Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'

Subject: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Bobert
Date: 31 Oct 02 - 05:30 PM

Well, now ain't this a bummer. Been having pain in the the ol' pickin thumb for the last two weeks and finally got it exrayed and the thumb doc strpped this thump slint thingie on me which goes half way to my danged elbow and keeps my thumb from doing anything at all. Well, the thing is reel bulky but I thought there were enough fingers stickin out to pick with but the aparatus is so bulky that it hits the strings before the fingers. Danged!

And I'll tell ya' what else. Moving the mouse and clickin' it is purdy tricky, too but I can still typr since I always do that with two fingers but its a slow process.

Oh well, the NBA (Basketball) season has begun so I can watch the sorry Bullets on cable when I would ordinarily be playin'

But, dnaged. Anyone ever been treated for "Basal joint arthritis" also known as "carpol metacarpal joint arthritis"? How long before your thumb was back to normal? Also, anyone ever had the thumb joint replaced which is something that may have to be done down the road?

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Tig
Date: 31 Oct 02 - 05:46 PM

Not got your problem but do sympathise as I broke my collarbone a couple of weeks ago and was stuck in a sling - not that my arm could move much at that point anyway.

They assure me the best thing i can do to get it healed (which applies to most things) is to rest it and not push myself too hard. I've massaged a few hands like yours thoug and know how fustrating it can be!
Have a healer hug to go with it xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Ebbie
Date: 31 Oct 02 - 05:54 PM

((((((Bobert))))))

Haven't had that problem but once did have a shoulder joint that gave me fits- couldn't play, couldn't even sleep without it being hoisted high on a pillow. It got better- fine, in fact. I wish you the same.

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 31 Oct 02 - 05:54 PM

Real sorry to hear that Bobert. It plumb makes me flusterated to know that the Ole Bobert can't beat out them blues. I bet there's a song in there, though. I almost took the tip off my little finger on my left hand a few weeks ago... made me realize how much I use that little sucker... try to bend a note on the first string, and all I got out of it was a Youchh!!!! It's healing though, as yours will, too Bobert. Just think how much worse it would be if you were all thumbs, like some people I know..

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Oct 02 - 06:54 PM

I've been fighting with carpal tunnel the past two weeks, Bobert and it is damn hard to stay off of this computer, I'll tell ya! It's really bad when I also cannot grip a book to read it and there's nothing worth watching on tv!

You might find this article of interest: All about the hand and injuries, etc..

For control of pain, in a most pleasuable way, I think we've found the perfect thing, though, just click HERE and read on...:-)

Heal up, friend!

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 31 Oct 02 - 08:43 PM

Oh man, Bobert, I sympathize. Having a bit of hand pain myself. Moral? Don't get old!

Cheers

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Mudlark
Date: 31 Oct 02 - 09:24 PM

Bobert....handsful of sympathy. I can just hear your guitar calling to you. My left hand is getting worse and worse and I'm dreading the time when I can't play at all...

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: khandu
Date: 31 Oct 02 - 09:49 PM

OOOOOOOOHHHHHH! That ain't good news! It makes me cringe to think of it!

Take good care of that thumb, buddyroo. I am sure it has given you lotza pleasure. As Granpappy also said, "A man needs a thumb!"

Well, he didn't really always say that; heck, I don't know that he ever said it. He didn't really talk all that much. And, besides, "A man needs a thumb" is not something people just go around saying. I mean, people would begin to think you're a bit daft if you went around saying things like that. But, you know, Granpappy never did pay much attention to what people thought of him, so...he actually might have said it!

Anyway, it is true...A man needs a thumb...for lotza things. I mean, a hitch-hiker can't "thumb" a ride without a thumb, can he? I bet he wouldn't get to far trying to "finger" a ride! Where would Siskel and Ebert be without thumbs? Their whole show was dependent upon their thumbs. And Tom Thumb would not have been big(?) if he were called Tom Finger.

And who could "thumb their nose" at society's propriety without thumbs. "Finger your nose"? Naw...I can think of other things I'd rather finger!

