Feel the burn!

If I were to chop off both my hands at this very moment, I'd feel better. Imagine sticking your hands into a campfire, rubbing them in the dirt and then sticking them back in the fire. That's how my hands feel. Last night I was shopping with my girls and my left hand was hurting something awful. It has been and I was blaming it on NaNo since I've been typing so much. I wandered around the store griping when I finally decided to buy a topical cream. I had a few tubes of Icy Hot at home, so I didn't want to get another one. I decided to try this stuff -- Capzasin HP. I knew it was pepper stuff, but I figured I could handle it. The thing is, I forgot to put it on before I started driving home, so I decided to do it while driving. Yes, while driving, in the dark! I thought I had squeezed out a tiny bit only to realize I had a GLOB on my hand. I rubbed some in and then wiped the rest off with a tissue. It started to heat up and I figured everything was fine. By the time I got home, my hands were on fire. No matter how much I washed my hands, it seemed to get worse. I finally read the instructions (well, duh!) and it said to use a thin layer on the affected area. No, it didn't say to GLOB it on as thick as possible. It also said to wash your hands immediately after applying. No, it didn't say to hang onto the steering wheel with greasy hands and hope a deer didn't come darting across the road. Duh again! I also touched my mouth, so my lips were burning. Taking off my make-up last night was a new experience in pain. Rick told me to use dish soap because it didn't have oil in it. I guess he would know with all the pepper spray he's sprayed and been sprayed with. I went to sleep with my hands burning, but when I woke up, they felt okay. Then I took a bath and got them wet and now they're on fire again. Surprisingly, the pain in my hand is gone, so this stuff works. I imagine it would be awesome on back pain. The moral of the story is -- READ THE DIRECTIONS BEFORE USE! Well duh ...