Pissed off !

[satman]

Please execuse my language,i have put 17 yrs in playing[learning]guitar.
granted,i could not play when i was a month post,now i'm 3 months,
 and it does'nt seem to be getting any better.
is the 17 years i took to learn all wasted ?
do i have to start all over again ?
will i ever be able to pick up where i left off ?
i'm so upset,evey time i turn around it something else, and all
from something i never heard of before[Acoustic nueroma],KISS MY _ _ _ , Im truly sorry everybody,
 Again,i did'nt mean to vent,just kinda happened.I have the utmost respect for this forum,and the caring
people on it.

[Joef]

it will come back ... but it wont be quick or easy ...

your "hands" will have to "re-learn" .... (it did take a while for my typing skills, to come back right) ... I type (program PC;s) 8 hours a day...

it wont take 17 years.. because you mind still knows how to play! .. and learning is never wasted!

[nancyann]

I know how you feel John.  I play the piano (only an amateur, but still), & it has been real difficult getting back in the swing.  At first the dizziness I had from looking from music to keys was unbelievable.   Little by little it got better, but over 1 year out & I'm still not where I was.  I think that's been bumming me out quite a bit.   If you don't have to do too much head turning/moving it'll get better.  I'm starting to forget some of the classical pieces I had memorized....  Good luck, Nancy

[Jim Scott]

John:

Venting is allowed.  You have good reason to be upset. 

Remember, you had a tumor growing inside your skull and it likely disturbed some important nerves.  You underwent major, invasive surgery to remove it.   Few (if any) come back from that experience exactly the same, no matter how good the overall recovery. 

I'm certain your guitar-playing skills will return, but not by magic.  You'll have to work at it, as you probably are.    Keep it up and don't despair.  You'll get better at everything, eventually.  Use your frustration as a motivation to 'get back'.  I did, and it really helped.  I'm fine now but it took more than a few months to get here. That's the harsh reality we all have to deal with - and no one is exempt.   You'll be O.K....but you'll be frustrated if you expect miracles.  It's a long process (healing) and if you're impatient, that just makes it harder.  Try to take it one day at a time.  They'll add up fast.  You'll be playing riffs again before you know it.   

Jim

[Sam Rush]

Why do bad things happen to good people??     Age old question...... no answer.     I can no longer play or listen to my family play piano because of  my tinnitus. Too bad.

As I said on a previous post... there are 12,000 worse things we could have had and will have.

Get over it for your own sanity.

[FlyersFan68]

Don't give up. This reminds me of a story I read a while back.

http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2006/10/05/WSoccer/Mcdonald.Returns.To.The.Field.After.Brain.Surgery-2333763.shtml?norewrite200610091356&sourcedomain=www.dukechronicle.com

I was a DJ for years and after surgery just pushed it aside thinking it will never be the same. Thought I could never match beats anymore being down an ear but today (with different set-up) I am just as good. Those that love music like we do find the power to make it happen. God Luck

[satman]

THANKS EVERYBODY,I HAVE CALMED DOWN AND GRABBED A DRINK.
MARGARITAVILLE HERE I COME !

[Mary 117]

Hold on, the calluses may get soft but they will return. I know that recovery time for eveyone is different but here's my story. I have spent the last 21 years as a professional musician- did my masters degree in cello/ piano. There is no way I could have played  after 3 months. I tried 6 weeks after surgery and it was so bad that I assumed all music was over. I put it away and waited until the fall season started.  I remember the first symphony rehearsal, 5 months after surgery. Boy was that a trip. Trying to move my hands, fingers, arms, then move my eyes from music to conductor back to the music without the whole world spinning. Noise on all sides, those trombone players only know loud, I truly hung on by the seat of my pants but you know what, 2 years after I'm doing great. It takes time. At the concert a month ago, I didn't feel like tipping over once and I knew where my hands were at all times and I didn't even curse the trombones.

Ok that was a long story to say, it takes time. Tell yourself you will re-evaluate at one year but never give up hope.

and margarita's are great!

Take Care- Mary
2cm AN middle fossa May 24, 2005  Dr Brackmann

[Pembo]

satman - I hate the words I'm about to type but they are true "You have to be patient".  Things do improve, just very slowly. In fact I'm wearing my contacts again for the first time in 3 years. I had to go see a "contact lens specialist" but so far so good.

And please vent away anytime, we really do understand.

[Obita]

Dear satman:

Remember what happened when you had beer and tequila?......don't forget to use eye drops in Margaritaville!! 

We are here for you buddy!!  Vent away. 

Kathy

[Dfcman]

oh yeah it'll come back...my handwritimg was severely impaired and had to learn all over.  I graduated from Occupational Therapy basically because I had improved post-op but not really pre-op.  But I graduated in March and my handwriting is getting better all the time.  You just need to work at it and practice.  If it seems hard that means you're workinmg at it.  Once the brainstem starts to straighten itself out I think it gets easier too.  Its stil not completely straight but its still improving..slowly.  Don't get discouraged, and if you can get any Occupational Therapy I STRONGLY suggest it.  It helped alot and I met some interesting people along the way. 

Chris

[madshackle]

Take it slowly and don't let your frustrations color your enjoyment of playing music. It may take more time to get back your playing ability than you would like, but it will come back. I broke my fret hand a few years back and had severe nerve damage and needed surgery as a result. I couldn't make a fist, or straighten my fingers for nine months and required lots of physical therapy. I had to have chunks of broken bone removed and the nerves had to be moved during the surgery and repositioned into and artificial channel. My hand is probably at 90 percent, but I'm playing again and enjoying it. I don't have the reach I used to have, but have compensated for it nicely. I started playing bass as well to strengthen my fingers. I guess the bottom line is, you have to give in to the time it will take. If you used to practice, or noodle around for a couple hours, cut back the time to 30 minutes and slowly extend the time.

You can do it.

peace
Dave

[manybikes]

I know how you feel!!
I have been riding motorcycles for 30 years.
Collected them, worked on them and loved long distance touring and the feeling of freedom and adventure.
I also loved waterskiing, it was my summer sport that I never tired of.
Lost it all because of bilateral vestibular loss.
I am slowly crawling out of the abyss. I can now take my bike on short rides and have learned to ride the
Air Chair as opposed to slalom skiing.
I still have a long way to go and some days I just feel like giving up.
I will continue to rehabilitate no matter what, can't stand the thought of living the rest of my life this way.

Cheers
Dean

[satman]

thanks so much everybody,you truly are my inspiration.
thanks for the reminder Obita,i had gobs and gobs
in my eye this time,I would not want to go through
that again.
It sounds like everybody eventually gets back,or compensates to
get back into thier hobbies.
thanks for all the private messages also.

[Captain Deb]

Satman!
Welcome to Margaritaville! Are you a Parrot Head?
Anyway--There's a member on this forum named Crazycat who got second-place in the whopping tumor category and he's still rocking out as a professional bass-player and doing great.  Use the search feature, find a post by him a and maybe send him a personal message and ask him how long it took for him.  I play the flute and fortunately an left deaf so I can still hear myself.  I played with some friends at 6 or 7 months post-op and was rusty, but the skill was still in my brain--just took the fingers longer to respond. it will come back--but just like balance, you have to force it back.

Keep playing every day and again, like balance, if you don't use it , you'll lose it!

Fins Up!

Capt Deb