Today I've destroyed the tip of my left middle finger.

[snorkie635]

So sorry to hear this. Both my mother and father worked in the print trade back in the day. He cut the end off his finger with an industrial guillotine and she put a wire staple straight through the bone in the last digit of her finger using an industrial stitching machine. Good news was, that both adapted fully to work and life after these accidents. I'm sure you will too. Best wishes.

Snorks

[madshadows]

@Jackroadkill that's a horrible thing to happen, luckily I haven't had anything like that happen to me so I can't offer any advice but best of luck with your recovery, I'm sure you will be back playing soon  

 

John 😎 

[Steve Browning]

By way of encouragement (and in addition to my sympathies) I can offer you this ...

 

Sometime in the mid 90's, I was on a UK tour and playing at a small music venue (Sturminster Newton, as it happens). A guy had watched me set up and stayed as we soundchecked. Afterwards he came up to me and complimented me on the sound and the rig (my original Bass 400 and Diesel 2x15 - got to get the plug in). I asked him if he was a bass player too. He replied that he had been until 16 days previously. I told him that that was a very precise answer. With that, he held up his left hand, that was heavily bandaged. 16 days before, he had taken off the top half of all 4 fingers on a band saw. 

 

I learned later that they had had a collection for him and commissioned a special left handed bass and he was playing again, swapping to left handed playing. 

 

That's not to try and out-do your traumatic (and doubtless worrying) injury, but to demonstrate that where's there's a will, there's a way. Very best of luck to you. As has been said earlier, let Tommy Iommi be your inspiration.

[Jackroadkill]

Thanks very much, everyone.  I was pretty down about it (the thought of not playing again rather than the injury itself) when I woke up this morning but I've given my head a talking to and am feeling a bit more positive now.  Band practise is going ahead tonight (without bass) and we're going to figure out what we're going to do.  I've got a follow-up appointment on Thursday where they'll assess the there's any likelihood of the stitching working and we'll go from there.

 

Annoyingly I have a 111-mile sponsored walk coming up in the next couple of weeks and could do without this hanging over it.  Still, as said above, where there's a will there's a way.

 

Thanks for all the supportive comments (and horrifying war stories!) - they're making a boring day at home much more bearable.

 

Cheers,

 

Jack

[borntohang]

You might not be able to deliver blistering chromatic runs quite as fast any more, but I seriously seriously doubt it's a career-ending injury for you. There might be a bit of adjustment time and you might have to rely on your index and little finger more, but you'd be surprised how quick you can get back to a point you're happy with it.

 

Incidentally from my time working in a venue I saw enough young and beginner bassists using one fretting finger and one plucking finger to play perfectly well, and they didn't have your years of experience to fall back on.

[mr4stringz]

Really orry to read this.

 

Kinda echo what many others have said, particularly…

 

a) hard as it is, don’t count yourself out. Super, super early days yet.

b) Sure, bass strings are a way thicker but look at what Django and Iommi achieved even on 6 strings after (and certainly in part even due to) misfortune with their digits.

c) slide bass can be there as an option if (and big if just now) it is needed. If you’re unsure whether this can work as a mainstay with bass, check out Mark Samdman with Morphine. Inspirational.

 

Heal well and the very best thoughts with you.

[MiltyG565]

On 22/07/2024 at 19:23, Jackroadkill said:

Whilst pulling up a fence post today, I caught my finger between the post and the chain that was being used to remove it.  One trip to A&E later and they've sewn it back on but there's every expectation that the repair will fail and I'll have no flesh left on that fingertip.  The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital team that did the job were absolutely brilliant - I can't stress this enough.  The efficiency and the skill that they worked with was humbling to watch.

 

As it stands though, there's not much hope for the fingertip (which is being held on by 11 stitches):

 

 

It looks like I'll be re-learning how to play bass when it has healed.  Does anyone have any experience of an injury like this and the road back to playing?

 

Thanks,

 

JRK

 

Golly, sorry to hear that! It sounds gruesome!

 

It might sound like it's easy for me to say (and that might be because it is), but don't lose faith. The human body and mind is very resilient. Make sure you rest well, eat well, and even get some exercise, as you normally would, and redress the wound as often as the doctors tell you to, along with anything else. It ain't over until the fat lady sings, as they say.

 

As far as playing bass or anything else goes, you're only limited by what you believe you can't do. I had to learn how to walk again after a bout of cancer about 11 years ago, and there have been many times in that 11 years I've told myself I couldn't do things, and I was wrong. I've climbed mountains, walked long distances along coastal paths, sailed more times that I can remember, driven a racing car, and so many other things. Self-limiting beliefs are the thieves of joy and achievement. Where there's a will, there's a way, you just need to have the will.

 

Anyway, that's a bit further down the line now. All the best for your recovery!

[12stringbassist]

The human body is a fantastic and surprising thing and can repair itself really well - I really hope your finger injury heals better than you're expecting.

[Quatschmacher]

I’m really sorry to hear this, that’s an awful thing to happen. I really hope your finger heals fully and swiftly.

 

As much as you’ll be itching to get back to playing, please allow your body time to heal before putting strain on it.

 

Do you have other musical avenues you can pursue while you heal? For instance playing synth bass on keys or percussion/rhythm exercises.

 

A pro jazz pianist I know snapped a tendon in one of the the fingers of his right hand (he did it putting on his sock of all things); he spent the weeks when he wasn’t able to use his right hand writing and playing daily etudes for the left hand. He managed to turn the whole sorry episode to his advantage. I hope you can find a similar way to get something positive out of this horrible experience.

 

Best wishes for your recovery. 

