Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

.....and if I'm still not able to play, let alone even hold a guitar, I'm putting all my stuff up for sale! The broken fingers on my left hand are just about healed but they are a mess....can't even bend them enough to get anywhere near the fret board. No fixing that. There's a possibility my shoulder will shatter again as this is one of those 1st time "experimental" operations using tons of titanium rods, pates and screws to try and keep my shattered shoulder and humerus to keep from falling apart. I most likely willl have to get a prosthetic shoulder to replace the one I have now which means having to go through all this horrific ordeal with the surgery, hospitals, rehab, recoup, etc.. again I can't move my arm anywhere around my guitar and it just won't move right.... My playing days are pretty much over:

So... before I go and put up the most awesome instruments I feel I've owned to date that are in pristine condition (Silverburst Gibson Les Paul has been played only about 10 times and PRS SC-250 just came out of the shop for complete overhaul and not only plays flawlessly but is in pristine condition, I will give my BM friends first crack at,honestly, the BEST set-up I've ever had in my life of entertaining my audiences. I will let you all make reasonable offers and hope to God you get as mush enjoyment as fulfillment as I have gotten. Seriously, no use just staring at the cases as it's really starting to depress me. They are in a very well kept conditioned room that stays between 68-72 degrees. I'm also practically giving away my: Line 6 Bogner 100watt pure tube head (along with pedal board and chords... My Line6 Spider III 150 watt combo (2 beautiful celestions) which not only have I used for rehearsals but have frequently used ant many a gig and for recording..also with pedal board and chords. Alos practically giving away my Line6 Botttom with 4 beautiful Celestions that blows the doors off any concert hall or club I've played to date. Here are the pics:

Silver Burst Les Paul (I paid in the area of $1,750 tax included less than a year ago)

PRS SC-250 fat neck, quilted with bird inlays ( I pad around $3,500 on sale about 2 years ago)

All my Line 6's (including my little 30 watt which is a blast to use in my little studio.

make me some reasonable offers and I'll most likely oblige as I can't bear to just stare at all this!

Thank You for at least checking out my post...Life throws us all a curve ball but this paticular incident took away all my most favorite "Passions"

My job, my love of riding and tinkering with my bikes and most of all. my love of just playing for hours on end on all my guitars.

I guess one of the most depressing things is when I go on FB and see the latest band I had put together all went their separate ways and are now playing all the clubs we were supposed to be playing.... This , I honestly felt, was gonna be theultimate band I've ever had the pleasure to perform with. Oh well...Just gotta concentrate on mending and working my hardest to fix myself up so I can get my old job back before I lose it.

Good Luck and God Bless! K.C.C.

Django Reinhardt played with two fingers. Copied from Wik

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Django_Reinhardt

At the age of 18, Reinhardt was injured in a fire that ravaged the caravan he shared with Florine "Bella" Mayer, his first wife.[6] They were very poor, and to supplement their income Bella made imitation flowers out of celluloid and paper. Consequently, their home was full of this highly flammable material. Returning from a performance late one night, Reinhardt apparently knocked over a candle on his way to bed. While his family and neighbors were quick to pull him to safety, he received first- and second-degree burns over half his body. His right leg was paralyzed and the third and fourth fingers of his left hand were badly burned. Doctors believed that he would never play guitar again and intended to amputate one of his legs.[7] Reinhardt refused to have the surgery and left the hospital after a short time; he was able to walk within a year with the aid of a cane.

His brother Joseph Reinhardt, an accomplished guitarist himself, bought Django a new guitar. With rehabilitation and practice he relearned his craft in a completely new way, even as his third and fourth fingers remained partially paralyzed. He played all of his guitar solos with only two fingers, and used the two injured digits only for chord work.[8]

In 1929, Reinhardt's estranged wife Florine gave birth to a son named Henri "Lousson" Reinhardt (aka Lousson Baumgartner)

Two ways to go. Proclaim defeat through what life has dealt to you, or rising above what life has given to you. I always preferred the latter.

The main prob is the whole right arm.... movement is severely limited and at the moment I can't grasp a pick..hence the reason I said "6 months". If I get a prosthetic shoulder along with all the cadaver and titanium parts in my right arm, movement will be severely limitd and I'm a "shredder". Even the doctor said if we have to go the other route, I'm lucky to at least be able to move my arm and fingers. I will not go out there and play music I don't like just because of my limitations. If I can't wail, I'm not interested at all.

It's a sad day.

There's still that inkling of a miracle...Like I said..6 months... Think about it: I hit a truck head on on a dinky little motocycle without neither vehicle even putting on their brakes. Honestly, I should not be alive or if anything, a quad or paraplegic. I kept hearing these sentiments from the ambulance and firemen all the way up to the surgeon. The operation performed on myself was tried on only 2 other patients in the US and they both died....not from the surgery but from the other trauma that these poor souls had to endure. I happen to be the first "healthy" guinea pig that is actually doing everything in my power to build muscle around al these alien parts inside of me. If I keep up with the extreme exercises given to do every day at least 4 times a day, this could be spectacular...but it's not ever gone that far yet without some sort of problem arising. Almost had to give up and cut me open again when I kept popping up with severe infections but I took my antibiotics, vitamins, exercises, and am still enduring excruciating pain while I'm actually weaning myself off of pain killers because I just can't stay on them this long. Waaaay too long to be on opiates every damn day so my wife and I keep bringing the dose down no matter how much pain I'm in because I don't want to end up being a zombie with a bum arm! I've got to have a clear head because I stillhave a family, house, cars, 2 teenage boys (one with Cerebral Palsy), etc... and I need to get back to work ASAP because there's no way you can survive on the measly disability check you get every other week.

