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Arthritis looks like it going to force me to do some things I haven't been planning..

Dave P

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 13, 2001
Messages
976
Sorry to hear you are still having issues, I have the same arthritis issue with my left thumb. I had the basal thumb joint surgery a couple years ago which helped a little, but I still have pain. But, there's no way I'm going to stop playing unless someone is shoveling dirt on me, so I had to revise my technique so I put less pressure on my thumb. I also found that wearing a strap all the time helped a lot, so no more plopping a guitar in my lap and playing. It hasn't been easy, and kind of frustrating at times, and I can't play certain things like I used to, but I can still play, most of the time with only mild pain.
 

DoubleBoogie

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Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
Sorry to hear you are still having issues, I have the same arthritis issue with my left thumb. I had the basal thumb joint surgery a couple years ago which helped a little, but I still have pain. But, there's no way I'm going to stop playing unless someone is shoveling dirt on me, so I had to revise my technique so I put less pressure on my thumb. I also found that wearing a strap all the time helped a lot, so no more plopping a guitar in my lap and playing. It hasn't been easy, and kind of frustrating at times, and I can't play certain things like I used to, but I can still play, most of the time with only mild pain.

That's good to hear Dave! I'm going to start using a strap more!
 

DoubleBoogie

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Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
So.....I thought I would share an update on my situation. My thumb and left hand are about the same, but in the past 2 weeks a crap load of other stuff has transpired. We sold our house that was never even on the market and signed a contract to buy a nice townhome about 1/2 the size. We are going from a 5000 ft2 house on an acre lot with a pool to 2265 ft2 Townhome. This means that keeping my collection intact isn't practical any more so I will definitely offer some stuff up for sale in the next couple of days. I am not sure what I want to keep so I will probably offer most of it with the intent of cancelling the ads when I get down to a reasonable number that hasn't sold. That's the easy part. I also had to call in Hospice for my Mom. She has deteriorated very badly and I can't see her living much longer. In this same time period, I had a prostate biopsy done and now found I have prostate cancer. Luckily it appears to have been caught very early. I've elected to have it removed in early October after I am through with this house business and downsizing. 2018 has been a tough year, but hopefully it will end on a better note. I'm looking forward to a smaller place with much lower utilities and insurance.
 

Triburst

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Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
4,353
DB, I'm so sorry to see all this coming at you at one time. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers going forward.
 

DoubleBoogie

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Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
DB, I'm so sorry to see all this coming at you at one time. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers going forward.

Thanks my friend!! I'm approaching this with a positive attitude and thinking that when I get through all of this, I'm going to be in a MUCH happier and far less stressful place! Going to be tough, but very worth it in the end. Thanksgiving should be an extra special one. :jim
 

Dave P

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 13, 2001
Messages
976
Don't get too discouraged, I know I have the last couple of years, but it takes time to adapt. I'm actually playing fairly well these days for the most part. I don't think I'll be trying to play Holdsworth style 4 note per string stuff anymore, but I can live with that. LOL
 

bern1

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 23, 2004
Messages
1,275
I’m chiming in as another who is playing through the pain of arthritis. For me it’s the right thumb primarily. I changed the way I hold the pick and that helped a lot. More recently I changed over to using a thumb pick almost exclusively for both flat picking and finger picking. I thought it was going to be hard to adapt but it’s not been that bad.
I also use aleve occasionally. I must try Dave P’s strap idea. I also know that eventually I will try a non inflammatory diet ... but since that will involve giving up beer and bread and other things like that I delaying. And delaying..
Good luck!
 

Dave P

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 13, 2001
Messages
976
I tried acupunture the first time this weekend. I always thought it was some sort of new age holistic hippy BS, but it actually helped. Saturday I had no pain in my hand for the first time in years. It still feels pretty good today. Not sure I can afford to keep doing it, though.
 

DoubleBoogie

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Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
I thought I would post an update here since I haven't been on in a while. I lost my Mom on August 2nd. She went down hill very quickly and passed away peacefully in the presence of her sister and my cousin. She died a few minutes before I got there to see her. While there is much grief of course, her passing was actually a blessing as her quality of life was totally gone. She was always a petite woman at 5'-1" and 120 lbs historically. When she died, she was a little under 4'-9" and she weighed 69 lbs. Now it is on to the task of settling her estate and having a memorial service at Barrancas National Cemetery where her ashes will be interred with my father's who served 30 years in the Marines and passed away in 1999. While this was going on, we closed on the sale of our house and are in the process of packing and getting rid of stuff. We will close on our townhome the end of this month and move completely by Sept 22. On October 2nd, I get my prostate yanked out. If anyone comes across somebody with a DoubleBoogie VooDoo doll and finds them poking it with pins, please tell them that they can stop doing that shit any time now!