You know, Bobert...A man needs a thumb!

k

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Bobert
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 08:49 AM

Well, thanks all, fir these kind words. Yeah, getton' oler has its drawbacks, indeed. Now, being the mechanically declined feller that I is, over the years I have broken bones in my hand, sliced and diced fingers, smashed fingernails mistaking them for the other kind od nails, bit hangnails until they bled, brutally bruzed and banged the poor things *but* always figured out a way to platy around thebounties of my fool heartly suicidal attempts starting with my hands. *But* this is different because if this monster that I gotta wear over the arm/wrist/hand that was surely designed by someone who always wanted to be a guitar picker but was too lazy to learn and is trying to get ven with everyone who made the journey.

That's my take on the entire thing except to say, * I will not be beaten!* No sir! Last night as I was laying in bed trying to fall asleep I was thinking of coathangers, duct tape and guitar picks and I think I'm close on beating this nasty aparatus.

Hope your sliced finger is mending, Jerry, and don't worry about ol' Bobert. I'm gonna lik this one,too.

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: kendall
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 08:56 AM

Thats a real Bummer man, hope it heals real soon. I hope I never get so bored that I have to watch basketball! I'd rather watch cans rust.

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: songs2play
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 09:09 AM

What a kick in the goolies. My heart really bleeds for you.
This could be a great opportunity to learn to play with alternative appendages
How long are your toenails :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Mooh
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 09:14 AM

Sorry to hear that! I think the longest I've ever gone without playing is about a week, because of home renovation and the effect it had on my time and hands. Otherwise, 30 continuous years of playing. Practice in your head...I suppose.

I hope you listen to alot of music!

Good luck...Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: 53
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 09:46 AM

I feel for you cuz I have a messed up finger to.

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Bobert
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 02:39 PM

Well, Mooh, to make things worser, my CD payer which is less tha 6 months old has starting injesting CD's and no won't so much as even bite into another one let alone play one. By, Hark, I've still got a turn-table and arounf 1500 old albums.

And some old boys who I play with now and then tell me of the guy who plays with only one hand on the fret board. If the duct tape/coathanger,flat-pick desig falls through, I'll give that a try next.

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Bobert
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 07:33 PM

Hark, Iz figured it out. Nuthin to it. Just lay the danged cast thingie down just to the rigth of the bridge the fingers got just enough room to do the job. Yeah, the 1st finger ain't much into back pickin bass but heck, these finghers og mine have never been too terribly cooperative about much at all. Just funnin! No, it does *kinda* wok and will get me thru. Heck, I might even just give up on the thumb after 9 more days of this....

Oh happy days...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 01 Nov 02 - 08:25 PM

And some old boys who I play with now and then tell me of the guy who plays with only one hand on the fret board.

'Tis true. I don't know whether it's the same guy your buddies are talking about, but I have met and played with a one-armed guitar player. His name's S.J. Hall and I believe he lives somewhere in south Georgia. He's been a regular in the parking lots of Florida and Georgia bluegrass festivals for years. He plays an ES-335 in open D tuning. He uses a lot of hammer-ons and pull-offs plus he uses the nail of his little finger to pick with. Pretty darned amazing actually.

Certainly hope your problem just hurries up and gets well. But, just in case, you might think about letting that little fingernail grow out some. ;-)

Bruce

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Genie
Date: 04 Nov 02 - 02:20 AM

Thanks, Kat. Good articles. The second one is intriguing, of course. If I think about sex, my arthritis won't bother me so much?

Mudlark, Bobert, Jerry, all of you, I'm in a similar boat. Have had a huge "Heburdin's (sp)" node (osteoarthritis) on my left index finger knuckle
(middle joint) for several years, and some days I can't play worth a damn without my NSAIDs. Plus, I cut off the tip of that finger with a paring
knife in about 1996, and the tip of it is far more sensitive to pain than it was before. Now I'm beginning to get arthritis in the thumb of my right
hand, too.   I'm told by the docs, and my experience corroborates it, that playing a while every day is the best therapy there is for it. But I have
some days where my work requires me to play for 4 to 6 hours, and that is NOT good for it.

