post - surgery

[Kramerguy]

Everything I read from other musicians prior to my surgical consults said recovery would be anywhere from 4-6 months, and that the recovery (playing again) would be a long and painful process from there. When I met with the surgeon, he initially wouldn't say, but insisted on giving me a steroid/cortizone shot, saying that my physical reaction to it would be an indicator as to my general recovery time, but said yes, it is long and painful-

 

So everything went well with the shot, better than expected he said. It even settled some of the fatigue and pain, which allowed me to continue doing gigs for an extra month up to the scheduled surgery.

 

The Surgeon told me to expect 6 weeks minimum just to pick up a guitar, and at least 8 weeks before I could even be back on a daily or regular routine. It would be painful and I would only be able to do short stints in the beginning. In a world where guitarists are a dime a dozen, and the fact that I'd been playing like sh*t for the last several months had made me a bit paranoid, to be honest.

 

So the day of the surgery, during the pre-op, he explained exactly what the incision he makes in the palm, and gave me the basics- The incision is a little over an inch, between the main two palm muscles, which are connected by lots of muscle tissue and 'bridges' of muscle tissues. Apparently that's what the painful recuperation is all about, that muscle tissue takes a long time to reconnect, heal, and strengthen back up.

 

So, he talked to me after the surgery, when I was only half-conscious lol.. I barely recall talking to him and nothing about the conversation..

 

So last week, he took out the stitches and explained to me what happened-

 

Apparently, I'm in a very rare minority where my palm muscles are completely separated, he was able to make the surgical incision, and just go around the muscle, and then cut & release the tunnel and then sew me up. The end result is a spectacular recovery time and little to no pain, outside of the surgical scar and healing itself.

 

I was able to finger the guitar last week and was wondering what the hell everyone (who said recovery would be long and painful) was talking about.

 

The doctor said this was rather uncharted territory for him, as he never worked on a guitarist with that palm pre-condition before, so he asked that I just refrain for another week, but admitted he really didn't know, and that other people who did have that same palm feature mentioned doing full-blown work like jack-hammering and other carpel related jobs (that caused it) almost immediately afterwords with little or no discomfort or side effects.

 

So I did a test run Sunday, played about 15 minutes. I was a bit clumbsy at first, but fell back in easily. I admit, I did have a little pain from the incision still, but it subsides more and more every day. I waited a few hours and picked it back up ... played almost two hours straight! Although most of it was working on "lighter stuff".. but I did touch on some other tough songs, especially ones that really sent me into pain city before.. most went really well, a couple irritated my palm/wrist a little, but nothing terrible.. power bar-chords kind of hurt a little for some reason (pressure on the palm I think), but mostly I felt great and plan to go to band rehearsal on Wed. night, playing through all of it !! (initially we didn't expect me to return to playing at rehearsals until last week of Nov.)

 

Monday, Tuesday, even better. Bar chords less irritating. Learned two new songs, practiced the hell out of some regulars.. sweet.

 

So there's the long story.. yay me and all that !! I'm finally lucky in at least one regard of life hah.

[wades_keys]

Good deal man.

 

Did you find out what caused it?

[ChordGirl]

I was reading this and thinking "WOW!" That is cool that your genetic anomoly might make this recovery process a piece of cake for you, relatively speaking. But after reading the last paragraph, I really think you should be on the safe side of this and not play for two hours for at least a week, like the doc said. Just saying... It's only a week. Be careful. :poke:

 

 

Signed, your mom.

[Kramerguy]

lolz, thanks MOM.

 

The doc said a week last thursday - so technically I'm 6 days in now anyways

[Kramerguy]

 

Good deal man. Did you find out what caused it?

 

 

er.. not really.

 

Few things to note though:

 

In 2001 had been about 3 years absent from playing guitar, (around 98 got caught up in life, work, etc..).. I remember 2001 just because of it being a new house, etc...

 

But in 2001, I was washing dishes by hand, holding plates, pots, pans, etc with my left hand and scrubbing with my right. I remember getting 'fatigue' sometimes, especially when I scrubbed real hard. Back then I thought it was because I hadn't played in a long time and figured my hand muscles weakened or something. Since it only happened when doing dishes, I just ignored it.

 

Fast forward to 2006 - I'm getting back into guitar, bought a new git, amp, some other gear, re-learning metallica, maiden, and rush catalogs (yeah lol, I was the 80's rocker), noticed the same "fatigue", hand would start to cramp and get tired, especially when trying to play bar chords or repetitive chords.

 

I thought the same reason(s): lack of practice, so then I really dug in, playing 5+ hours a night 5 and 6 nights a week.

 

Couple of months later - start getting that half-asleep tingling-numbness in the arm/hand in the middle of the night, as if I was laying on it wrong, I would find that over the next couple of months, the discomfort and numbness would increase in frequency and intensity..

 

Finally, I went to my doc, then to a specialist and got tested.. positive for CT. They tried to get me to manage it by wearing a brace at nights, and taking an intensive regiment of B vitamins daily.

 

This seemed to have worked for a while, but hindsight once again tells me that I was just kidding myself, the fatugue, pain, numbness, and tingling, all were happening more frequently not only at night, but when I played. It would take me 2-3 hours just to 'loosen up' enough to play well.

 

Sometime early last summer, it all land-slided, went into defcon 5 literally overnight. the pain became immense and getting through shows was a trial of will sometimes. There were times where I couldn't feel or move my hand and would have to use my right hand to help my left finger a chord.

 

So more or less, I got the surgery and couldn't be happier with the results.

[ChordGirl]

so technically I'm 6 days in now anyways