Salute to Aspercreme

Today, I'd like to share a little secret with all of you.

Aspercreme®

Looking back at yesterday's 'reasons for not writing', you'll notice coming in at #2 is 'my hands hurt...' (yes, other things are listed under #2, too, but those are negligible). This morning my hands are friggin' killing me. I'm guessing the weather plus the typing plus the crocheting has gotten to me this week.

Writing/typing with squonky hands sucks.

And I'm the kind of person who can't take even Aleve without getting dopey. Can't write when I'm dopey. (Or drive or teach, and crocheting - with its repetitive motions - just makes me sleepier.) What's a gimp to do?

Aspercreme.

Back in 1987, I was diagnosed with bursitis in my knees, and thus began my lifelong love affair with this magic potion. Slap some of that stuff on any aching joint, and the ache would either go away or be dulled enough so I could function. As I grew older, more and more things began to go south. Some days I feel like I could take a bath in Aspercreme. But I reserve the stuff for my hands and my back - two things which are absolutely necessary for any writer. (I've heard Hemingway wrote standing up, but then again, his back was the least of his problems.)

I've tried other stuff. Bengay? Too stinky. Ambesol (w/ capsaisin)? Too painful - that stuff might work, but it burns like a mutherfugger. Flexall? Not as stinky as Bengay and not as effective. I've used heating pads and ice packs (holding a hot cup of coffee helps, but it's not practical for a long term solution).

Anyway, the Aspercreme I rubbed on my hands just before I started this post is working like a charm. The first paragraph up there had to be typed one key at a time, and I'm just about back to normal speed now. Yay. Still a little tightness, but Aspercreme doesn't promise to solve the problem, just relieve the pain of it so I can work again.

So, I guess I'm recommending the stuff to any of you out there who, like me, are burdened with hands that have seen better days. It's not stinky, not sticky, and gets me back to work in under fifteen minutes. (Of course, your mileage my vary. Aspercreme doesn't seem to work for everyone. Go figger.)

Your turn. Any product out there that gets you through the aches and pains of writing? Leave your suggestions in the comments (unless it's illegal, of course).

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