Decision

As per usual, I slept all day Saturday.  Not this time so much to avoid the pain but because I was really that worn out.  I noticed the pain came and went in cycles but I'm not sure why.  For most of the weekend it's been tolerable.  Not tolerable enough to take my camera out but tolerable enough to have the actual debate with myself.

It starts with the hands, always the hands, and then works its way up my arms.  Opening and closing my hands has presented me with various levels of flexibility and pain.  The thenar, in particular, is painful; no doubt from overuse and bad posture - both of which I'm trying to address.  The fingers on my left hand haven't crabbed up since the paraffin bath and the adhesion on one of the tendons that runs down the center of my palm beneath the middle finger feels better.  Dr. Waters may be right, we may have been treating me too aggressively.  It seems there are still some very simple things we can try before sending me to an orthopedist or something.

After meditating on Dat's point about just going back to all the stress after a treatment, I made some decisions.  Thinking about all the stressors in my life right now and the way I spend my time made me decide to drop the acupuncture, for now.  Dat wanted to treat me more than once a week or to commit to a Saturday morning class that began at 5AM; neither of which I can, or am willing to, do.  Add to that the drive from work to see Dat was more stressful than even my worst morning commute and the decision became easier.  I'm glad for the things Dat has given me to think about but it's time to do something different.

I need to concentrate on the environments I have to function in, and the stressors within them.  One of those starts next Thursday at 6PM.  It's known as Elementary Stats.  I need to pass this class, and I need all the energy and time I can muster to get through it.  12 more weeks is all I need.

The final paragraph:  too hot to go out Saturday, enough energy today to do laundry and get some chores done.  It's nice and cool now which always makes life easier.