Hey everyone,

About two weeks ago, I noticed something that wasn’t right. I woke up and my hands were stiff. Seriously stiff, where it hurt slightly to straighten them. This went on for three mornings straight. As the day went on they’d feel fine, at first.

Still, there’s arthritis in my family. I called and got an appointment. I figured it was better to get started on a treatment plan now, before things got worse, over waiting until mobility was a real issue.

Due to schedules, I wasn’t able to get in until yesterday. It’s not arthritis (good). However, I do have carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. I also have something called trigger finger going on in the middle finger of both hands.

That last one is a tendon issue. It will do something (spasm, move, slip, I don’t know the exact term) and my knuckle will slide in/out/in of the joint. This is NOT a pleasant feeling. I also noticed that I was having an issue with grasping with my hands and opening things like a bottle of vitamin water.

The good news is that this was caught early and really treatable. I’m in wrist braces on both hands for about 3 months. I’ll also have a few sessions with an occupational therapist to get some exercises down to help strengthen the tendons, etc.

Right now, I can type. There’s a few more typos than normal, and my speed is considerably slower. I have to be conscious at work to not overdo things with either hand, minimize how often I use the middle fingers. Trying to save those for when I’m writing.

I only really have to wear the braces when I sleep. However, it’s in my best interests to wear them as much as possible. That’s the path I’m taking. Wear them as much as possible, do my exercises, and ice them twice a day.

I would rather put up with an annoyance for 3 months over lose my ability to write.

BB