So… let me tell you how my mornings go.
My alarm goes off at 3am.
Not “I woke up naturally with the sunrise” 3am.
More like, “why is life like this” 3am.
I start work at 4am.
Which means my body has exactly one hour to go from:
“absolutely not”
to
“we guess we’re doing this.”
Step one: convince my body to function
I wake up stiff. Everywhere.
Not just a little tight. I mean:
- back stiff
- knees stiff
- shoulders stiff
- hands… numb
The hands are the worst some mornings.
Trying to get moving feels like I’m waiting for my body to reconnect to Wi-Fi.
Let’s talk about real life (no filter)
I go to the bathroom.
And yeah… even that is a struggle.
Wiping?
Not as simple as it should be when your hands are acting brand new.
Nobody really talks about that part—but it matters.
The electric toothbrush era
I had to switch to an electric toothbrush.
Not because I wanted to upgrade my life.
Because my hands said:
“We’re not doing that manual brushing thing anymore.”
And honestly? Best decision.
Because even that small movement was becoming a problem.
Showering… kind of helps
Showering is still a bit of a struggle.
But the warm water?
That part helps.
It’s like my hands loosen up just enough to cooperate.
Not perfect. But better than before.
I take whatever small wins I can get.
Then I step outside…
I live on-site, so no commute.
Which is great.
But stepping outside at 4am?
Cold. As. Hell.
And if you deal with , you already know:
cold + joints = unnecessary disrespect.
My body does not appreciate it.
At all.
Work starts (aka let’s test my limits)
I work at a university.
So when I say “kids”…
I mean college students who somehow produce trash like they’re running a small city.
The trash bags?
Ridiculous.
Heavy like they’ve been secretly lifting weights overnight.
I’m over here like:
“What are y’all throwing away?? Furniture?? Bricks?? Emotional baggage??”
Cleaning sounds simple… it’s not
Mopping. Sweeping.
It hurts. I don’t even have fancy words for it.
It just… hurts.
Hands gripping.
Back bending.
Knees complaining.
Shoulders joining the conversation.
It’s a full-body protest.
And now… my favorite part (not really)
The trash run.
I have to load these giant, heavy trash bags…
then pull them down some stairs.
Not once.
Twice.
Because—get this—
the two elevators do NOT go to the trash area.
I don’t know who designed that.
But I have questions.
Many questions.
Every single day I’m like:
“This was a choice someone made.”
Three hours later…
It takes me about 3 hours to clean the kitchen and dining area.
By the time I’m done?
My:
- back is done
- knees are done
- hands are done
- shoulders are DONE
Everything is screaming.
And I’m just trying to make it back to my room like:
“Don’t collapse. Just make it to the door.”
My saving grace right now
Let me put you onto something.
Diclofenac Sodium Topical Gel, 1%.
Yeah, I said the whole name because it deserves respect.
This stuff?
My new best friend.
I use it like lotion:
- knees
- legs
- all the way down to my feet
No exaggeration—it gives me relief pretty fast.
I use it on:
- shoulders
- lower back
Anywhere that’s acting up.
And lately… that’s a lot of places.
Now here’s the part they don’t really highlight.
They’ll try to sell you Voltaren like it’s the only option.
And yes—it works.
But it’s also hella expensive.
Meanwhile… the Amazon diclofenac gel?
Same. Exact. Ingredient.
Just way cheaper.
Because we are on a budget over here, my lovelies.
And honestly? It works just as good for me.
So don’t feel like you have to break the bank to get relief.
Real talk
If you haven’t tried it?
Try it.
Seriously.
I even got some for my mom.
Now she won’t stop talking about it.
So clearly it’s not just me.
That was my shift today
That’s it.
That’s the day.
Nothing fancy.
Just real life with a body that has opinions about everything I do.
If you’re reading this…
And your body is also out here doing the most…
I get it.
I really do.
Because this isn’t just “a little discomfort.”
It’s everyday life.
And some days?
You just push through because you have to.
Anyway… I’m going to sit down now.
And not move for a while.
Which my body also has opinions about…
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