Would you like to experience a little sense memory of what it feels like to be a three-year-old? Try brushing your teeth with your opposite hand. If you’re like me and not the least bit ambidextrous, you won’t do very well, at least on the first attempt.

It’s not exactly a dare, but kind of an experiment. At Jeannie’s suggestion, I’m trying to take pressure off my right hand and wrist by using my left for as many purposes as possible. I wasn’t sure I wanted to devote myself to such a radical treatment, but I had to do something, because by midday yesterday the pain was excruciating and constant.

It helped that I trusted her advice. She knows what she’s talking about, and I know that she has my best interest at heart. So I was willing to make the commitment (although I wasn’t sure how long I’d last). The first thing I did was switch the mouse to the left side of the computer. Everything else flowed from there.

It wasn’t a smooth transition. Take soup, for example. I heated some leftover soup for lunch and was trying my best to spoon it up with my left hand, but it was taking forever. I eat lunch on the run, you know, in the middle of the work day. I had to finish the bowl with my right hand.

Shave? I didn’t even try it left-handed (and I wouldn’t recommend any three-year-old do it that way, either.)

Now it’s been a whole day, and guess what? It’s working. I’ve had much less pain today than I have all week, just an occasional twinge but nothing debilitating. I’m keeping the mouse on the left, and though I’ll never be fully left-handed, I’ll do as much as I reasonably can. One big time-saving bonus: I play much less Solitaire now that the mouse is way over there. It’s a good thing something made me cut down.