LOL, I took 4 years of French (2 in HS and 2 in college) and I know it's supposed to be sham-wah, but I still say shammy. (What can I say, I was a straight C student. )

Bar ends would be a great idea, but you can also get ergonomic grips that provide relief as well: just for example

The straight bars on my FX killed my wrists. Like you, my hands were going numb within the first couple of miles. I did a total switcheroo and had moustache bars installed, along with bar end shifters. It was kind of a pricey modification (I spent around $150 altogether to do it, incl. labor) but the result, for me, has been fantastic. So that's an option you might want to consider in the future.

One other thing, I tilted the nose of my saddle ever-so-slightly up. I found that I was sliding forward a bit, which was causing me to lean too heavily on my hands/wrists. Once I gave the saddle that slight tilt, my hands felt a lot better. Just a thought.

Best of luck to you with Ike heading your way. Stay high and dry!