Ben Posted January 30, 2002 Report Share Posted January 30, 2002 please pardin any typos, i'm high on painkillers and ty7ping one handed... leaving the dorm today, I Missed a step, fell and dislocated abd broke my left elbow. THe dovtor said thsat i may be abler to plkay in assoon as a month, but i doubt it. i feel like this is gonna mean starting from square one or just giving up... i don't want either. i"M having surgery tomorrow morning to remove some bone chips... i don't know what to do ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynzi Posted January 30, 2002 Report Share Posted January 30, 2002 Can I first say, ouch!!!! WOW! I could never imagine having to take a month off and not being able to play, what would I do with all that free time? But I think you should listen and play until its alright, if you do and your not okay you could cause major damage and risk having to wait EVEN longer to play! Sorry bud, this situation sucks...but now you can catch up on other things like...(I would say studying but who wants to do that?) bEST OF LUCK FIDDLECHIC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted January 30, 2002 Report Share Posted January 30, 2002 PLEASE. Take a series of long, slow breaths and stay in the moment. Your task right now is to prepare your body in every way possible to get through the surgery. That means guided imagery, LOTS of stress reduction techniques, and requesting a physical therapist to begin working with you as soon as possible. If there is no one on staff who knows musician's injuries, a sports therapist may be a good second choice. Pass on junk food (that probably means hospital food) and be sure you are eating a nourishing diet, probably with appropriate supplements. Continue to "practice without an instrument". This is a great time to read Robert Gerle's book on playing. Take the music you are currently working on and study it intensely with the scores in front of you, and make your mental set the fact that you will be playing it soon. When friends ask what they can do, have a chart prepared with the previous advice so that they can do the running around to do what you need done to follow the previous advice. You will play again, as well as you did before and maybe better, if you focus on small positive steps toward that ultimate goal. We believe in you and we believe you can! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddlefaddle Posted January 30, 2002 Report Share Posted January 30, 2002 Sorry Ben. I feel for you. I hope your orthopod is like the restorer of a fine violin. It's all in the surgery. is he doing this arthroscopically assisted? sounds like it. is he doing an open reduction and internal fixation??? Bud [This message has been edited by fiddlefaddle (edited 01-30-2002).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane Posted January 30, 2002 Report Share Posted January 30, 2002 Oh Ben I cried for you. You must be at your wits end! Ann's advice is brilliant please take it to heart. The power of the mind is phenomenal. DON'T ALLOW ANY NEGATIVE THOUGHTS. In your spare moments, close your eyes and take yourself off in your head to your own special place where you can practice, rehearse, and tackle all those things you never even knew you could play before. You need to build up strong positive images of how you will be once the healing is complete. And that is going to be better and stronger than you ever where before, because of the experience. And those dreams will come true, because you believe in them. It is not the end...its a new beginning. And how I wish Theresa was around now to add her pearls of wisdom for you. We will all send you positive thoughts and prayers. You will come thorough. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWoof Posted January 30, 2002 Report Share Posted January 30, 2002 Have the operation and while recovering get a bottle of bourbon. A few ice cubes and a couple of fingers of the magic sauce will help take your mind off that niggling injury. You will never be the same again. You will recover though. Life has a way of dishing out platefuls of c rap at times. You just have to deal with it. Sorry you had the "Unfahl". Don Crandall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystal Posted January 30, 2002 Report Share Posted January 30, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Ben: THe dovtor said thsat i may be abler to plkay in assoon as a month, but i doubt it. i feel like this is gonna mean starting from square one or just giving up... i don't want either. ben Ben: Ahhh, this too shall pass! It's not the end of the world! The doctor IS saying that you'll play again! This is great news! It could be much worse, like, you'll NOT be able to play again. Yikes, now that would be something to get worked up over. Taking a month off will set you back a bit, but keep playing in your mind. Read through your music, play the notes with your fingers. (I call this air-fiddling) Keep the music fresh and foremost in your mind. You'll be surprised how little you lost! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deb Posted January 30, 2002 Report Share Posted January 30, 2002 All I can add to all the excellent advice above is: Find a physical therapist and make them part of your plan to pick up your violin again. Literally. The PT might know nothing about playing a violin, but they can help you with the exercises you need to be able to do it. And they'll know when, and how 'much' it'll take to play again. My daughter had foot surgery a couple years ago -- one of her hobbies is ballet (and other dance.) Most everyone told her she'd never dance on pointe again. Her Doctor sent her to a very good PT, and guess what? 1 year later, she was dancing on pointe. There's a pin in her foot, it and the bone all healed up just fine. Violin playing doesn't have to bear nearly that much stress. Do everything your ortho and your PT tell you to do. But never over do it. Find out how to know the difference between good pain and bad pain in therapy. You are young, and it will heal up faster than you know, and everything will be fine. I offer you a very gentle virtual hug. -deb [This message has been edited by deb (edited 01-30-2002).