one of those non-artsy posts.

although i can tie it in somehow, i know i can.

Last week i gave up using Splenda.  I'd been reading about the dangers of artifical sweeteners for some time, and i'd been using a LOT of Splenda every day for a few years.  When I say a lot, for me a lot was 5-6 packets a day in my cawfee or tea.

I decided to kick the Splenda habit, and a little over a week ago i had my first cup of cawfee with just my creamer in it.  it was good - and i really didn't miss the Splenda.

for my tea I grabbed honey instead.  and  I liked it.

(please forgive my alternating between using a capital letter when needed and not using it - i type without using them and then go back and try to fix them, but i don't always get to them all)

two days ago I noticed while drawing that my hands didn't ache.  my hands ALWAYS ache, are always stiff and sore... I was constantly rubbing them.  It was to the point that I had trouble holding my steering wheel for any length of time, the pain was so bad...

and I always chalked that up to arthritis.  I know i have arthritis in my finger and thumbs, so I would just pop more ibuprofen and pray for pain relief.

When i would get up out of a chair, the first 3 or 4 steps were always taken in pain.  back, legs, hip, shoulders... again - i chalked it up to being almost 56 years old.  I expected pain.

but two days ago i didn't have hand pain.  then I thought about driving all the way to the halfway house to teach on Friday... and the steering wheel didn't hurt my hands... and i was getting up out of my chair without wincing and hobbling.

the only change i've made is the Splenda...

I immediately googled the words splenda and hand pain and i guess I shouldn't have been surprised that i got page after page of results.

so, I'm not saying for certain that this is what was causing my pain, if it was, shame on me for using it, and shame on Splenda makers for selling it, since it's obviously not in all of our heads...

for this moment in time I will just embrace the fact that my  hands don't hurt.  which makes me draw more.  so see? I tied in the art part.  ;-)

xoxo