I was lucky - a quick diagnosis, acupuncture and physio, and the right equipment and awareness training meant I recovered quickly. I was introduced to ergonomic keyboards and have never used a standard one since.
It is beyond me why keyboards that are designed to naturally fit the way your forearms fall are not the standard and those that are the modern-day equivalent of the corset for arms aren't consigned to the rubbish bin - well electronic recycling centre.
Talking of corsets, Iet's all be grateful we don't have to endure the working conditions of previous centuries. Yet, far too many workers go to work and not come home. Or, they do eventually but to a life vastly different to that they knew.
Next Wednesday is International Workers' Memorial Day. April 28 is a time to remember those who have lost their lives at work, or from work-related injury and diseases. This year's theme is "Health and safety is a fundamental workers' right".
The gathering place in Palmerston North is at the Workers' Memorial in Memorial Park. Thousands of us drive past it each day travelling to and from work.
The words on the plaque are sharper than the rock the plaque sits on. "If blood be price of your cursed wealth, then truly we have bought it fair."
Work by its very nature takes it out of us but it should never take permanently - whether that be a limb, a lung, our sanity or, of course, our lives.
My first job was picking stones out of the rock gardens at our new house when I was a kid. The previous owners had gone all out with the stones but Mum hated them, so she'd pay us kids so much a bucket.
As the days went on there were no easy pickings left and you had to pull them from under plants or wrench them from dirt. The working day can be like that. Writing Judith's Jottings can be like that.
So let's have a collective sip of chamomile tea and think of those who - for whatever reason - can't walk that mile or even 100m to the shop or doctors.
Mobility parks are perennial folder for outrage on social media. But often that outrage is misplaced as either the driver or passenger has a medical condition that affects their mobility but it's not visible.
Yes, the signs are marked with a wheelchair but there are so many conditions that could mean people are eligible for a mobility parking permit. Here are just some: Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), stroke, poor vision and rheumatoid arthritis.
So next time you see someone using a mobility park without an obvious disability but with a permit, hit the verbal brakes, buckle up your shoes and get home from work safe.