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiddling Around Posted January 30, 2002 Report Share Posted January 30, 2002 Ben, I'm so sorry for you. But don't give up! Don't ever give up! While your elbow is healing, do ear training or something so you advance in a useful way even though you are laid up. You'll make it! We're all sending healing vibes your way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel Posted January 31, 2002 Report Share Posted January 31, 2002 Ben: No, this is not the end! You'll need patience but you will be back! I second all the advice about "practising without an instrument" - you can get to know the music even though you can't play at the moment. Don't rush your recovery, though! Jane: Where is Theresa? Did I miss something?? Laurel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerulean Posted January 31, 2002 Report Share Posted January 31, 2002 Don't be sad....maybe it will be a blessing in disguise.... =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddlin Posted January 31, 2002 Report Share Posted January 31, 2002 I'm sorry to hear that, Ben, but you'll recover! You'll be pickin' & grinnin' before you know it. Good luck with your surgery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeprocter Posted February 1, 2002 Report Share Posted February 1, 2002 My daughter, Caitlin, fell on a dry ski slope just before a violin exam (AB grade 3, for those of you who know the UK system). She had a greenstick fracture of the right ulna. Until then she had been doing OK but wasn't outstanding. At the same time we moved from London to Sheffield, so had to find a new teacher. From somewhere Cait thought it might be interestng to try the viola (she hadn't heard the jokes!). To cut a long story short, she couldn't play for TWO months, but now, two years down the road, she is really committed to the viola with some good exam and audition successes behind her. A genuine 'silver lining' story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strad500 Posted February 1, 2002 Report Share Posted February 1, 2002 Ben, sorry about your accident. When I had a finger joint swell and couldn't play, I read music and played "mentally," I guess the way sports figures do. I imagined fingering and bowing. When I could play again, I was amazed at how familiar the music had become "playing in my head." Maybe not all is lost. Continue reading the music, sing it, play it in your head. If you try it, and it works, let us know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picfiddle Posted February 1, 2002 Report Share Posted February 1, 2002 I cannot add to the excellent advice already given...Its NOT the end just feels like it at the moment. I'll just add my sympathy & good wishes for a quick recovery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FiddlinJim Posted February 1, 2002 Report Share Posted February 1, 2002 A year ago I broke the first finger on my left hand and couldnt play my violin for three months! Like you I thought I would have to begin all over and the waiting drove me nuts. When they finaly removed the cast it only took me a week or two to get back where I was. Try doing what I did: #1 Come on here and whine a lot! No! I mean stay in touch with people who are interested in playing. I found the people here to be extremely helpful and encouraging. #2 Most important of all Never GIVE UP!! Do not entertain the slightest doubt that you will play again! Because you will, it wont take as long as you think to get back to where you were! you will be even better because when you do play again you will put so much effort into getting back that you will surpass your old level! #3 Keep your violin in tune so it will be ready when you are. Keep it awake by bowing the open strings, maybe work on bowing. #4 listen to as much violin/fiddle music as you can. Generaly the advise given on the FB is very good, but those of you who told me to go sing into a bucket, I never understood the purpose of that exercise. Was it for ear training or what? Anyway, Never give up! We're out here pulling for ya! FiddlnJim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Bailey Posted February 1, 2002 Report Share Posted February 1, 2002 Ben, Here's a story: I played violin from about the age of 6 to the age of 16, at which time I was in a serious cycling accident. I broke two bones in my left hand, both bones in my lower arm, and did a lot of damage to my wrist. After a couple of surgeries, the doctors advised my parents that the violin was out for me. They thought it over, and decided to sell my instrument (while I was still in the hospital, in order to "soften the blow" or something). Anyway, after a few years I began to play other instruments, a few at a high level. About 6 years ago, I met an orthopedic surgeon (while I was working at a music retailer). We got talking, and when I told him about my injuries as a kid, he informed me that, in his opinion, my parents didn't know anything about medicine and my doctors didn't know anything about playing an instrument. In short, since I was able to play piano and guitar (and other things), I was (and had been at 16 after the accident) able to play violin. And it turns out, he was right. All I did was waste about 20 years away from the violin. (Although "waste" is perhaps not the right word--I had a lot of fun playing other instruments, and it spurred me on to become a composer.) The point is not to whine about my story, but that orthopedic medicine is able to do wonders, and that if your doctor says you'll be able to play in a month, you have nothing to worry about. It may stink for now, but it's surely not the end! Stay calm. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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