I sliced tip of my left ring finger today while cutting an onion. One of those clean cuts where you look at it and you first think, "Well, I guess I got lucky and I didn't actually cut anything,"...and then the blood starts gushing out. Then, as a right hander, I absent-mindedly thought, "Well, at least it's my left hand." And then, as a fiddler, I realized, "NOT MY LEFT HAND!!!" Crap.
Dang, John, that is a bummer. I wish I had one of those Granny Clampett remedies to offer for you to accelerate healing. I imagine if it's clean like you say, it will heal fast. Until then, I guess you just have to fill in the music time with time spent fishing.
This being an "other" topic, I feel obliged to "hold forth" a little: I used to feel bulletproof when doing farm chores--chainsawing, using the hands close to tractor equipment, sawmilling, and heavy things that might obliterate a finger. Do it fast and git-er done. Now that I'm a fairly proficient musician I am very cautious. I still have to do the work, but I do it more methodically. Funny how what you value changes your approach to other things.
Hope it was a good onion, even though! Get well soon!
Edited by - Flat_the_3rd_n7th on 04/11/2023 19:03:51
Yep, a few weeks ago I burned tip of finger on my left hand, stupidly moving a hot tray that was fresh out of the oven…my first thought was also: “Oh no, I won’t be able to play for a while!”
I spent the whole evening/night fervently soaking my finger in cool water…downtime turned out to be 2 days…not bad…
May your healing be fast!!
Edited by - NCnotes on 04/11/2023 19:17:41
Sorry to hear that John. When I was just a youngster I was playing with a Boy Scout hatchet in its sheath. Turned out the stitching on the blade end of the sheath had come apart, and I sliced off just the very, very tip of my left index finger. It healed OK, but it doesn't callus very well, and has influenced my whole playing style, especially on the guitar. I tend to use chord formations that don't use that finger, which has had drawbacks and advantages. Not like Django Reinhardt or Charlie Poole, but it had an effect.
Hope yours heals just fine!
Ouch. Hope you can play again soon. There's a lot of dangerous stuff we all have to do with our hands...it seems. I've gotten to where I wear leather gloves working outside anymore, for the past 25 years or so..or even inside work when there's nails and sharp stuff or even heavy stuff because it digs into my fingers while carrying it, etc. But kitchens are the most dangerous places...I have cut myself so many ways and so many times...I have the tendency to sometimes in a hurry just turn things with my left bare hand...gosh how I have burned up those callouses... you gotta be extra careful in the kitchen, hey? Hope it's all better soon and you can comfortably play again real soon...give it time to heal of course.
Liquid skin is my granny recipe. That stuff is brilliant on a clean cut as you describe (once the bleeding is done). Add a bandage, to protect it further and to remind you there's an injury, especially as it starts to heal. I reapply until it looks normal, a week or more depending on the depth of the cut.
People think I'm crazy when I over react about my fingers. I should say, "my family" lol
Recently, I pinched my left index finger in a pair of needle nose pliers. You know, that inside part of the handle that has that little sharp pincher section? Sheesh...horrible. I still feel it from 2 weeks ago.
Then last week I jammed my right thumb sanding something. So everything I grabbed with my right hand was painful. Cuts though are the worst!
Speedy healing!
Is that collagen stuff in a tube the same thing as liquid skin? We used to buy it from the farm co op for our chickens...that stuff instantly cures a wound, seems like...then we started using it on ourselves too...amazing...it's just collagen...the same thing they use if they open an artery in the hospital. But after sold our chickens I totally forgot about that stuff.
Superglue can work too. My go to for sharp cuts.
Nu Skin and super glue don't slide. Those two chemicals grab on the string, so sliding just doesn't work. You will be able to play without slurring tones. A couple of weeks or so will set it right. Tomorrow, I get my surgical dressing off my left hand. YAY! Two weeks isn't forever. It just feels like it. R/
Aw John, that sounds painful. I'm sorry hearing that. Will take a bit longer healing than my little mishap....
Considering myself lucky when a week ago, while Shorttrack speedskating -look it up if you must- I went down with a bang, but still able to play fiddle or banjo. Even stronger, I went skating last night again.
Usually I know my (age-induced) limits, but danger came from behind this time.
While doing a relay race, it's imperative that the exchange of speed ('the push') is in line with the motion.
If not, lots of correction are called for. This time there was about 30 degs. difference, enough to make me overcorrect, sending my right foot across to the left, cutting into the ice and stopping on the spot.
The body, however, is still traveling at a 20 m/h, spinning me in a split second into a back-to front position. Next thing you'll know, you're flying backwards through the air, landing 10 ft. further down.
It's a good thing we're all wearing cut-proof suits, gloves and an equally approved crash helmet.
Landed on the upper buttocks, right elbow and finally hit the ice with the helmet.