[tvickey]

I'm really sorry to read this, and I wish you all the best in your recovery.

 

I cut the tendon in my left middle finger with a swiss army knife when I was about 9 years old.  I lived in the suburbs north of Chicago back then, and I remember waiting all night in the hospital emergency room with my parents as a specialist surgeon traveled up from the city just to stitch me up.  40 years later, other than the scar on my knuckle and a little bit of extra sensitivity there, I don't notice anything different.  It's the middle finger on my fretting hand, and I have full functionality.  A bit of a traumatic experience, and if I knew who that doctor was I'd thank him.

 

Your body might surprise you.  Good luck!

[Jo.gwillim]

Hi Jack, I'm glad Shrewsbury came up trumps for you, I've had mixed experiences over the years. I'm on a long rainy bus journey so i read all of your replies. What a lovely (though totally accident probe) bunch basschatters are! When i listen to myself play on recordings with the band it's usually the bits when I'm trying to be a bit flash that make me cringe. I'd be a better bass player if i played half the notes, but got them in the right place. I've got a band practice tonight, i might try playing without a left hand finger and see what happens. 

[Downunderwonder]

I hope your finger tip knows how important it is and grabs back on. Keep up the happy thoughts for best results.

 

I wouldn't be rodgering it about by attempting to play in the meantime.

[itsmedunc]

A couple of months ago I was out having a pint and ended up talking to a lass who was a bass player, she was back in England visiting her family. After a while she mentioned that the tip of her middle finger was mostly missing. She had been bitten by a dog. 
I’ve forgotten the exact details of the story now but when she was learning bass she went to see Marcus Miller somewhere. She ended up meeting him and asked him if he could give her any advice. She gave him her email address never expecting a reply. 
Much to her surprise he did get back on numerous occasions with tailored videos and advice on how she could improvise her playing technique. She couldn’t sing his praises enough. What a good lad!

[Rosie C]

On 22/07/2024 at 19:23, Jackroadkill said:

Does anyone have any experience of an injury like this and the road back to playing?

 

 

When helping my dad move furniture he had a similar injury - caught his finger between a sofa and a door frame and lost the end. He had a skin graft from his thigh and made pretty much a full recovery. He said it twinged from time to time, but slowly improved, and after a couple of years he realised he couldn't remember the last time it had hurt.

[Jackroadkill]

Well, there's an update:  I went back to the hospital today and the clinic staff removed the dressing (eventually; it was caked in dried blood inside!) and cleaned it up so that a good look could be taken.  One side of it is reattaching nicely; the other side less so.  However, the consultant had a look and said that hopefully the good side will encourage the less-good side to behave and that I should come back in a week's time for another look.  He hasn't ruled out me losing a big chunk of it but it does sound as if things are reasonably positive at the moment.  I was advised to move the fingertip within the confines of the dressing (which was changed for a much smaller and less bulky version).  I tried to take a picture of the wound but somehow just got the floor of the clinic, so you lot have escaped the gorefest this time.

 

Cheers,

 

JRK

[police squad]

Sounds promising Jack, hang in there

[Lozz196]

Hopefully better than originally expected, good news Jack

[LowB_FTW]

1 hour ago, police squad said:

, hang in there

As someone who used to be an avid rock climber, this particular comment tickled my sick sense of humour in this instance.

Sorry if this was 'too soon', Jack.

 

Mark

[Jackroadkill]

5 minutes ago, LowB_FTW said:

As someone who used to be an avid rock climber, this particular comment tickled my sick sense of humour in this instance.

Sorry if this was 'too soon', Jack.

 

Mark

 

No, Mark, not too soon - might as well laugh as cry, eh?!

[Jackroadkill]

Latest developments: I had an appointment at the trauma clinic on Tuesday.  They didn't make me talk about my childhood but neither did they remove my stitches, so the earliest date for that to happen in now Tuesday of next week.  There's still some uncertainty about the grey bit in the middle, but to my eyes it was smaller than it had been and less grim-looking.  I've got a new dressing on and can flex the fingertip without too much difficulty, so that's good.

 

The worst thing about all of this is that I wanted to start my sponsored walk on Saturday but this now can't happen until at the soonest Wednesday, and as I'm anticipating it taking me a week to complete it, time is running out.

 

However, in much more positive news, I've played the bass this afternoon, badly and with three fingers, but I've played.

 

Cheers,

 

JRK

Edited August 1 by Jackroadkill

[Lozz196]

Glad to hear of the progress Jack, tho shame about the walk

[Happy Jack]

Time to start working on your Dave Allen routine? 😉

[Jackroadkill]

3 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

Time to start working on your Dave Allen routine? 😉

 

You're going to have to give me a clue there, I'm afraid!

 

@Lozz196, the walk will happen (it has to, I've taken money in sponsorship!) but I'm going to have to adjust on the fly and go as soon as I can.  If the worst comes to the worst I'll have to break it into two and do some of it, go for another appointment and then complete it afterwards.  I'd rather not do it that way but options are limited.

[Happy Jack]

2 hours ago, Jackroadkill said:

You're going to have to give me a clue there, I'm afraid!

 

Dave Allen was very big on TV in the late-60s through to the mid-80s, Irish comedian with a droll raconteur style of story telling. Many of his stories managed to incorporate his missing half-finger ...

 

[Jackroadkill]

17 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

Dave Allen was very big on TV in the late-60s through to the mid-80s, Irish comedian with a droll raconteur style of story telling. Many of his stories managed to incorporate his missing half-finger ...

 

 

Weirdly I've just had my car's windscreen replaced, and the guy who did that was missing half a finger.  There's a lot of it about, seemingly!