| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Earl |
Posted - 05/20/2019 : 10:00:56 AM
After eight LONG weeks, I was medically released from the sling last Thursday (rotator cuff repair) and have now managed three slack-key sessions of ~30 minutes each, one finger picking session in standard tuning (!!) and one hour of ukulele strumming with the club on Friday afternoon. The shoulder gets unhappy pretty quick and the fingers are pretty tender, but this too shall pass. 
Playing with the Uncles and a choir doing hapa haole tunes for Hawaiian Day at the senior center lunch tomorrow. |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Earl |
Posted - 06/19/2019 : 5:32:27 PM
I am now ~13 weeks post shoulder surgery on March 21 and still doing PT twice a week, plus exercises at home almost daily. I will have PT through July and probably beyond. She says that I can expect to be back near 100% by the end of fall (??!!). So leave plenty of lead time before your trip - shoulders are VERY slow to recover fully.
I can do most things just fine again (driving, showering, dressing, guitar) but still have plenty of limitations. River rafting is out. Light day-hikes would be OK - if I feel up to it. Lifting suitcases is verboten. I drove my wife to the airport this morning but she had to load/unload her own bags from the car. It is only this week we've started doing things to build strength (therapy bands and one pound weights) moving beyond just range of motion work.
I was able to jam with friends over the weekend for over 90 minutes, but paid the price the next day or two. This was the first jam in months, since the injury. |
| Kapila Kane |
Posted - 06/19/2019 : 1:49:41 PM
Kinda late to the party, but I took my guitar to my physical Therapy, and she offered advice. ("Don't give up your...", well, you know.)
I'm contemplating another shoulder surgery before we tackle the Grand Canyon next year. Also feet, teeth, hips...6 million ($) and climbing.
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| Earl |
Posted - 05/30/2019 : 12:17:30 PM
It was my right shoulder (and I'm right handed). I can play my smaller guitars OK, especially the ones with bevels. But it didn't work well to play my Rainsong WS-1000 last night. It was too much extension of the shoulder reaching around the lower bout. I limit myself to finger picking. Strumming so far seems like too much motion and jostling of the tender shoulder. I strummed my ukulele for about two hours at kanikapila last Monday and sure paid the price on Tuesday. And Wednesday. 
I am getting better slowly and do listen carefully to my PT. I tend to be an over achiever when it comes to these things and can easily re-injure myself. As my wife jokes, "Don't be such a guy". Guys start feeling a little better and then go back playing hard, hurting themselves again. |
| Kapila Kane |
Posted - 05/30/2019 : 05:48:22 AM
Just saw this...
Easy does it!
did you mention which shoulder? I may have missed it if you did.
Either way, Listen to you PT.
I got a Yamaha silent guitar after my first one (only one so far )to avoid the larger body for awhile...(the right)
That was a couple years ago, now back playing on dreadnoughts. |
| Earl |
Posted - 05/22/2019 : 04:36:33 AM
Mahalo everyone. It is sooooo nice to have sore fingertips to go along with the sore shoulder, finally. 
Yesterday's performance went well. Uncle Archie (pure Hawaiian) and I played as a duet in the lobby and got to do some real Hawaiian tunes for folks. The choir had about 15 ukulele out front, and did a number of hapa haole tunes for a group of over 100, then lunch. |
| thumbstruck |
Posted - 05/21/2019 : 06:13:11 AM
Music is therapy.... |
| wdf |
Posted - 05/21/2019 : 04:23:40 AM
Great news, Earl...Congratulations! |
| Eynowd |
Posted - 05/20/2019 : 11:38:03 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Earl
After eight LONG weeks, I was medically released from the sling last Thursday (rotator cuff repair) and have now managed three slack-key sessions of ~30 minutes each, one finger picking session in standard tuning (!!) and one hour of ukulele strumming with the club on Friday afternoon. The shoulder gets unhappy pretty quick and the fingers are pretty tender, but this too shall pass.
Playing with the Uncles and a choir doing hapa haole tunes for Hawaiian Day at the senior center lunch tomorrow.
Congrats, Earl! That's fantastic news. |
