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Jan 15, 2011, 05:32 AM
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Member Since: Jan 2011
Posts: 95
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Hey there DancingAlone ...
Saw your reply here from the other day. I've been doing a bit of typing on another site, so my fingers have been getting a workout lately. Lots of finger cramps.
So with that in mind, please pardon my delay here in getting back to you.
OK, good to know that you do the "L-shaped" hold with regard to holding a book to read. Also, sorry to learn about your issue with your bifocals being old (or needing to be replaced I presume?).
As far as the lighting issue at your client's home, would it be feasible for you to possibly invest in a tiny battery operated booklight? They are available at just about any bookstore, and I think may even be available at Wal-mart or Target or some other common retailer in your area. They can be as small as a pen and run on small batteries. Usually they just clip onto the cover of the book or are able to be inserted down into the space that is referred to as the "spine" of the book.
It might do the trick in that it would provide a direct light upon the pages -AND- as an added benefit, would not have the "light-spill" of a much larger light source that may keep your client awake / disturb their sleep. Sounds to me like the recessed lighting or "sunk-in" lighting is not really doing the trick for you and in my opinion, may very well be contributing to eyestrain which is only aggravating the OCD-like compulsions on possibly a subconscious level.
I know that my OCD symptoms tend to spike whenever I am tired or stressed out. Sometimes I have to take a step back and conduct a self evaluation of my physical / mental / emotional / spiritual portions of myself to determine if there is a cause for the amplification of my OCD symptoms. Usually I find the source and then make proper corrections in that area. Within a brief period of time, the spike in OCD behaviour abates.
With the book on tape / CD (a.k.a. "the audio books") suggestion, granted, I don't think that you would need to purchase the book itself if you were able to utilize your local library's catalogue of audio books. More likely than not, I would think that they have BOTH types of the same titles.
For example, a Dr. Phil self-help book may be available in hardback form and in audio book form. What I would suggest you do, would be checking out both editions and then using the audio version to sort of guide you along as you have the book in front of you.
That way you are almost reading with sort of a "co-pilot" or narrator, so that when or if you feel stuck or are beginning to trace letters or are thrown a curve by punctuation marks, the audio book will continue onward. If not, you can always rewind / reverse the audio book back to the point at which you became stuck and then try once again. The nice thing about it is that it (the audioplayer) will never complain about having to do so time and time again. Your batteries may complain, but they can be replaced. 
For listening to the books on tape, I would suggest a small set of the headphone "buds" that fit within the ear, or are able to be attached outside the ear. They don't have the headband which holds them together, which will allow you to place one earbud within your ear and leave the other bud off so that you can have one ear propped open to listen for your client's voice.
Sorry to hear that you have to deal with her little "tests" as I think that is something you don't really need to have added to your caretaking duties. If you do mention it to her, do so politely and let her know that you are only listening to the audio books in order to pass the time. Let her know that you'll still be able to be summoned by her as you will listen to said books using just one earbud / headphone.
OK then, I'm gonna scoot here. Stay well and I do hope that you continue to do better in your pursuit of enjoyable reading once again.
Take care,
-vertebrae-
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