Trying to make work work for me ...

Although I am trying not to be negative, I can't avoid the fact that I will always be experiencing some level of pain in my hands. It's one thing to not be able to use my hands as much at home. I can avoid doing some things if I need to or at least put them off. I also have a fabulous husband who helps me in every possible way he can.

Work is a completely different story. I can't afford to miss work nor do I want to put my coworkers in that position, especially if I am still able to basically function. But when the most important aspects of my job involve counting money, typing, and writing and my hands are in pain, work can be uncomfortable to say the least.

So I took some pictures to show you how I have tried to make myself more comfortable.

First, I wore my compression gloves. I also have regular fingerless gloves to keep my hands warm because the air conditioning causes my joints to hurt even more. And they are just so stylish, who wouldn't want to wear these?

Second, I had to make my pen easier to use. I have honestly looked everywhere for something to place on my pen and make it easier to grasp, but could not find anything I liked. The only option that was even worth trying was this Y-shaped pen and it was not very comfortable to use. So I ended up wrapping my pen with medical gauze so I did not have to grasp it so tightly, which I wrote about the other day.


Third, the electric stapler, which is probably one of the best inventions known to man. We got these at work a couple of years ago for larger stacks of paper, but I now use it for everything when my hands hurt. I should honestly just retire my regular stapler because I feel like I am cheating on it with the younger, prettier version.


My physical therapist also recommended a headset for the phone, but after only a few calls, I ended up shoving it back in the box and pushing it far, far under my desk to be forgotten about.

It is a start, but I also plan to do some research on the Americans with Disabilities Act, etc. If I find anything good, I will be sure to post it here.