Hittin’ a rough patch

[ToneWitch]

Back in June I almost lost my left index finger (fret hand) at work. I had a welding wire pierce it to the bone severing my nerve and screwing up my tendon. It’s going on 2 months post surgery and I still can’t make simple chords on the guitar.

I have been playing for over 20 years. It’s the only thing that keeps me sane. The doctors are not sure I’ll ever fully recover from this accident.

I’m at a cross roads with what I want to do in life. I love the money being a welder/fabricator brings me. I was just promoted to shop foreman and make a seriously good living, so much so, my wife doesn’t have to work and I think it’s awesome I get to make her life easy. I just bought my first house so I can’t leave this job at least until underwriting stops looking at my pay stubs.

My wife knows this is a serious blow to my sanity. She’s willing to go back to work so I can get a job where my hands won’t get destroyed and I’ll likely make half as much money.

Idk. I just feel so abused from this. I know it’s not my works fault but I still just feel like I have been shafted. Idk. I hope one day I’ll get the ability to play back. Might need to pick up a left handed fiddle and start practicing again.

 

[end user]

Sorry to hear that happened to you. I think learning left handed will be difficult but you could do it. I play left handed and am right handed. Another option is to get really good at slide guitar.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

Sorry to hear that happened to you. I think learning left handed will be difficult but you could do it. I play left handed and am right handed. Another option is to get really good at slide guitar.

yep slide.
damn were you not wearing your gloves bro? this sucks.

 

[Vinsanitizer]

Any help from physical therapy?

 

[ToneWitch]

Im

Sorry to hear that happened to you. I think learning left handed will be difficult but you could do it. I play left handed and am right handed. Another option is to get really good at slide guitar.

I’m just not sure it’s a career path I can continue knowing another hand injury is just around the corner. This being the most serious case it’s been years of smashed fingers, sore backs, hands so swollen can’t play, so damn tired I can’t write. And I have been gigging since I was a teenager. Idk. I’m just not sure I want to do it anymore.

I’d much rather surround myself with amplifiers at a minimum wage job at a music shop than continue to abuse my body like this.

idk I do plan to retire at 45 or 50. Which is 15 years from now. I could probably hang in there a little while longer just to save up enough to never have to do anything for anyone else ever again.

slide guitar is fun but it’s not the style I mainly write and play. Guess I could stretch the boundaries and get out of my comfort zone but I know what I like.

 

[end user]

Im


I’m just not sure it’s a career path I can continue knowing another hand injury is just around the corner. This being the most serious case it’s been years of smashed fingers, sore backs, hands so swollen can’t play, so damn tired I can’t write. And I have been gigging since I was a teenager. Idk. I’m just not sure I want to do it anymore.

I’d much rather surround myself with amplifiers at a minimum wage job at a music shop than continue to abuse my body like this.

idk I do plan to retire at 45 or 50. Which is 15 years from now. I could probably hang in there a little while longer just to save up enough to never have to do anything for anyone else ever again.

slide guitar is fun but it’s not the style I mainly write and play. Guess I could stretch the boundaries and get out of my comfort zone but I know what I like.

I know the feeling. I retired a few months ago at 53 because my profession was gonna kill me.

 

[ToneWitch]

Ye

Any help from physical therapy?

I am currently in intense physical therapy 3 times a week. Not much can be done with the nerve damage. It’s a 50/50 chance I’ll ever be able to move that finger with precision again.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

if your beating yourself up at that age already then its prolly time to leave.
you still have time to pick another path and make good of it. dont wait to long
as that clock still ticks when your asleep. stops for no man.

 

[ToneWitch]

yep slide.
damn were you not wearing your gloves bro? this sucks.

It was just a bizarre accident. My wire somehow penetrated my part, my glove and into my hand. I pulled the wire out myself with some mig pliers while biting on a rag. I was also shocked with 220v when the wire recontacted the part. Basically fried my finger. I have pictures if you can stomach it.

Just a freak accident. One that would be impossible to see coming and I always wear the proper PPE. Especially when it comes to my hands.

