Ever had one of those moments.....

Started by Paraclete, June 22, 2017, 09:04:49 PM

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I screwed up big time yesterday, had a freak accident with a hedge trimmer.  Seven stitches later, they are confident that it will heal with no serious long term effects, but I'm feeling pretty pessimistic right now.  It was the top part, pad side, of my left ring finger, and honestly, I'm fortunate that I didn't lose the finger.  But the surest thing that calms me down, to play my guitar, is completely out of the question for probably several weeks.  There was no apparent damage to the tendon or the bone, and that's a miracle.  And I don't know how long I'll be out of work.  I'm a professional gardener, so my job is strenuous labor. 

I know it will eventually heal and probably be fine, but it's depressing, and I'm so angry with myself right now. (And yes, I was following redundant safety protocols, but it was one of those really bad things).  Maybe it's time to learn how to play left handed and upside down....
2010 LSV-11e
2002 4E Jose Ramirez
1998 S6+folk Seagull
1986 Charvel Model 3A
2001 Fender Jazz bass
1935 A-OO Gibson mandolin
1815 JG Hamm violin

Its slide guitar time  :nana_guitar :nana_guitar :nana_guitar :nana_guitar


Many moons ago when I was much younger then I am now I got made and punched a closet door thinking it was hollow,well it wasn't and I had to have a cast on my left hand.since I couldn't play cords the normal way I put my guitar in an open G tuning and picked up a slide,now I could play cords and drive all my friends crazy while learning slide.So go for it,maybe lap steel don't surrender keep pushin foward... :cheers
A REPAIRPERSON,Barefoot Rob gone to a better place
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 :crying:

Feeling it for ya. Time will fix it. Nearly three years ago I broke my wrist and didn't pluck one note for four months. Six months before playing comfortably. Gonna take time to toughen the end of that finger.
A Hebrew, under the Spell
Pain is a good thing

Sorry to hear that. I cut my right hand really badly seven years ago. Took about a year to heal properly. Doctor in emergency didn't do a very good job. Should have had plastic surgery. Still only have about 80% sensation in my right little finger and a nasty scar but I can play alright.  Well, as good as ever, that is.   :blush:

So sorry to hear about your accident.  Anything that impacts guitar playing is very sad.  Wishing you the best for a speedy recovery!
George

Thanks guys.  I know I need to be patient, but it's sad with my Larrivee just sitting there in the corner.  Rob, the slide guitar is a great suggestion.  Meanwhile, I might try playing bass on Sunday with two fingers.  Too bad they won't let me play bass every week....they want me on violin and acoustic.  Then again, there was Django.....
2010 LSV-11e
2002 4E Jose Ramirez
1998 S6+folk Seagull
1986 Charvel Model 3A
2001 Fender Jazz bass
1935 A-OO Gibson mandolin
1815 JG Hamm violin

Quote from: Paraclete on June 23, 2017, 11:15:51 AM
Thanks guys.  I know I need to be patient, but it's sad with my Larrivee just sitting there in the corner.  Rob, the slide guitar is a great suggestion.  Meanwhile, I might try playing bass on Sunday with two fingers.  Too bad they won't let me play bass every week....they want me on violin and acoustic.  Then again, there was Django.....

You can always work on some harmonica.   :cheers

Sorry to hear this.  Perhaps you can learn another aspect of music while healing?  History of music?  Theory?

Sorry to hear, and wishing you a speedy and full recovery. Broke my left hand playing hockey 8 or 9 years ago with little long term effects, and currently nursing a broken left index finger with a new guitar on it's way. The broken finger was an act of pure and inglorious stupidity on my part while working on our house. There was a pesky buzzing fly involved, and the fly came through our interaction as the clear winner. Count your blessings...all ten of them!
Larrivee LS-03WL Forum VI Limited
Larrivee OM-40M
Larrivee O-01W
Martin 000-16
Washburn C80S
Espana Classical (made in Finland)
Eastman MD 504 Mandolin
Epiphone Olympic Solid Body Electric (1967)
Larrivee F-33 Mandolin (8/1/2008)
Soliver Pancake Mandolin
Larrivee A-33 (8/21/2009)

"Oh, oh, what a night,
oh, what a garden of delight
Even now that sweet memory lingers:
I was playing my guitar
lyin' underneath the stars
just thankin' the Lord
for my fingers,
for my fingers"

- Paul Simon (Lincoln Duncan)

Many, uhm...  many years ago now, I was building something, I don't remember what.  I was adjusting the (piece of crap) router in its table.  It was my first router, and had little in the way of adjusters and such.  I was working on zeroing in on the exact height by tapping on the bottom of the router, and using my left hand to feel for the top of the bit and the mark.  You see where this is going already, don't you?  My tapping hand slipped and hit the switch.  My ring finger and pinky on my left hand got swiped by the bit.  It was the first time in my life I went into shock.  It took about 2 mo. for the fingers to heal enough to start playing again, and a couple more months for them to really work.  I got much better with my middle and index fingers on that hand, though.

Short story, I feel your pain and commiserate. With proper attention it'll heal, and be back to good use.  Sorry to hear about your accident.

