Brace Yourselves

For the last year now I have been noticing an aching in my wrists and fingers when I wake up each morning, which only worsens after a full day of work on the computer. Recently, about 2 weeks ago is when I first noticed it, the "aching" turned to "weakening." I just thought I had a weak grip when I could no longer open jars, and weak wrists when I could no longer hold a casserole dish or a pot of water with one hand. And tonight it was hard to even take the gallon of milk out of the fridge without catching it with my backup hand.

Carpal Tunnel. Apparently 3x more women suffer from it than men. Figures. I wonder if 3x more women tend to have computer-based jobs: secretary, admin assistant, etc. (Am I being too sexist here?)

My dad is a certified ergonomics assessor. He knows exactly what causes and creates carpal tunnel and how to prevent it. So at his chiropractor's suggestion I bought braces to wear while I sleep. I am also getting in the habit of icing down my wrists and hands each night after work and taking a butt-load of Ibuprofen (yes, butt-load is a real adjective. def: a whole heck of a lot). As a result, I'll probably end up with a bleeding stomach, but at this point that's the lesser of my evils. I have to keep my wrists and hands in good shape. They're my livelihood. And, if we ever do end up having a child, I want to be able to care for him/her. I want to be supportive and self-sufficient. If I have to rely on Neil for everything with childcare I know he'll start to resent me. It might not be intentionally, but I know it would eventually happen that way.

So here I am. Trying to heal myself and hoping I've caught it in time to avoid surgery.

In other news, my office is moving downtown this Friday. Gone are the days of a back-roads commute and abundant parking. Hello to city parking garages and freeway congestion. But supposedly, if I time it right, I can make it to the office from Elk Grove in 20 minutes. If that's true, it'll actually be a faster commute for me, down from my usual 45.