I am planning to get as much of my repertoire onto tape/CD ASAP, just in case I have short periods (or, heaven forbid, extended periods) where I
just can't play worth a fig. If, perish the thought, you should get to the place where you can't pick, if you've got yourself on tape or CD, you can at
least 'karaoke' yourself. (The same would hold if the voice should give out, for some reason.)

BTW, Bobert, there are people who play guitar with their feet because they have no hands that are capable of holding the guitar. Where there's a
will, there just may be a way. Don't give up, y'heah?

Genie

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Bobert
Date: 04 Nov 02 - 10:09 AM

Oh heck no, Genie. No quit in me even if I gotta play with my feet. I believe that where the song "Brostol Stomp" came from. Jus funnin'. Yesterday, I found that I can strum with the cast using the cast as kind of abig unflatpick! Okay, it sounds wierd but its music. I'm also getting better picking with just the 3 fingers with the 1st finger having to handle to bass strings. The 3rd fingertip is real sore because it's not used to so much work since I generally just back pick with the 1st and 2nd fingers.

But I've allready reconciled myself to having the thumb joint replaced at some point in time because when I retire in a year or two I'm going to get back into doing a few gigs, so giving up, at least for the forseeable future is not an alternative.

But I'm real sorry to hear about your woes with this stuff. It is definately a bummer.

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: GUEST,smilinicon
Date: 04 Nov 02 - 10:21 AM

I've had carpal tunnel for years, but I am doing OK as I learned to take care of my wrists (not sure if it the same problem you have). Glucosamine and Condroitin supplements might help you out. Ask your doctor.

best of luck to you.

Subject: RE: BS: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 04 Nov 02 - 10:56 AM

Genie: Sorry to hear of your problems (I nicked the end of my pinky finger trimming our hedges this summer, but thank God, it wasn't plumb on the end (as Bobert would say,) and I can bend notes on the e-string now... couldn't for awhile, and that's part of my style on blues and black gospel.)

As a good side-point, I too would encourage people to record, record, record. I've been trying to get a CD done of the Gospel Messengers because Joe is 78 and Frankie is 76, and nothing is guaranteed. I'm trying to eliminate as many, "Why didn't I?"s as I can in my life. Savor the moment and tape it, while you're at it. I have a couple of treasured tapes of my Father, just talking about when he was growing up. It's music to my ears..

Jerry

Subject: RE: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Nov 02 - 10:24 AM

well...I done missed this thread till now.....

I can't do much about guitar pickin', but as Kat can testify , I found this program which will do the computer mouse clickin' for you! It really works....it's like a barred F, you gotta get used to it, but it ***WILL** save you lots of aggravation in the right hand.

Take a look http://mousetool.com/

Subject: RE: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Genie
Date: 05 Nov 02 - 10:46 PM

Good going, Bobert. I didn't mean to magnify my "woes," rather to suggest that there are ways of dealing with them. (If I had not cut off the tip of my left index finger I'd no doubt still be afraid of barre chords and telling myself I couldn't do them. But with that kind of injury, barring became the preferred way to play a C chord and a few others.) Wasn't Jerry Garcia missing part of one finger on his right hand?

Glad to hear of your commitment and determination. And get out of that cast soon, please.

Genie

Subject: RE: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 05 Nov 02 - 10:48 PM

Genie: Bobert wants to be the best guitar player, barre none..

Jerry

Subject: RE: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Bobert
Date: 14 Nov 02 - 02:48 PM

Well, ten days in the danged cast/splint thing and the thumb is maybe 25% better.

Started *Glucosimine*, which is supposed to restore the cartledge in the joints and lots of folks swear by the stuff just in case any of you other Cat-pickers get joint pains in the hands. The stuff is supposed to take two or three weeks before any releif so I'll keep ya' posted.

Meanwhile, I took a page out of Rick Fielding's booh and had an acrylic nail put on my first finger and I'll use it like a flat pci and see how it does. I can still do some thumb picking but not any hard Delta style that I'm like. It ought to interestin'. Like they say, that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

Bobert

Subject: RE: Danged! Two weeks of no Guitar Pickin'
From: Art Thieme
Date: 14 Nov 02 - 03:08 PM

TWO WHOLE WEEKS??? I envy you !

Everything's relative. ;-)

Albert Einstein--guest