So, If I can't ever play guitar again....yes, that sucks big time but I've got to at least prove that I can be a productive member of society and get my ass back to work as I've almost completely depleted my bank account.

Miracles do happen...I'm living proof ....but I' need the nxt one to happen in 5 more months or I'll have to go through this horror show ( Hospital, surgery, rehab, pain, pain killers, etc...) all over again... I pray to God I can endure that if it comes down to that,,,, At the age of 52 and being as beat up as I am right now, who knows what another operation is going to do to me physically, emotionally, mentally, financially. I pray I don't just give up and let myself just go and whither away

Day by day... Keep it up with the prayers and if I survive but can't play, I want someone here to own some of my equipment instead of some schlep on Craigs List!

You took years off from playing before, what's 6 months now? Just stow that gear somewhere and reevaluate when you heal up. They're doing amazing things these days, you may surprise yourself. Best wishes.

Hmmm.... You've obviously got a point there. Just need to make sure it's even feasible as I wasn't in any way,shape or form disabled when I took that first hiatus. I'll know in my heart if it's anywhere near possible to sound anything like this ,as sloppy as it is, this is what my crowd is used to and I will NOT perform any worse than this. If my right shoulder,arm, forearm,wrist and pick and my left fingers can not come anywhere near this, than I will not play out ever again! This is what I've been doing in the past 5 years in my neck of the woods and I will not embarrass myself playing any worse than this sloppy ass solo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcS_DukrJSM

BTW. That's the first time I ever played the Silver Gibby Live and it's going through the Line6 Bogner 100% tube amp and the Line6 Bottom w/ 4 Celestions with absolutely no effects and not going through the PA... except for a little wah-wah all the way at the end for those interested in the performance. Only prob is that it was recorded on my wife's cheap digi-cam that she purchased at one of those e Target or Walmart places otherwise it sounds so nice and full when going through the PA which I do at my bigger venues!

I wonder if it's possible to design a guitar that you could play. I know there's people who build instruments for handicapped people, maybe there's somebody out there who could build you a guitar you can play now. Maybe in a few months you may gain enough movement to play a specially designed guitar. Wouldn't give up just yet.

Thanx, Bob, You always have a kind and very determined advice for me! I guess deep down, you have much faith in me and we both have seriously handicapped chldren which puts an extra "crimp" in our lives! We both desperately need that magic of music to once in a while escape that everyday routine that comes with the responsibility of bringing up a severely handicapped child! Bless you for your always encouraging words!

Six months is spit in the ocean for neurological rehabilitation.

If your going to limit yourself so severely you'd might as well just sell it all now.

A year from now ??

You'll be looking to buy it all back.

Remember something man. The music isn't in your hand or shoulder or your fingers. It's in your head and your heart.

Crip, sans is right. You seem to be not giving yourself much slack.
In the Big picture this thing just happened, its fresh still. How is your lawyer
helping you? I told you how to get money earlier out of your suit. Your
lawyer should expidite that process and frankly should have already
started it knowing your situation. None of this is going to end anytime soon
for you. Know that and dont sell your stuff. There is a way through this
and you will survive it. It is not realistic to think you will be what you were
but you may be better than you were at something else. You have many
big damages and that guys insurance co. has a lot of money that can
smooth out just about any bump you will encounter. As I see it your
lawyer should be able to arrange everything for you except healing and mental health.
Again Good Luck.[/b]

If I would have gave up after my first ankle surgery I would have been done...but I don't take advice from anybody that tells me my life is over. Two cartilidge transplants, a divorce, and three surgeries later tells me that I no longer need a cane, I can walk straight, ride a bike, and even run. To top it off I'll be playing shows within a couple of months.

What I'm saying is: Don't give up hope and optimism, Crip! Its not over. If the fat lady tries to sing then knock her fat ass out.

Thanx for all your advice and help but try and understand.....this whole arm was actually supposed to be amputated....the bones were severely crushed...this is an experiment....If it doesn't work, I'll be wearing a prosthesis. This is NOT just a broken ankle, cartilage,etc.. This is a completely crushed shoulder and the humerus was in pieces...It will never work like a normal arm again. If I can't wail like I worked so hard on, I don't want to play with my "fake"arm. I'm not resigning to be a rythhm player,,, Let's see how this experiment turns our in 6 months. Again, I'm so lucky that I even have this appendage attached to my body with working wrist, hands and fingers but it's not in the normal capacity.

I'm not giving up, I'm facing reality...please try yo understand that! If I can't wail and shred, I don't want to have anything to do with the guitar. I had my time, I had my fun I'm in my 50's now with very important problems. I know how to persevere... We all have our own stories from the past. but this is NOW and my arm is not really the same arm that did all that playing!

Of course I'll try but as it looks it may be physically impossible.

Please try to understand that sometimes ya gotta know your limits and I can't play if my freakin; arm won't let me.

This is not just some broken arm....that anybody could deal with in 12 weeks.. This is serious, permanent damage for the rest of my life and if I can't play then why bother looking at all this. Should some miracle come along, I've always got my acoustics and like someone else said.....I can always by again.....but I know that ain't happening!

In the end all you really have in life is
your health, the loveof family and friends,
and faith in God. I can't offer advice, your inuries
are terrible, and to lose the ability to play
guitar, is like a kick when your down. I continue to pray
for you and your family, hope you get better.

That Van Halen style solo you do kicks ass.