Surgery, you horrible beast.

Remember just a little while back when I was in a cast from fingers to shoulder? Well, now I get surgery on Monday.

When all this happened months ago now, it seemed to the brilliant Orthopedic Dr. that an MRI wasn't necessary, although I'd specifically asked him if I should have one. Twice. But nope, he had just stuck me in that cast, and I deferred to his "expertese". When I'd gotten out of that cast a few weeks back, the wrist was still loose with my hand still on crooked. So the brainiac decided to send me to a wrist specialist (wasn't this original guy supposed to be a specialist as well... ). So this new Dr. gets me an MRI, and low and behold, "extensive damage" to my TFCC, ligament tears, AND a fracture. And this was after the first brainiac said that everything was fine and just needed immobilized, hence my full arm cast for over a month. So now I go in for surgery on Monday, and will be in ANOTHER full arm cast. They say I may be in a cast for up to 2.5 months this time.

I'm so angry I could spit fire. I want to put the original Orthopedic Dr. in a cast up to his shoulder for over a month for no reason, just like he did to me. Grrr. But alas, can't change the past, and I'll forgive him.

So all that to say this... no guitar for me for another 2.5 months or so. Although I could work on left hand technique during that time? Any suggestions, please lemme know!

Call at the quacks house in the middle of the night with a lug wrench?

Call him up and play him some tunes on the old phone tone pad until it drives him nuts. Beeep Bbeeeeppp ding ding etc.

Crap, that sux big time!
I sometimes despair at the level of expertise and knowledge out there, particularly medical. Even when you become an educated lay person as you are in this case, and present an obvious course of action they still override common sense.
What's the moral? Always get a second opinion? Hard to do when you're in pain.

Wish you all the luck and a speedy recovery.

Yikes!!!!! Very sorry to hear of your predicament Chad. You are taking the correct course in forgiving him, of course.

IMHO looking into an official protest against him with the medical board in your state would not be out of line, it may prove helpful in preventing future patients from going down the road you find yourself on.

Will keep your health and recovery front and center in my conversations with The Big Guy and please get better soon.

Thanks guys, appreciate the kind words. Didn't want to unload personal life on here, but it stops me from playing guitar which is why I did mention it. It's more of a phychological blow than it is pysical. Being in that arm-tomb again for all that time is a handicap. Anyone who's been in one knows what I mean.

I will have to do something so that the original Orthopedic Dr. doesn't repeat his mistake with anybody else. At a follow up appointment after surgery I'm going to talk about it with the wrist specialist, see what he recommends, and take it from there. Maybe a review with his peers will help.

Well surgery is in the morning. Any tips for left hand technique while I'm out of right-hand commision?

[quote=I will have to do something so that the original Orthopedic Dr. doesn't repeat his mistake with anybody else. At a follow up appointment after surgery I'm going to talk about it with the wrist specialist, see what he recommends, and take it from there. Maybe a review with his peers will help.

Well surgery is in the morning. Any tips for left hand technique while I'm out of right-hand commision?[/quote]

Hey man, good luck with your surgery tomorrow. It really is a bummer but at least the process is beginning and you can start healing. You should follow up on that lame doctor as well, that is totally unfair and unprofessional! In this day and age he'd be lucky not to get sued, but i wouldn't go that route. Get better soon buddy, so you can sling your Dynasty once again! As for playing, i'd do some left hand stretching exercises like 1-3-5 frets with your pointy,middle and pinky fingers going down the neck (moving up a fret each string) hammer ons and pull offs, practice vibrato and tone (volume swells without the volume), ya know, keep them fingers limber!

Man, sorry to hear this development. At very least the issue is fully diagnosed and will be remedied. You are very forgiving which is cool. I'm unclear as to your options, but checking out this guy's past through an ombudsman or legit tertiary body might prevent a recurrent problem.

