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Three fingered for a while...

kestrou

kestrou

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Joined
Feb 6, 2013
Messages
1,773
Location
Danville, IL
You ever see those guys juggle chain saws? I did a poor imitation of that today with my hedge trimmers - turned the tip of my left pointer/index finger into hamburger. Yup, my fretting hand...

Two and a half hours in the ER and five stitches later, here I am with my left hand elevated, on strong anti-biotics and ibuprofen for the foreseeable future - and feeling every heartbeat in that fingertip.

Dang, dang, dang! I'm at Vai Academy in four weeks and just HOPING I'll be able to play by then...

Kevin
 
ozzyrules

ozzyrules

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Dec 31, 2010
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2,577
Location
Southeast Louisiana
Kev,
That's awful. I hope you recover soon. This may be one of those opportunities to learn how to improve your skills in spite of your misfortune. Good luck & I hope you heal soon.
 
peterd79

peterd79

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Joined
Jun 27, 2005
Messages
2,880
Location
NOR*CAL
kestrou said:
Unfortunately, this is way past super glue... :(

Searching for a silver lining... This might be an opportunity to catch up my my guitar magazine backlog...

Kevin
Click to expand...


send that sky blue al my way and i'll take good care of er for ya
 
dave1812

dave1812

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Joined
Apr 25, 2011
Messages
579
Location
Germany
Superglue might really help, if you cover the tip of your finger with it, it's going to be less painful to play Guitar.
I had to play a Gig with superglued Finger, because the Bandsaw liked my Fingertip so much. I had to play Bass on a Gig the day after the accident
 
L

lock-ny

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Jan 23, 2003
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877
Location
NYC
This is actually a good opportunity to learn slide.....glass half full??
 
Flash Gordon

Flash Gordon

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Oct 8, 2013
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NW Burbs - Chicago
Eeeeek! Sorry to hear. I demolished my fretting hand a few years back while running, took a bad tumble and destroyed my pinky and ring finger primary knuckles.

Godspeed on the healing process!
 
banjoplayer

banjoplayer

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Joined
Jan 8, 2007
Messages
2,749
Location
Ulm, Germany
oh man... all the best

had an accident once with a very sharp big cooking knife. it seemed to heal very quick although a bit if the tip was off
 
straycat113

straycat113

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Joined
Aug 17, 2009
Messages
2,506
Location
Born and bred in Brooklyn NY
You should be healed well enough in a month to attend. The stiches should be out in 7-10 days and then try to leave it un-bandaged as much as possible (like when you sleep) as it will dry and scab faster. Also keep it clean but don't sit in the tub or put a plastic bag on your hand when you shower-if you shower lol. Seriously you just don't want to keep it moist with an anti biotic sab too long as it slows the healing process. In the meantime you have another hand so work on your alternate picking while watching TV as there are a lot of exercises you can do to build up your right hand. I had to go 13 months one time without playing due to developing bad Cubital Tunnel Syndrome which affects the Ulnar nerve in the elbow and this is what I did. I would practice 16th note triplets (a little tip for anyone who has an issue counting) just alternate pick while saying- "Double lobotomy everyone follow me" and you will be wizzing by in perfect time. Also practice starting on up strokes on everything for an hour. I guarantee you by the time your finger heals you will notice a solid improvement in your picking. Also work on a little bit of theory or if you are not as fast naming notes on the D-G-and B strings as you are on the low E and A practice those three strings so you put your middle finger on the 10th fret of the B string-A the 4th fret D# and so on.

That happened to me 6 years ago and nothing ever gave me a knot in my stomach like the Doctor telling me my playing days may be over! I guess the only thing worse would be if he told me get my affairs in order lol. But I was honestly depressed for the first couple of months and then you get idiots telling you things like "Why not learn to play left handed" or "Learn Keyboards" my brother told me that one and if he wasn't my brother I think I would of cracked him. Then I just thought if Tony Iommi and Django could overcome worse disabilities I would find a way. In those 13 months I also finally changed my picking hand grip from fanned out to a closed grip which was something that never felt comfortable in 30+ years and now it is like I picked that way my whole life. I don't playout anymore but I still get the same high from playing at 53 as I did at 13, but I am going to have to have two surgeries done or I may as well hang it up, as I can't deal with getting back up to snuff only to not be able to feel my fingers for a few months. The reason I haven't had it done already is because I have a severe phobia of being put under, as I have never been put under in my life. But I never thought I would live this long so it's time!
 
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