At home today

I may get a nap. Bob is going to donate blood. I had to cancel since I am in a clinical trial.

@GardenGerty I hope you have a good nap. Pretty has a doctor appointment this afternoon. I couldn't see this morning so told her to call the medical taxi. If I can see when she needs to go, we can always cancel the taxi.

@DaddyEvil That sounds like a plan. Is Pretty sick?

I have asked for a transfer by the first of the year, but if the right job comes along I will be away from the schools. When my work week is sometimes only thirteen hours a week it is just enough work to be annoying, no matter how much I like the kids.

A sign of carpal tunnel is that your thumb and index finger and HALF the ring finger will go randomly numb. There are stretching exercises you can do that help. Now if it is the other half of the hand that goes numb it is cubital tunnel or ulnar compression. Aspercreme is good. I have all kinds of topical creams but cannot use them at work because the kiddo tries to "mouth" my hand. I do not want to make him sick. I do use them on my knees.

@GardenGerty .......I don't get any of that. Just a very pronounced pain suddenly at the ball of my thumb, down by my wrist. It's as if that muscle is sore. I use the cremes on my knees too.

@celticeagle has the doctor examined you for carpel tunnel? Are you left handed? I had both hands operated on in 2014, but had my left thumb trigger finger release. I was talking the the neurologist while she was testing me for the carpel tunnel. I would tell her that it was bad enough typing and/or crafting, but it was the driving that drove me crazy. I said I would rub my hands, not at the same time, on my jeans while driving. She asked if it helped. "Not really," I told her, but it made the rest of my hand/s remember it was supposed to be doing something besides going numb. I kind of don't think it is carpel tunnel if you aren't going numb, unless a doctor has told you it is. Since then I have had 2 other fingers with the trigger finger release, both of my ring fingers. I'm not sure what it sounds like you are going through. My brother, a couple of years ago, was complaining about how he had these fingers get 'stuck' and hurt. I suggested he get it checked out because it sounded like what I had with my trigger fingers. Last fall he told me had gone to the doctor and sent to a hand specialist and given steroid shots. I told him I had, after the carpel tunnel surgery gone back when I started getting the numbness in all the fingers, except my thumb, on my right hand and had steroid shots and the ring finger on my left. It was that left ring finger that failed pretty quickly. My old hand doc retired around 2020 so when my right ring finger acted up in 2024 I found a new one. I explained that I had a steroid shot in that finger. He said the first ones might fix it permanently, but once it failed, it never worked as well. I told him I had that explained to me by the previous doctor. So, I got it done. Oh, the doctors always want to see you the day after a bigger surgery, like the one I had in 2014. At the front desk I'm trying to sign stuff with both hands in not quite casts. "And this is tramadol for you pain," the medical assistant starts to put it down on the counter top. "I can't take it," I told her. She looked at me puzzled and kind of worried, because, you know, pain. "It has corn starch," I continued, "I have hydrocodone at the house." "Oh, well, you don't need this then," she said. "I'll just shred it." And I watched her put it into the shredder.

The kids need me, in their way, but they need longer term than I am willing to commit to at my age.

That makes sense, that kinda job is great for someone tween 20 and 35 not for someone heading for retirement.

I have not tried those, I should. There are two things to pay off and then I would not even have to worry about an income.

@LindaOHio I buy stuff that I normally would not be willing to spend on.

@GardenGerty I use my survey income to go out to eat!

If I am driving I do not get the text. Things will change at the first of the year.

My clinical trial is for diabetes and weight loss. I was looking forward to going back to work this year, but I had forgotten how things are with Head Start. I may have to dig into your old discussions. I did not know about any of this with a guy living with you.

I would love to just bring in home based income. We shall see.

Having a job regulates my week, so that is a good thing.I just feel like it is time to move on.

I am glad you are having good weather.