Every day brings another ache, another pain, another weird symptom. Perimenopause has ushered in such interesting and frustrating changes. For the last seven years, I’ve worked a job that’s primarily computer-based, a stark contrast to my previous role where I spent just 40% of my day at a desk and the rest staff- and client-facing. Within the last five or six weeks, it started: first an ache, then a throb, then real pain, building to stiffness and now an almost total inability to bend my thumb voluntarily.
This “lovely” new symptom of aging, confirmed by ultrasound as Flexor Pollicis Longus (FPL) tenosynovitis on the flexor aspect of the thumb—a repetitive strain injury—comes down to one impossible prescription: stop the activity. But how? The activity is typing, something I’ve done for 35 years. And something that is a very big part of my job role.
The Before: Hands That Did It All
Lifting weights every day? Check. Carrying multiple items in one hand? No problem, so many that my husband would look at me and say, “Can I help you?” I’m just used to doing it all with no issues whatsoever. I’m sure my friends and same-aged peers can relate. We just power through without a second thought. Before this symptom, tied to perimenopause and being in my 50s, emerged, my hands worked pretty darn normally. Vegan meal preps, treadmill runs, Bodi bike sessions, daily dog walks, even 3D printing projects on my Bamboo Lab: my hands handled it all effortlessly.
The Creep: From Ache to Lockdown
It crept up slowly. The pain stays in my thumb, slightly into the palm where thumb meets palm, but that’s it. Some bending attempts are impossible on my own. I can use my other hand to help it bend, but I can’t control it solo. That’s classic for this condition: the thumb gets stuck in the bent position, disconcerting and a party trick all in one.
Now, everyday tasks betray me. Cleaning a plate of wet food for my dog with my right hand? I can try, but a sharp pain reminds me: Oops, your thumb isn’t working the way it used to. Writing with a pen or pencil means holding it in a very unique position, thumb straight or not used at all, which makes me look like a pre-K kid learning to print.
The Fix: Splint Life and Real-World Challenges
To stabilize it, I wear a lovely, oh-so-attractive splint that looks like I’ve broken my wrist. It dulls the throb but adds bulk, nightly plus some daytime hours. Work meetings draw awkward stares: “Wrist break?” Nope, just middle-age office overuse. Vegan cooking shifts left-handed; dog food scoops need pre-portioning or improv. And the job? “Stop typing” lands impossibly hard when typing is a very big part of my role.
The Mind Game: Brain 20, Body No Ma’am
These little aches, pains, and thumb sticks are gentle reminders that even though I believe I am, I am not my son’s age anymore. My brain feels 20, yet my body says no ma’am. I wake at 4:30-5:30 AM for workouts, black coffee, and herbal teas, still chasing that energy. But recovery lags; joints complain. Watching my son scoop dog food one-handed or crush lifts mirrors my “before.” He offers sympathy: “Mom, rest.” Peers in group chats confess similar tweaks from desk life and menopause surprises.
Emotionally, it’s frustration laced with grief, 35 years of typing now betrayed. Fear of a “new normal”? There. But humor helps: the thumb stick demo gets laughs. Silver linings emerge: more empathy for chronic pain friends, firmer boundaries on after-hours screens.
Real Talk: Middle Age Realities
Aging in middle age brings the most frustrating and interesting symptoms. Brain urges daily weights and vegan preps; body taps out with throbs.
Perimenopause, who knows what estrogen dips stir this pot, piles on: numb arms, hot flashes, sleep disruptions. Myths busted: “Stay active, avoid this.” Nope, computer grind plus hormones don’t care.
Ultrasound completed, diagnosis confirmed: FPL tenosynovitis. That’s a fancy way of saying your thumb is swollen and you need to rest it, dummy. Chiropractor, MD coordinating care. Splint eases pain but raises stiffness questions. Tweaks like ice, stretches, and voice typing are in play.
Forward: Adapting, Not Quitting
These reminders don’t overtake my life, but they’re annoying, bothersome signals that I’m not 20 anymore. My body may be in better shape than back then, but it doesn’t behave properly. So I adapt: left-hand hacks, dictation, micro-breaks. No unpaid overtime glow. Celebrate wins: modified dog food tasks, splint-free moments.
Readers, notice your aches. Check ergonomics. See a doctor sooner. Advocate at work, this invisible struggle hits hard. My thumb stopped bending before I did, but I’m still here. Brain 20, body wiser. We’re learning each other, pain and all. No ma’am? Yes to fierce flexibility.
Sheli Stark is a 54-year-old mom to two young adults who balances a career in social services with her work as a certified personal trainer. Fitness is part of her daily life, along with treasured time as an auntie, loving on her dog and cat, and living a vegan lifestyle. When she’s not out walking the dog, she’s usually working on the novel she’s been writing (and rewriting) for the past six years. Find on Instagram.
