voice recognition software

[melliska]

(typed by melissa's mom)

hi everybody, i figured i could get some help in this forum but i'm going to post it in care also.

i want to ask everyone if they have any suggestions on types of voice software.

as everyone can see, my mom is having to type my posts and that is the reason why i'm asking this question.

i'm having a lot of trouble with my wrist, which is essentially keeping me from typing anything. i'm having shooting pain up into my forearm and a lot of pain in my wrist.

i'm hoping it's nothing serious but i don't want to chance aggravating it by typing. (i haven't been able to type any emails in two or three weeks. sorry everybody who is waiting for me to reply to them.)

that is why i'm going to be getting some voice recognition software. i knew there were people here who have to use it all the time so i figured i could get some help on finding something that works well. i never wanted to use it because typing has always been something that i could do on my own, but i'm really afraid of permanently injuring my wrist.

i'd really appreciate any suggestions or comments on any kind of voice software. i've never purchased anything like this so i'm kind of lost. (ok, so i'm REALLY lost. lol)

thanks guys, melissa

on a side note, i was wondering if anyone here has ever had carpel tunnel surgery? my aunt had it done and she told me that before her surgery she had pain like i described to her. i really hope that i don't have it but i thought i would ask if any of you have ever been diagnosed with it. thanks again.

Life is a lesson you learn when you're through.

[Scorpion]

I've used L&H voice Express, and it seemed pretty cool. It does take a while to 'train' the software, but it seems like a good alternative if typing is difficult. Of course, Dragon Dictate has been around a while, and a lot of people swear by it.

~Rus

"We are not brave because we are free. We are free because we are brave." ~ Rich Ward (Stuck Mojo / Sick Speed)

[cheesecake]

Hey Melissa,
Happy New Year girl! I use Via Voice and I have had fairly good success with it. My voice quality fluctuates due to my respiratory issues and Via was the most consistant for me. I HATE Dragon Dictate and found it grueling...Steven Edwards may have other opinions. I use Via Voice in combination with a roller ball mouse. This saves a lot on time as my left hand still works ok.

I had the carpal tunnel surgery when I had the elbow done in October Melissa. It was my second carpal tunnel surgery but this one was form a bad injury. The first surgery was done with an orthoscope and was a breeze to recover from.This time I had a long incision, many complications and a poor result. Again, I stress that it was from the injury.

A word of advice, don't let anyone but an orthopod who specializes in hand surgery do it for you. I had one of the top guys in the country do mine.

Take care and be in touch when you can. I'll send you an email when I can. Be well and hang tight!

[PN]

Oh Boy! Does this sound familiar... I know all about the pain in the hand, carpal tunnel syndrome, surgery, Dragon voice recognition and the rest of the "enchilada."

Let's start off with the Dragon voice recognition. I am using Dragon Voice Recognition 5.0 Preferred. Your computer should be a Pentium III processor because Pentium is optimized for voice recognition. You should have, at least 128 MB of RAM, 256 MB of RAM would be preferable. Do not run the Norton antivirus software with Dragon! If you are planning on using or upgrading to Microsoft's new operating system, XP, then you may have to purchase IBM Via Voice instead of Dragon.

I strongly recommend that you keep your system resources, at least eighty percent free if not higher, when you start your computer. You do not want to be running a lot of programs in the background when using voice recognition. I can do almost everything with voice recognition except I don't know how to "surf the net." :-)

It is possible to train Dragon in 20 minutes, but there are a lot of little things that you need to be aware of i.e. microphone connections have to be secure.

Melissa, if you would like more information about my experience with pain and carpal tunnel syndrome, feel free, to e-mail me or I can post on this site.

Good luck.
PN

[Monte]

Hi Mel,
If you haven't tried it yet, try wearing a wrist brace for awhile...especially when you type.

[PN]

Cheesecake: I was wondering if you ever tried Cortisone for your Carpal Tunnel problem? If you didn't try Cortisone, why not?

PN

[This message was edited by PN on January 06, 2002 at 10:51 PM.]

[cheesecake]

PN,
My first surgery I tried cortisone and it was successful on one wrist and not the other so I had the surgery. I took 3 injections before having the surgery in 1992.

This time around, I was assaulted and suffered a triple crush injury to my thumb, wrist (carpal tunnel) and elbow. I also stretched/tore the brachial plexus in my dominate arm. Today is 7 monts since the assault and in October I had an open carpal tunnel as well as a submuscular ulnae nerver transposition. I have had 3 injections on the thumb and will have surgery on it next.

I didn't jump into the surgery but the EMG's were so abnormal and I developed hand/shoulder syndrome with RSD that I proceeded with the surgery. The elbow has frozen and I am in a dynasplint. The surgery was worth it but has not been very successful due to the brachial plexus messing up the radial, ulnar and medial nerves. I am exploring decompression on the brachial nerve and or blocks to see if I regain function.

The whole process has left me unable to walk using my platform crutches or to use my chair. It has been rough.

To anyone else with carpal tunnel &/or ulnar nerve problems I STRONGLY suggest splints, steroid injections, anti-imflammatory meds and as a last resort surgery.

Unfortunately, my cause of problem did not allow for this option.I must stree that this route did prevent surgery on left hand.

[daBobber]

ViaVoice kicks!

I write a lot, and do some freelancing for a "character" that I'm not allowed to talk about ... but when I am writing for that character, I find it a lot easier to speak in that character's voice, and then converting it into script format, rather than just writing the script.

Unfortunately, when I upgraded to XP, I couldn't find the disk!

Now XP DOES come with voice recognition ... but it bites. I am going to turn it on now and, though I have gone through five training sessions, I am going to say, "Voice recognition with WIndows XP is the coolest thing in the Universe."