Said parts and later left wrist too were a bit sore, but not enough to really bother me.
I did repair finger skin cuts many times with cyanoacrylate ('super-glue', aeromodellers grade) and sometimes giving the skin an extra layer of cellulose glue (in the US, I think, known as 'Ambroid').
The latter was slick enough for me to allow playing...
Update: I superglued my finger last night after the bleeding stopped and then went to a jam. I was able to play for a couple of hours. Fiddling was ok, but on the banjo I couldn't do any pull-offs because that was just too much to ask of my poor finger.
Edited by - doryman on 04/12/2023 08:37:46
quote:
Originally posted by RB-1Considering myself lucky when a week ago, while Shorttrack speedskating -look it up if you must- I went down with a bang, but still able to play fiddle or banjo. Even stronger, I went skating last night again.
Oh, I know short-track speed skating, Apolo Ohno is our local, home-town here. It's a brutal sport, but it seems you folks in the Netherlands were born on skates.
Edited by - doryman on 04/12/2023 08:41:00
"Der Fliegende Holländer!" Well, not exacly, but my German isn't sharp enough for "The stumbling, tumbling Holländer!"
quote:
Originally posted by dorymanUpdate: I superglued my finger last night after the bleeding stopped and then went to a jam. I was able to play for a couple of hours. Fiddling was ok, but on the banjo I couldn't do any pull-offs because that was just too much to ask of my poor finger.
Clever lad, you are!! Isn't superglue amazing. WHen I was learning to play a banjo I'd put superglue on my right thumb because the constant striking of the 5th string made my thumb sore..
quote:
Originally posted by dorymanUpdate: I superglued my finger last night after the bleeding stopped and then went to a jam. I was able to play for a couple of hours. Fiddling was ok, but on the banjo I couldn't do any pull-offs because that was just too much to ask of my poor finger.
Good to hear that!
If it weren't for the distance (it would be a long -and wet!- drive) I'd come over and play banjo for you.
quote:
Originally posted by dorymanOh, I know short-track speed skating, Apolo Ohno is our local, home-town here. It's a brutal sport, but it seems you folks in the Netherlands were born on skates.
Ah-polo... that was way back in the 20th century.
I remember well, been skating myself for almost 50 years now...
Our current national coach started in my puppy-class....
And no, I never was much of an athlete, not enough talent. Still having heaps of fun, though.
quote:
Originally posted by DougD"Der Fliegende Holländer!" Well, not exacly, but my German isn't sharp enough for "The stumbling, tumbling Holländer!"
Having a reasonable command of English and German, I'd prefer my native, daily, Dutch.
In my language that would be "De vliegende hollander" , becoming "De struikelende, buitelende hollander".
quote:
Originally posted by TuneWeaverquote:
Originally posted by dorymanUpdate: I superglued my finger last night after the bleeding stopped and then went to a jam. I was able to play for a couple of hours. Fiddling was ok, but on the banjo I couldn't do any pull-offs because that was just too much to ask of my poor finger.
Clever lad, you are!! Isn't superglue amazing. WHen I was learning to play a banjo I'd put superglue on my right thumb because the constant striking of the 5th string made my thumb sore..
I took a different solution:
How I came to the mix up between speedskating and music, it happend before.
Here's the last bit of the Shorttrack banjo instrumental I wrote in the late 90-ies.
Ably assisted by our friends Paul and Joost on mandolin and fiddle...
Hoping this will lift up your spirits for the time you can't play banjo....
quote:
Originally posted by RB-1How I came to the mix up between speedskating and music, it happend before.
Here's the last bit of the Shorttrack banjo instrumental I wrote in the late 90-ies.
Ably assisted by our friends Paul and Joost on mandolin and fiddle...
Hoping this will lift up your spirits for the time you can't play banjo....
That's mighty fine.
sounds great, Bruno!
My friend was in Amsterdam a few days ago… she said she was afraid of getting run over by all the bikes. :-)
quote:
Originally posted by NCnotessounds great, Bruno!
My friend was in Amsterdam a few days ago… she said she was afraid of getting run over by all the bikes. :-)
Thanks to all for the compliments. Joost and Paul are -as we call it- 'un-dutch good'....
In Amsterdam I'm afraid of bikes too. Because of al the tourists riding them and not having a clue how to.
I'm living 20 m. outside from the city for over 40 years now and all I'm doing is a bit of touring in the countryside. And, as you can see, we're living below sea level....
Edited by - RB-1 on 04/13/2023 10:31:41
RB-1
Nice bicycle! Genuine lugged steel. And a suitably tiny rear cluster to complement the fact you live in the proverbial Low Countries. I was a dedicated bicycle rider for several decades until my declining senses of balance and sight convinced me it was time to stick to hiking.
