regular basis and spend a fair bit of time looking around the office to relax my eyes.
I do however suffer from headaches and have only really been getting them since I started working at my current job. The only cure for them (I don't take aspirin or shit like that) is sleep, unless they are really severe and will last a few days. I think I need a better office chair.
Good luck to the both of you in finding relief from your pain and being able to continue doing what you love.
-caseyjones
I'd look into getting a neuromuscular massage. Generally they are tailored toward a specific problem. A one hour session usually isn't full body, and it's usually deeper and more specific work.
And I'd echo everyone else's advice to take breaks every so often. And stretch.
question 2: if you use a wacom, is it to the side of your keyboard?
I had similar pains, then I moved my wacom infront of my keyboard and all pain went away
This is what I did:
1) Deep Tissue Massage 12 sessions..it fucking HURT at first but they break up the scar tissue. It is THEE #1 thing I recommend to people that have RSI.
2) STRETCH! She also taught me stretches that help out a ton.
3) Ditch the mouse get/use a wacom tablet for everything. If you HAVE to use a mouse buy an evoluent. http://www.evoluent.com/ I have the keyboard and pad too. Helps a lot when I'm buried in Excel docs.
4) Wear a wrist guard at night that will help keep it straight. Wearing it during work is pretty much useless, and can cause more problems.
5) REST
That's what work/works for me. I'd also say give acupuncture a shot too.
B
As repeating what everyone has said. Use the wacom, ditch the mouse, don't lean forward into the screen.
Exercise, hell, instead of going out for a 15 minute break to smoke do some jumping jacks, push ups, stretching. In the hallway, wherever to get your blood flowing.
Also, broaden your art beyond digital. Spend your freetime in a different media as you suggested to yourself. Personally, I love sculpture as the physical sense of movement and touch it brings.
So instead of dropping out if all else fails, change majors, just be creative and true to yourself.
For major excercise, I'd give big reccomendations to martial arts. It stretches out and builds up your muscles and is and for my money, is a whole lot more enjoyable than swimming, running or, god forbid, lifting weights in the gym. I haven't had any problems with my wrists or fingers since I really got into the wushu.
For a start you probably wouldn't want anything too strenuous. Tai chi or bagua or some other one that doesn't focus too much on leaping around like a monkey would probably be better options.
Because as most of you i also started felling pain from being on the pc for too long.
what most say in here is true.
try and make regular intervals, like every 40mins or so for 10mins. exercice and stretch. its really important.
i did physiotherapy on my lower back and it improved my hands. cause you see its all conected.
having a good posture helps the pain go away.
pain in hands is a direct consequence of other stuff, like, neck, back shoulders bsd postures.
massages help a lot.
i hope it works out for you.
i went to that acupuncture session, and my neck felt a bit better that day after, now im not going to say oh wow it really helps, maybe i just had a good night rest, eventhough it was short and i still woke up broken.
i got another session next monday, so who knows what happens.
hawken, i had a trust tablet only that thing died recently so i am kind of forced to use a mouse atm. i am about to get a wacom, specialy so i can finish up some school work bit by bit.
i had my tablet half infront and half next to my keyboard mostly, so a bit of bouth.
thanks for the info aesir,
in the meantime im just going to continue with other types of art, also do some exercises and go for a swim.
im working on a drawing now wich is going pretty oke so far, ill upload it tomorrow or so
hawken, i had a trust tablet only that thing died recently so i am kind of forced to use a mouse atm. i am about to get a wacom, specialy so i can finish up some school work bit by bit.
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I guess it wasn't entirely clear in spite of all the posts but...
Don't fucking use your mouse for a couple of months!
Get a new and good tablet tomorrow before you do any more work on school/freelance/whatever. I don't want to sound like a complete dick but you seem to underestimate how fucked up the recovery process really is. Having said that, it's very likely you can get over it without surgery or anything like that.
Best of luck with it!