Off the hook (and needles)

I’ve been experiencing some pain in my hands, mostly in my left, at the base of my thumb and first finger – you know, the parts of your hand that engage when you pinch. It’s a persistent pain, always there at some level but with occasional flare-ups that make it painful to unload groceries or lift a frying pan (it’s amazing how much we rely on those opposable thumbs).

Being the adult that I am, I ignored it for a few months, took ibuprofen occasionally, applied some lotions and potions – but the pain from putting on a pair of latex gloves just about did me in so I am taking drastic measures.

I have put aside my knitting and crocheting.

I’m going to give it a couple weeks, see if that helps. If not, I can say I did my level best and head to the doctor.

In the mean time, I am doing my second-favorite pastime: reading. I am one of those readers who has several books going all the time, so here is what I’ve got in progress in case you want to read along:

Sleeping Beauties, by Stephen King

The Alice Network, by Kate Quinn

The Mannequin Makers, by Craig Cliff

Broken Monsters, by Lauren Beukes