Ed

My "accident" was me fracturing my left wrist when a step ladder's footing gave way and flipped me off into a pile of big rocks.  Very painful injury, and it took two years of daily hand exercise with a ruff tipped grip exerciser before I was strong enough to play again.  Taught me a good lesson about safety...  I definitely can relate.
George

Sorry to hear about the misfortune. I can relate to the feeling of having "one of those moments!" Years ago, I was cutting some sheet aluminum with a razor knife for some gores I was making for the end of a large tank we were insulating. The knife skipped up over my straight edge and sliced about half my thumb pad off under the nail. I grabbed a rag and applied some pressure while the guy waiting behind me yelled for my brother to get my thumb off the cutting table. That fellow promptly passed out from the blood and my finger pad laying on the table. We grabbed a sterile lab sample cup and filled it about half way up with an isotonic saline solution and put the thumb pad in that and put the cup into a lunch cooler with ice. I drove down to the closest hospital and the ER doctor sewed it back on but said he gave it about a 50% or less chance of reattaching.

At my followup visit a week later the surgeon that looked at it wanted to remove it because it was getting black around the edges and she figured it had less than a 20% chance of healing. She tugged at it a bit and said "Hmm, it seems to have reattached in the center." I told her I played guitar and I'd prefer to leave it on if possible. She said, "Eh what the heck leave it and we will determine how well it is healing in another 10 days. At that visit, she was very surprised that it was healing well and that it was starting to turn pink. She thought I had a good chance of keeping the pad after that visit.

It eventually healed up leaving a distinct line around the entire border of the stitches. It was very numb after it healed and I could no longer just change chords and positions without looking at my fingerboard. It took about two years for the feeling to return to almost 100% normal. To top everything else off, I got written up for a safety violation for not having my Kevlar cutting glove on! Yup, one of those moments!

Quote from: eded on June 24, 2017, 07:45:57 AM
 
You see where this is going already, don't you?


Wow. I don't mean to make light of your horrible accident, but this sounds like one of those, "Hold my beer and watch this..." moments!  :wacko:
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

Quote from: Mikeymac on June 25, 2017, 07:24:46 PM
Wow. I don't mean to make light of your horrible accident, but this sounds like one of those, "Hold my beer and watch this..." moments!  :wacko:

Not quite...  I have long had a a hard and fast rule, when the booze comes out, the tools get put away, especially the power tools..  I forget what it was, but it was cold and I was trying to get something done quick.  A valuable lesson learned, and the damage (as it turned out) was just skin, no damaged muscles or tendons.

Ed

Wow!  We could start our own little horror stories club!  While I'm kind of relieved to know I'm not the only one who has watched their musical ambitions verge on ending, it's pretty awful.  GA-ME, I'm guessing those Kevlar gloves are pretty good?  Might be time to invest in them.

On a more positive note, I really did play two-finger bass this morning.  Went better than I thought.
2010 LSV-11e
2002 4E Jose Ramirez
1998 S6+folk Seagull
1986 Charvel Model 3A
2001 Fender Jazz bass
1935 A-OO Gibson mandolin
1815 JG Hamm violin

Good news, a disaster into versatility. Time heals, meantime teaches.  :smile:  :nana_guitar
A Hebrew, under the Spell
Pain is a good thing

It hurts but be thankful it will heal.  I spent most of my life as a carpenter.  Broken fingers, sprains, carpal tunnel, thumb into a table saw, smashed hands, cuts, and fortunately all for the most part have healed.  Now its arthritis issues.  Just keep adapting and playing. 

Good luck in your recovery and (insert Hills Street Blues quote)............ "hey, hey, hey, lets be careful out there".
Steve ....aka the SMan

Quote from: eded on June 25, 2017, 07:50:21 PM

Not quite...  I have long had a a hard and fast rule, when the booze comes out, the tools get put away, especially the power tools.


Yeah - I didn't mean you would do such a thing - or did at the time of your accident, but there are way too many people who utter those "famous last words"...

Quote from: Paraclete on June 26, 2017, 12:36:19 AM

Wow!  We could start our own little horror stories club!  While I'm kind of relieved to know I'm not the only one who has watched their musical ambitions verge on ending, it's pretty awful.


Indeed. Mine was when I was a senior in high school. Working at Arby's and running the roast beef slicer (which they won't let you do today unless you're 18, I believe).  Anyway, there was a little tray under the blade that would catch scraps of meat, and it needed to be cleaned out from time to time. So one night I pulled the tray out, dumped it, and stuck my finger in the tray's slot to remove any other meat caught back in there. When I lifted my hand out, I caught my middle finger's nail on the bottom of the blade and it cleanly sliced off about half of my nail! Then the bleeding started.

Needless to say, I didn't work the rest of my shift, and I recall also having to get my tetanus shot updated...

...couldn't play guitar for awhile either.
2021 C-03R TE left-handed
Larrivee owner since 1992

Quote from: Mikeymac on June 26, 2017, 10:11:26 PM
Yeah - I didn't mean you would do such a thing - or did at the time of your accident, but there are way too many people who utter those "famous last words"...

Indeed. Mine was when I was a senior in high school. Working at Arby's and running the roast beef slicer (which they won't let you do today unless you're 18, I believe).  Anyway, there was a little tray under the blade that would catch scraps of meat, and it needed to be cleaned out from time to time. So one night I pulled the tray out, dumped it, and stuck my finger in the tray's slot to remove any other meat caught back in there. When I lifted my hand out, I caught my middle finger's nail on the bottom of the blade and it cleanly sliced off about half of my nail! Then the bleeding started.

Needless to say, I didn't work the rest of my shift, and I recall also having to get my tetanus shot updated...

...couldn't play guitar for awhile either.


Yeah...  meat slicers...   uuuugggghhhh.....

Accidents are out there waiting for us to make them.  Otoh, I've always said, you have to fall to know falling hurts.  If you're lucky, you're fall isn't fatal!    :roll

Ed

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