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6 weeks no guitar :-(

Lefty Guy

By Lefty Guy
in Gibson Acoustic

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Jesse_Dylan

Jesse_Dylan

Posted
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I fell on the ice on my own walkway. Jan 2015 I went down like old people, and didn't even know I fell till I hit the ground. Ouchie.

 

My left shoulder pulled away bit, but I popped it back into place. Oh, did that hurt. I wasn't gonna go to ER, but 6 hours later I was at the ER, just to make sure things were in the right spot. I was ok as far as things being in the right place, but that where it all started.

 

I couldn't drive, especially a standard shift. 2 weeks. I did a follow up at my primary physician and he asked me where I have been for the last 4-5 years. I told him I have been feeling pretty good up until the fall. He gave me some exercises to do so my shoulder would not freeze up. I could sleep well, but slept on the same side all night. Motion is all I took.

 

2 weeks into it I could finally close the car door. I took the local dirty cab to work for those 2 weeks. 6 bucks in 6 bucks back home. Hey, itt adds up, plus I was tipping the guy. One cabbie preached to me in the van, and told me about Jesus and how he could heal my shoulder.

 

Anyway I ended up at an orthopedic surgeon about 6 weeks later, he said if it didn't get better in 2 more week do PT.

 

This all started in Jan, but now it's ealry April and I was in PT. The PT girls were amazing. More evaluation, more exercises.2 times a day at home, and 2 trips to PT weekly. 4 weeks into PT, my now partially frozen should releases. The release didn't hurt, it just happens when they were stretching out my shoulder. I love these 2 girls so much if our spouses ever passed I'd look em up a marry both of in in a heart beat. :D

 

I continued with PT till mid May with strength training and stretching.

 

So what I did since I could not stretch my arm far enough to make chords on the open through about 3 fret position is I put on a capo and kept my fingers going at the 7th fret. I also wrote lyrics to possible songs play guitar around that.

 

 

6 weeks is a long time. My lesson through all of this, is to fall on work place property and not my own property :D

 

It will go by quickly and do only what you can do. If the doctor says don't use it, don't use it. Some light daily paying actually helped me.

 

I'm almost 100% now, but my shoulder still gets stiff and the range of motion may never be what it once was.

 

Too top it all off when going to the primary doctor, they found out my blood pressure was slightly elevated. I have been on different medications while they tweak it all out. One trip to the ER caise my leg was gong numb. Might have been the wrong meds for me I think they got me on the right stuff now. I have been to more doctors appointment this year than in my total combined 53 years on earth. I have a colonoscopy this Friday too. They finally got me there. Better safe than sorry.

 

If you can move it at all, the mandolin is quite a nice instrument to work with. I have been playing mandolin for 25 years. I bought another mandolin in May of this year. It's a Gibson F5G and it sounds great. Tuned by Dave Harvey.

 

I feel your pain.

 

Make sure once things get healed you do PT if it is recommended and do your homework Twice a if it is what is needed.

 

The bonus with the 2 gals that I had at PT, they were cute and so lovely.

 

 

Peace and best wishes in your recovery.

 

 

LG, another piece of the marginally amusing info I specialize in. When you are at the stage of being ready for Therapy.... In the US, the Orthopedic docs direct you to a Therapist group and tell them in general what he did to you and what they need to work with you on. "Improve range of motion." Improve dexterity," etc. You will hopefully be assigned a Therapist (college graduate, professionally certified) permanently and not bounced from one to the other so (s)he can provide continuity of care. If not, you might request you get scheduled with the same one, even if it requires your being more flexible with your schedule. Finally, find out (from the Therapists name tag?) what kind of Therapist she is. If she is an OCCUPATIONAL Therapist, don't keep calling her a PHYSICAL therapist. That's as insulting as calling a guitar player a banjo player. In general, Physical Therapists deal with walking and sitting and getting up and down. Occupational Therapists deal with hands, arms, and all the things they do. Speech Therapists deal with eating, swallowing, drinking, and even speech! Sometimes there is overlap between the three specialties - but I imagine in your case you would be the exclusive property of what we call an OT here in the US. G'Luck.

 

Great advice on both accounts!!!! Feel like copy/pasting this to save for myself "just in case"....

 

One thing I'll add is how powerful the mind is for healing. You can definitely heal, just remember that. You will be happily playing guitar again! And I hope in the meantime you are finding ways to cope. Of course there are a multitude of replacement behaviors, but that doesn't mean any of them are going to be as satisfying. :( Hope you can remember it's just temporary.

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