thank you for your support you guys.

Ada, ya i have had the lidocaine patches... they semi helped... although i think i got more annoyed with them then anything cause they never stuck very well to me, so i'd have to cut strips of them and tape them on with medical tape... which then would limit my use of my hand cause it was like being in a cast with some much tape! the little bit of relief they gave wasn't worth all the hassle. i have brought my heating pad out of the closet and have it ready plugged in by my bed so i can wrap my hand in it at night. although my cat gets very mad at me cause she's gotten smart and when she's cold she'll hop up on my bed and figure out where under my blankets the heating pad is and will sleep on it... then i come in and disrupt her slumber when i pull it out from under her... i get death looks from her for like an hour after!