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Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco
W Korea, Hand Surgery, etc....
W Korea
Ricecracker was nice enough to host a copy of the article just published by W Korea on me. http://www.ricecracker.net/files/Wmag.PDF quite unrelated to the forum, really, save for I mentioned to the journalist how keenly I study, play and enjoy Flamenco, but cannot decipher from the tight script whether my hobby was reported at all (or what has been reported altogether, for that matter).
Hand Surgery
As I mentioned, after the year-long intermittent pain, occasionally subdued by acupuncture, I decided to undergo hand surgery. It went well, but it was painful. Yesterday –after ten days- I was finally able to bend the finger completely, until it touched the palm of my hand. I cannot overstate my frustration and sadness, for not playing the guitar at all. Monday i will start physical therapy, and look forward to some more positve encouragement to resume palying.
I missed the Forum while away and now that I am back I’ve been reading the new posts for a few days; naturally I am not in compas with what is going on, and but can’t seem to feel that 12th beat when I need to jump-in. So here it is, .... 7-8 9-10- 11 TWELEVE... i am back !!
RE: W Korea, Hand Surgery, etc.... (in reply to gj Michelob)
Glad to here you are on the mend. I can sympathize, I have broken both hands on separate occasions in the past while Mountain Biking, and basically you are out of commission for about 6 months. And then have to rebuild to where you were. It can really take time away from your passion, and given we only have so much time before we are too old and infirm to play, it can be frustrating.
So, that said take your time with your injury and don't rush things in order to heal properly. You will get back to where you were and you will be better afterwards.
I will have to check out the article later, as I am on the run, but congrats on your feature! Cheers!
Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A
RE: W Korea, Hand Surgery, etc.... (in reply to gj Michelob)
hey gj,
that's a very sharp picture of you.
i hope your hand will come back to you 100%. i had hand surgery too not too long ago. stick with your physical therapy and it WILL come back. stay positive!
RE: W Korea, Hand Surgery, etc.... (in reply to gj Michelob)
korean an incredible looing language , have you a chinese version
seriously hope you recover well its hard not to just get back home , and play / relax as you like , i had broken my wrist and elbow , whilst in Asia (They often , not sure on Korea) have 100 day pholosophy , meaning 100 days to repair, i spent 2 weeks and then got the knife to the cast and cut it and started playing , doing some exercises, it seemed to work, still fine 2 years after.
hope you can recover well as near too 100% as you can, do the exercises eat well, and be patient , im sure you will recover well
Posts: 1607
Joined: Dec. 24 2007
From: Siegburg, Alemania
RE: W Korea, Hand Surgery, etc.... (in reply to gj Michelob)
Glad you're back and on the mend (i. e. "bright eyed and bushy tailed")!
I'm going to have shoulder-surgery in two or three weeks, and will be unable to play for at least 8 weeks (that's probably optimistic), so I can feel with you.
RE: W Korea, Hand Surgery, etc.... (in reply to gj Michelob)
Hey gj!
I never knew about the hand operation...I thought you were relaxing somewhere on a beach in Italy.
Good to hear that you're on the mend!
I liked the picture of you in that article and read the text carefully from beginning to end, but was still none the wiser as to it's content or meaning.
I think they call that "the language barrier" or something, duh...
RE: W Korea, Hand Surgery, etc.... (in reply to gj Michelob)
was the artical from nth korea or sth korea ? if we new maybe we can guess??
happy recovery amigo, be well as soon as you have a little movement gradually do some exercise slowly at first it really helps for obtaining near 100% movemebt in the end
Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco
RE: W Korea, Hand Surgery, etc.... (in reply to HolyEvil)
Thank you all for your affectionate notes. Needless to say, I wish we were discussing the video I long to post on youtube, rather than glossy (foreign) magazines and the vicissitudes of my infirmity.
Last night, a guest picked up my guitar and played a few things. I tuned it for him, anxiously watching out for my left hand’s instinctive reaction, eager as I felt it was to grab that fretboard. Such torture….
I could not find a hand therapist specializing on musicians’ injuries; I hope the one I will work with will understand my needs and concerns. But would love to devise a “well thought out practice regimen” to facilitate a steady recovery, as Pgh recommends. Any advice there?
For those of you who did or will have surgery impairing your ability to play, please accept my heartfelt sympathy and solidarity. It does take a toll on this passion, and nearly makes you want to quit.
Hopefully by Christmas I will be recording again.
Lesson to be learned:
If you are to some degree self-taught, remember that many physical problems are caused more by “misuse” than “overuse” of what will eventually be your injured joint. Learning and developing a good and relaxing posture will decrease significantly the likelihood of these problems. Also, warming up (which I –sneaking a session between phone calls and contracts- never managed to indulge) is critical. Doc recommends no less than 15 min with a squeeze ball, followed by extensive stretching fingers, arms and back before playing). Finally, if you experience a sense of fatigue in your hand, a 10 minute long application of ice (wrapped in cloth) will “cool” it. Surgery should be a last resort remedy, which I unfortunately needed. I did not realize how seriously the condition could degenerate –and felt happily comforted by the temporary relief acupuncture provided- and wish I had sought professional advice in due course. Whether your livelihood or your favorite hobby may depend on this, it is a heartbreaking deprivation one could avoid by more prudently following cautionary measures and profesional guidance.
RE: W Korea, Hand Surgery, etc.... (in reply to gj Michelob)
Hey GJ, saw your article, you were born about 50 years too late. You look very dapper and charming, you represent another era! Don't stop, there is no accounting for public taste. Cheers!
Posts: 1531
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: New York City/San Francisco
RE: W Korea, Hand Surgery, etc.... (in reply to at_leo_87)
quote:
hey gj,
that's a very sharp picture of you.
i hope your hand will come back to you 100%. i had hand surgery too not too long ago. stick with your physical therapy and it WILL come back. stay positive!
which finger was it?
It was the left index. The Surgeon removed the stitches today and felt rather confident that I will need no further physical therapy save for warming up and playing the guitar... so unexpectedly fantastic !! It will take a bit to get it all back to where I had left (just a few moments before that pain had started), but it will be so nice to resume.
I suppose the good wishes and intentions of my firends here did the trick. Thank you so much.
Printable Version
(that's probably optimistic), so I can feel with you. 
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