"Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional."

I'm getting seriously worried about the state of my hands, wrists and arms. I'm hoping it's just the cold weather, but I am plagued with aches, pains, twinges, cramps, numbness, and general crappy-body-crapping-out-on-me-ness (that's a thing). It used to just be my right arm that gave me trouble, but now my left arm is in on it too. I can't make a cupping motion with my left hand without getting cramps, and I can't hold much weight on my left shoulder without severe aches. My left wrist also feels "tight" for want of a better phrase, and I can't do much handwriting (I'm right-handed) or typing without my right wrist seizing up. Night-time is horrible - however I lie in bed, I end up hurting.

I've been working on Descent in short bursts to get the most out of my crappy arms - an hour max every morning before work and half an hour or less on my lunch break. My work load at my day job has increased to include more minute taking, which isn't helping. It's easier to type the minutes than hand-write them, so I use my netbook, but this means lugging that to work more often which is affecting my shoulders and neck. And that's annoying because it's a netbook - it weighs less than Fergus.* I shouldn't be having this problem carrying around a netbook.

I take anti-inflammatories when the pain gets too much, but at this time of year that means popping pills all the freaking time and I hate that. I can't imagine it's much good for me long-term. I think I need to visit the doctor, although I already know he'll recommend physiotherapy which seems pointless as I already know every possible exercise they could give me and none of them help.

Ugh. Anyway. We'll see. It is slowly getting warmer, so hopefully that will help. In the mean time, I need a minion to carry my stuff around for me. I can't pay you or anything. 

*Everything weighs less than Fergus.