Signing For Dummies (54 page)

Knocked out
is signed K-O. With the dominant hand, start the K handshape at eye level with the O handshape ending at your mouth. Complete the Sign with closed eyes while bending your head to the side or in front.

Feeling healthy, wealthy, and wise is great, but allow us to talk about the word feel. Sing
feel
by running your middle finger up your stomach and chest and outward. If you put your thumb up after signing feel, it means
feel good.

Expressing medical terms

Medical words are simple in Sign — they usually look like what they mean. For example,
blood pressure
is signed by making a C handshape with your dominant hand and then placing it on your arm muscle. You then mimic working a pump bulb.
Sutures
and
stitches
are signed by mimicking that you are putting a needle in and out of the stitched area. Check out Table 11-3 to see for yourself.

Some Signs are similar in appearance. After you adjust to visually reading ASL, you’ll be comfortable in determining the context of the sentence.

Try the following sentences for practice.

English:
I need to check your blood pressure.

Sign:
YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE — CHECK — ME MUST

In ASL, “I” and “me” are signed the same. Just point to yourself with your index finger.

English:
He needs an injection.

Sign:
INJECTION — NEED HIM

English:
How do I get blood drawn?

Sign:
ME — BLOOD DRAWN — HOW Q

You fingerspell some medical terms, especially those that are abbreviations anyway. For example, you use the manual alphabet to sign
CPR, ER, OR, MRI, ICU, IV,
and
x-ray,
as well as the names of medications.

Describing Ailments and Treatments

These ailments in Table 11-4 are Signs that many ASL users run into — that explains the bruises! Try these Signs anyway.

If you sign
blue
or
purple
and circle the area with your index finger, it means the area is
bruised.