 

[ToneWitch]

if your beating yourself up at that age already then its prolly time to leave.
you still have time to pick another path and make good of it. dont wait to long
as that clock still ticks when your asleep. stops for no man.

no male in my family has ever lived passed 75. My grandfather was a genealogist. It’s not worth it to me to stop at 72 like they want. I’m stopping as soon as I am financially able to.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

It was just a bizarre accident. My wire somehow penetrated my part, my glove and into my hand. I pulled the wire out myself with some mig pliers while biting on a rag. I was also shocked with 220v when the wire recontacted the part. Basically fried my finger. I have pictures if you can stomach it.

Just a freak accident. One that would be impossible to see coming and I always wear the proper PPE. Especially when it comes to my hands.

i get it man. my hands have taken a beating too over the yrs. shoulda switched careers 20 yrs ago.
i did recently and its kicking my ass too, but i cant go back to what i was doing.
if your mind has got you thinking, its for a reason bro.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

no male in my family has ever lived passed 75. My grandfather was a genealogist. It’s not worth it to me to stop at 72 like they want. I’m stopping as soon as I am financially able to.

mine was late 40's. my brother and i both have passed that now. we are blessed and neither of us deserve to be here.
havent talked with him in almost 10 yrs. we both are the last of our line. hell, i dont even know if hes alive or not.

 

[ToneWitch]

if your beating yourself up at that age already then its prolly time to leave.
you still have time to pick another path and make good of it. dont wait to long
as that clock still ticks when your asleep. stops for no man.

I’m thinking 1 more year as foreman and I’m done. Don’t know how many near deaths I’ve had doing this job. Forklifts failing holding flat beds up. Inhaling chemicals. Etc., shit all I want to do is play music and now I can’t even do that. Well, at least I can still play the drums. Yeah, I’m only 31. Spend at least 1-2 hospital visits a year from work injuries. Hell. I even have a college degree but still stayed in the roughneck trades because of the money.

 

[junk notes]

Sorry to hear. I hope you receive positive therapy, and get back to the biz!

*Also, on a side note, be careful in the field until you are done. I had gotten snowblind twice!

*being a welder

 

[ToneWitch]

Yep

Sorry to hear. I hope you receive positive therapy, and get back to the biz!

*Also, on a side note, be careful in the field until you are done. I had gotten snowblind twice!

Yeah, I sure did luck out with my wife. We’ve been together for 11 years now. She knows me better than I know myself. She instantly knows when I need to throw in the towel and is so intuitive to what I have going on underneath. Wish I could read her like that. She just wants me to be happy. And now everyday I’m back at work all I can think about is what injury is coming next.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

Yep


Yeah, I sure did luck out with my wife. We’ve been together for 11 years now. She knows me better than I know myself. She instantly knows when I need to throw in the towel and is so intuitive to what I have going on underneath. Wish I could read her like that. She just wants me to be happy. And now everyday I’m back at work all I can think about is what injury is coming next.

listen to your body bro. LISTEN to your wife.
the day of woulda coulda shoulda eventually comes.
the news it brings usually isnt good.

 

[ToneWitch]

Anyone who isn’t a musician specifically a guitarist, wouldn’t understand. Hell my boss didn’t understand why I was so upset with “just a finger”. None of my co-workers get it. They will think I’ve gone soft but I’ve broken my back/extremities for basically nothing. Ruined the one thing I loved more than life itself.

 

[Vinsanitizer]

Ye

I am currently in intense physical therapy 3 times a week. Not much can be done with the nerve damage. It’s a 50/50 chance I’ll ever be able to move that finger with precision again.

Has there been any measurable improvement since it happened?

 

[ToneWitch]

Has there been any measurable improvement since it happened?

I’ve only now been able to bend it enough to make basic chord shapes. Can’t make an Am at all. The first joint came back almost 100% but the nerve hasn’t came back on the tip 2nd joint. It hangs basically lifeless. There has been improvement but it’s measured in thousandths of inches of movement. Still have no feeling in the tip.

 

[ToneWitch]

Doc said it could be a year or maybe two if it does come back. Nerves take a long time to regenerate. And the damage to my tendon doesn’t help.