In Sickness and in Health

I spend rather more time reading and listening to the radio these days, as my arms remain determined to pursue their status as redundant appendages, rather than reliable tools. I continue as editor of this website, using iListen, voice recognition software, which despite hiccups along the way, as we learned to accommodate each other's foibles, has now become an indispensable part of my working life. Although still not 100 percent reliable, the fact that it can make possible a job that formerly required hours of keyboard and mouse use, is a testament to the progress that has been made in this area.

And when I heard Alan Johnson, the health secretary, announcing that in future doctors should be issuing well notes, rather than sick notes, to encourage employers and employees alike to think about what people could do, rather than what they couldn't, my own situation seemed to provide an interesting illustration.

Almost certainly, if I had an employer, they would have stopped me working many months ago, when overuse of the computer first made my hands and arms too painful to continue. Rest is always the first prescribed treatment for repetitive strain injuries, and - perhaps also with an eye on some very large tribunal awards for work-related disabilities - responsible employers take no chances with the long-term well-being of their people.

But not having an employer, I don't have anyone telling me I mustn't work. Independent Living is my passion, and I'm not about to relinquish it.

So, rather as the government minister is recommending that occupational therapists should be assessing how much and what type of work someone can do when they have been ill, I have run a uniquely qualified eye over my own situation, and acquired the necessary tools to help me keep working. I am not as productive as I used to be - but given that high productivity almost certainly contributed to the problem, maybe that isn't so bad. And most importantly, instead of adding mental health problems of stress and depression to my woes, I do wake up most mornings, focused on what I can do, rather than what I can't.