I have just discovered, in a rather unpleasant way, that the twin pastimes of flute playing and off-road motorcycling do not mix.
Whilst ascending a rather steep and muddy slope on Saturday, the bike decided, for reasons best known to itself, that it no longer required me as a passenger, and proceeded to spit me off, depositing me, shoulder first, onto the ground. Quick feel of the collar bone - intact - great. Quick feel of the shoulder - hmmmm, that doesn’t feel right. Not enough pain for a dislocation but something is more pointy than it should be.
So, to cut a long story short, I’ve torn the ligament which attaches the collar bone to whichever bone it’s supposed to be attached to (I didn’t listen too closely when the doctor was explaining it - any doctors on here care to enlighten me?).
And the most important part of the story - NO FLUTING . Even in the euphoria of the painkiller hours (I’m only allowed them every four hours, the first 2 are bliss, the next 2 are hell) I can’t get my right arm to where I need it to play the flute. (The shoulder is also a rather odd shape, so I guess the nude modelling is going to have to go as well )
I’m re-visiting my leisure activities and am now considering the twin pastimes of fluting and painting-by-numbers.
OUCH! I don’t suppose you’ll be picking up a GHB in the meanwhile either. Will you be going to physical therapy? They may call it something else in Scotland… kinetics or something more Greek derived. Whatever you call it, it can help you get back to normal.
Best of luck!
Aaron
Sorry to hear your bad news !
How is the bike , and how much is the flute ?
(only joking )
I am sure we all wish you a speedy recovery ,
and can look forward to more C&F contributions typed one handed ..
As one who suffered for many years with bad shoulders (now surgically repaired), you have my sympathies. As Aaron pointed out, physical therapy will make your recovery speedier and more complete.
Wow, sorry to hear that! Here I was feeling sorry for myself because morning sickness prevented regular playing. Good luck with your recovery. Motorcycles are so freakin’ dangerous!!! Geez.
OUCH! and a big Bummer! I was roller blading this morning along the river and was approaching another guy and his dog from behind. The dog was on one of those retractable leashes, the guy and his dog were taking up the whole two lane path. So I hollered out “Passing” thinking that the guy would rein in his dog…Noooooooo! Instead the leash seem to grow longer and him not slowing down.
So I asked again for him to rein in his dog…he basically told to me to somewhere dark and moist. I tried to squeeze by on a narrow strip between the dog and the grass and just as I was going to pass the dog, his leash got longer and I went flying into the grass and a nice rock garden.
It was a strange morning because I usually don’t wear wrist guards or knee pads. I thought I sprained my wrist but putting ice on it when I got home it relaxed.
The irony of this is this guy is known to do such a thing, he and his dog don’t like being passed. Lucky for me I had a witness and two cops on bikes just down the path where we reported him.
I know it doesn’t come near your situation but why do we do these things to ourselves knowing that deep down our passion is playing the music.
[quote=“JessieK”]Wow, sorry to hear that! Here I was feeling sorry for myself because morning sickness prevented regular playing. quote]
Make the most of it, in a few short months you’ll be reduced to playing in the garden shed!
Last week – the day after losing my job! – I sliced the tip of my left index finger wide open, top to bottom, on a piece of broken crcockery, so I’ve been sidelined, too. I thought the cut was shallower than it turned out to be, so didn’t seek medical attention until the next day, when I was informed that it was too late to stitch the thing and I’d just have to let it heal on its own. It’s ugly, and painful, but I think that not being able to play is the worst bit.
I had my own motorcycle incident, too: a guy in an Oldsmobile was paying more attention to his cell phone than the road, so sideswiped me after crossing four lanes of traffic to try and make his exit from the freeway. Broke all the ribs on my left side, my right arm and thumb, and left me right well bruised and scraped. But like you, I continued riding for a couple years thereafter. I do miss having a motorcycle at times, but having seen three fatal accidents just in the past few years, I don’t know that I’ll be going back to one anytime soon . . .
All that to say: get well soon, and I hope you’re back at the flute in no time!
I’ve kind of struggled, ever since my son was born, about the wisdom of going out on my road bike. That was one of the reasons that I tried the off-roading and as luck would have it, that’s where I hurt myself. However, falling off and hurting a shoulder in a nice grassy field is a better result than falling off the road bike at 80mph (oops, I mean 70, of course) on the motorway. So I’m still keen to get back out on the trials bike.
I’m just having a stiff neck and shoulder, probably from too much flute practice over the weekend. The human body is just too fragile (at least mine is).
I think going offroad and riding trials must be much safer than road-biking, so go for it!
The problem with the road is that, no matter how good and safe a rider you are, all it takes is one uncareful person in a car to do for you. I still marvel at how inattentive people can be when they’re in control of a two-ton hunk of metal hurtling thorugh the world at 80 miles per hour. Frightening.
When my first daughter was born I realized I could never do certain things ever. ..like own a motorcycle, skydive, etc. My life is no longer mine, it belongs to my kids…so I understand your dilemma! Stick to off-road…it’s softer.. (relatively!)
man I feel for you! since the discussion about front teeth and embouchure, it’s been a few months that I’m walking around terrified, even flossing more gently around the front teeth, I think I’ll go get a mouth piece for when I’m not playing the flute
Well - I’m kind of half jocking ;$
. Even in the euphoria of the painkiller hours (I’m only allowed them every four hours, the first 2 are bliss, the next 2 are hell) I can’t get my right arm to where I need it to play the flute. (The shoulder is also a rather odd shape, so I guess the nude modelling is going to have to go as well 
)