Starting ... now:

the loss extra is silly until verse

WOW! Is that ever ACCURATE!! http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[melliska]

(typed by melissa's mom)

thanks scorpion, b, pn, monte, and dabobber.

thanks for the recommendations and comments about the different types of software. i really need to figure out which kind i want so that i can get back to typing as soon as possible.

PN, thanks for the system requirements. i had no clue what i would need to run the voice software. i am planning on trying to get the vocational rehab here to buy me a computer that has everything i need so that i can start taking college classes online. fat chance of that though, huh. lol

B and PN, i would love to email you both but i don't have anyone with enough free time to help me with that much typing. if anyone has the chance though, i'll try to write to you both.

Monte, a wrist brace is a good idea. my mom got me a carpel tunnel brace, but it didn't keep my wrist in the right position so my wrist hurt the same as without it. i did have some old braces from rehab that might have worked but i don't have them anymore. i need to get to the doctor to see if he has any suggestions. (but i don't know if he'll have any ideas because i'm probably not his typical patient)

well i have to wrap this up so i'll just say thanks again for all your help. i'll have to post in my thread in the care forum another time.

thanks, melissa

Life is a lesson you learn when you're through.

[cheesecake]

Melissa,
Have your doc write a script and let your OT make the hand orthotic for you. Seems that mine are being remolded weekly! The good part is that they can be heated and positioning changed to fit your needs. Can't hurt to ask You said you had a kick a$$ OT.

[PN]

Melissa, I believe that I can help you with getting the voice recognition software at no charge. I will send you an e-mail explaining all the details.

Cheesecake, I am going to make an appointment with my orthopaedic surgeon and ask him to give me my first cortisone injection. I will post my results.
PN

[cheesecake]

Good luck with the injection. I had one last week for my thumb, de Queirvans syndrome and my next step is surgery. Expect slight bruising afterwards and a bit of soreness but mine have never lasted more than 32 hrs.

have offerred to get Melissa the software but her computer can't handle it. I have contacted a few people and if I can get her an AT eval I will write a proposal for VR funding if she wants it.
Sure do miss her online

[Steven Edwards]

Mellisa,

If you can post your current system specifications I can make suggestions as to what would work well for you. If you don't know your system specifications, you can find them out by going to:

Start->Settings->Control Panel->System

It should show you your processor and the amount of RAM you have.

-Steven

[PN]

Cheesecake.

What happened to your e-mail address?

[PN]

Perhaps we need to "pass the hat"--? If there's ever been a good time to buy a new PC, it's now. The prices are so cheap!

PN

[cheesecake]

There are regional Assistive Technology (AT)centers through out the US, about 10 in all. They do assessments, assist with funding, grants, proposals, etc. I am trying to locate my database from SpineWire where I listed them all. When I locate it, I will place it in Links.

[cheesecake]

Idaho Assistive Technology Project
(206) 885-3559
seile861@uidaho.edu

Melissa, you may be able to obtain some low cost/no cost equipement from this group and it may be faster than VR. Let me know if you have any luck. Sorry but they are the closest I could find to you.
B- http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

[melliska]

typed by melissa's mom

thanks for all the help everyone. between all of you i don't know why i need a vocational rehab counselor lol

i did get an appointment set up to meet with the guy from the state voc rehab though. it's on february 19 and i am anxiously waiting for him to come. i'm just worried about how long it's going to take after that to get the computer and software. hopefully it's in time to start school this fall.

if it doesn't work out though i got the contact information for iowa's assistive technology program. too bad i don't live in idaho because the lady from there is really nice.

thanks everybody, melissa

Life is a lesson you learn when you're through.

[PN]

Orthopedic surgeon

For most of my adult life, I have believed that the relationship between a doctor and a patient should be a partnership. However, a doctor's worst nightmare is a patient with an education!

I went to see my orthopedic surgeon today, Tuesday, January 29, 2002, about the carpal tunnel syndrome that I have been living with for the last three years. I should add, that in these years, I have been to this orthopedic surgeon at least four times. He has sent me to see a neurosurgeon, neurologists, along with x-rays, MRI, and painful nerve conduction test. All three doctors believe that I have a pinched nerve in my neck and this is causing the pain in my left hand. My brother-in-law is an M.D. and a few months ago he suggested that I see a hand specialist for this problem. The hand specialist believes that I should try a cortisone injection before I have any surgery. Today, the orthopedic surgeon told me that he does not believe in giving cortisone injections for people with carpal tunnel syndrome. He is suggesting that I have surgery on my left hand and his odds for a good outcome are only 30 percent.

Using the critical thinking skills that I learned in college, I have come up with an idea that may resolve the issue of whether the pain is emanating from a pinched nerve in my neck or is really carpal tunnel syndrome. I have called the orthopedic surgeon and explained that if he gives me a cortisone injection and I still have the pain in my hand, then there is no doubt that the pain is coming from my neck. If a cortisone injection
relieves the pain in my hand, then this would mean that I have carpal tunnel syndrome and I do not have a pinched nerve in my neck.

Today, January 31, 2002, the doctor's nurse called me and said that Dr. Afazali will give me a cortisone injection. However, he does not believe in my theory and doesn't think that this will work. I told the nurse that I would think about it for a couple of days and call her back with my decision. The doctor told me when I went to see him on Tuesday that the cortisone would only mask the symptoms and it also can do harm to the tendons and the ligaments. The last thing I want to do is to make this condition worse! The nurse also said that the cortisone would last up to 8 months before it wears off. Does anyone have any suggestions?
PN