Sorry to hear that Chad, think my left arm has gone out in sympathy, trapped or damaged nerve meant I woke Sunday with partial paralysis in left wrist and fingers. Now in plaster up to elbow and even with this comparatively small amount of concrete work was sorely tempted to cut it off after just 2 days.
Hope the surgery went well and things are looking up, chin up eh?

Hope all is well and wish a speedy recovery.

Rock and Roll!!! Since typing that, movement has come back, I am straining at the plaster leash, probably doing skin damage inside the cast but I dont care. Its amazing, from little or no movement to what feels like the lot, WOO HOO!

That's just the booze, it'll wear off .... only joking
Feel for you guys... I've had damaged left shoulder ligaments going on 18 months now. Gestured at another driver the other day, I was in agony, couldn't change gear for a few minutes. That'll teach me

Sorry to hear Damian.
Change arms mate, change arms!

Just now saw these replies, thanks guys and I will follow up on the original Dr. Can't let him screw with others like that.

Sorry to hear about the other damaged wings out there! Looking on the bright side here men, the incapacity has made our brains stronger! Something about changing up routine like that forces the old noggin' to become even more advanced, so says science.

Westbone wrote:That's just the booze, it'll wear off ....

You were right.

grogg wrote:

Westbone wrote:That's just the booze, it'll wear off ....

You were right.

Thought Id share with you my arm contraption.
Went from this:-


to this

Bloody hell !!!!

YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So that's what you were talking about! I told ya I thought it would look cool!!!

Seriously though, that's rough. Is it helping at all?! So sorry you gotta endure that.

On the bright side, I bet it would be real easy to convert into a wrist mounted CROSSBOW!!! Framework's already there fer it!

I can use the hand a lot more with that on, drive etc.. Gets some major gawping when out in public. My son is very interested in the idea of fitting a few accessories.

The Chad wrote:...On the bright side, I bet it would be real easy to convert into a wrist mounted CROSSBOW!!! Framework's already there fer it!

Lordy, that's a nasty looking contraption. Sorry you're stuck with it. Get well soon.

It all sound a bit sore especially at Christmas time, grogg, Chad & Wetsbone, feel for you all, looking on the brighter side, at least it looks like grogg may be able to play a tune on his

fish wrote:It all sound a bit sore especially at Christmas time, grogg, Chad & Wetsbone, feel for you all, looking on the brighter side, at least it looks like grogg may be able to play a tune on his

Looks like he can, doesn't it!!! Ah, too funny. All I can do with mine is percussion.

The contraption is gone, . Fingers and wrist very weak but on the way back. Playing limited but can play basics.

Wow!, holy medical ailments Batman.

Good luck and a timely recovery Chad.

Also good luck to Westbone and Grogg on your ongoing situations.

ctsrulz

+1
May we all feel 100% better in the New Year!

Good to hear you are on your way back to fightin' trim grogg. Reading through this thread makes me a bit for feeling glum about my cold hanging on past Christmas.

...now if I can just stop cutting into my leg with my chainsaw.

grogg wrote:The contraption is gone, . Fingers and wrist very weak but on the way back. Playing limited but can play basics.

ALRIGHT GROGG!!! So glad to hear it, been thinking about ya.

It's a good time for both of us Grogg, because I just got my cast off! The scar is quite large, but makes me look tough and menacing.

So I can finally play again! I spent about 2 hours last night playing my guitars. I tried to play most of the eight I've got, I played the Peavey Vandenberg, the Dynasty, the FX, the Westone Dana III Ltd., Samick SBA460, and the '61 Reissue SG. Quite the difference in feel and sound between them all, it had been a while since my hands and ears experienced them. It was so fun, felt like a kid in a candy store, I can't even describe how nice it was to play again after all that time. My fingertips hurt now.

And after this fresh listen to my guitars, I objectively still say that the Dynasty sounds incredible in comparison with the rest. I don't get it, but it's got this fullness that is really pleasing to the ear. Deep low end, full mids, and pleasant highs in un-coil-tapped humbucker mode.

Nice one Chad, thats great news. Happy strumming!