With everything I have had and continue to have on my plate, I haven't had much time to worry about guitar or what to do about my arthritis. I have decided for now though, to hang on to my collection and have moved part of it down to our condo in Florida. I will be off at least a week after my surgery while I recuperate as I will have a catheter to deal with for a week. I think I will figure out James Brown's Papa's Got a Brand New Bag! :peace2 I intend to spend essentially the entire week doing nothing but playing guitar and just plain relaxing and letting everything go that has been terrorizing the inside of my brain for quite some time. I may even get some inspiration to put some musical thoughts together in the form of a song. I think I will likely have enough emotional inspiration to do something like that. Anyway, thanks for all the support from everyone here. You guys are the best and your support and kind thoughts are greatly appreciated! Looking forward to a much better ending to 2018 and a much better 2019 including a highly anticipated return to my 4th straight Blues Cruise to hear Joe B. again next year! :hank
 

Texas Blues

Active member
Joined
Apr 13, 2008
Messages
4,641
I thought I would post an update here since I haven't been on in a while. I lost my Mom on August 2nd. She went down hill very quickly and passed away peacefully in the presence of her sister and my cousin. She died a few minutes before I got there to see her. While there is much grief of course, her passing was actually a blessing as her quality of life was totally gone. She was always a petite woman at 5'-1" and 120 lbs historically. When she died, she was a little under 4'-9" and she weighed 69 lbs. Now it is on to the task of settling her estate and having a memorial service at Barrancas National Cemetery where her ashes will be interred with my father's who served 30 years in the Marines and passed away in 1999. While this was going on, we closed on the sale of our house and are in the process of packing and getting rid of stuff. We will close on our townhome the end of this month and move completely by Sept 22. On October 2nd, I get my prostate yanked out. If anyone comes across somebody with a DoubleBoogie VooDoo doll and finds them poking it with pins, please tell them that they can stop doing that shit any time now!

With everything I have had and continue to have on my plate, I haven't had much time to worry about guitar or what to do about my arthritis. I have decided for now though, to hang on to my collection and have moved part of it down to our condo in Florida. I will be off at least a week after my surgery while I recuperate as I will have a catheter to deal with for a week. I think I will figure out James Brown's Papa's Got a Brand New Bag! :peace2 I intend to spend essentially the entire week doing nothing but playing guitar and just plain relaxing and letting everything go that has been terrorizing the inside of my brain for quite some time. I may even get some inspiration to put some musical thoughts together in the form of a song. I think I will likely have enough emotional inspiration to do something like that. Anyway, thanks for all the support from everyone here. You guys are the best and your support and kind thoughts are greatly appreciated! Looking forward to a much better ending to 2018 and a much better 2019 including a highly anticipated return to my 4th straight Blues Cruise to hear Joe B. again next year! :hank

Bastard.

You're still alive.

Screw the guitars.

I was hoping to get your dogs.

But alas, they would never be mine.

Your dogs I reckon....

Are some of the best days of your life.

DB.

Kick ass.

Like you do.
 

renderit

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
I'll talk to the Man upstairs as I am wont to do. Sorry for the troubles, but remember you still have us.

And in
trying to be a ray of sunshine, if it helps; don't think of it as 'Papa's Brand New Bag' but an additional weapon!:peace2
 

DoubleBoogie

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
Bastard.

You're still alive.

Screw the guitars.

I was hoping to get your dogs.

But alas, they would never be mine.

Your dogs I reckon....

Are some of the best days of your life.

DB.

Kick ass.

Like you do.

Oh Man....Thanks my friend as I needed to hear something like that this morning! One of these days we have GOT TO get together..... playing guitars would be cool of course but I think trolling a plug cut herring by the kelp in search of a hog spring followed by cleaning that puppy and grilling it that same day would be a serious kick in the butt! :dude:
 

DoubleBoogie

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
I'll talk to the Man upstairs as I am wont to do. Sorry for the troubles, but remember you still have us.

And in
trying to be a ray of sunshine, if it helps; don't think of it as 'Papa's Brand New Bag' but an additional weapon!:peace2

Thanks Ren!!!
 

tiller2

New member
Joined
Sep 1, 2017
Messages
22
Hi DB, I had prostatectomy about 8 years ago and it worked out okay; my wife was super supportive and our life has never been better. Best of luck on that and all your other challenges. Better days ahead.
 

DoubleBoogie

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
Hi DB, I had prostatectomy about 8 years ago and it worked out okay; my wife was super supportive and our life has never been better. Best of luck on that and all your other challenges. Better days ahead.

Thanks man! I've been encouraged by all of the people that have had it. Mine will be done with the robotic surgery. My prostate biopsy included 12 samples from the prostate. 11 were clean and only one came back with cancer so I'm hoping it is has been caught very early. I'm thinking by Thanksgiving, I will be doing much, much better and be in a better place mentally and financially. And....No more freaking lawn maintenance for me!! :dude:
 

Triburst

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
4,353
That is encouraging news, DB. One of my closest friends had the robotic surgery last year in Birmingham, AL. He's doing great (he's in the small group of us that go to Belize bonefishing every so often).

I can think of no better time than listening to Tex tell jokes while he shows us where the fish are, then having a jam back at the lodge when it's over. We should all seriously consider trying to put that together when things calm down.

In the meantime, I know you'll be the guy trolling a shad spoon over the side of the Blues Cruise. I can't believe you haven't been caught yet. :hee
 

DoubleBoogie

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
That is encouraging news, DB. One of my closest friends had the robotic surgery last year in Birmingham, AL. He's doing great (he's in the small group of us that go to Belize bonefishing every so often).

I can think of no better time than listening to Tex tell jokes while he shows us where the fish are, then having a jam back at the lodge when it's over. We should all seriously consider trying to put that together when things calm down.

In the meantime, I know you'll be the guy trolling a shad spoon over the side of the Blues Cruise. I can't believe you haven't been caught yet. :hee

The only reason I haven't done it is that they won't slow the damn ship down enough! :hee Was your friend's doctor a man by the name of Charles Bugg?
 

DoubleBoogie

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Joined
Jun 6, 2004
Messages
4,800
I guess I have survived this prostate surgery. Tomorrow will be two weeks since I had the surgery. Still sore but getting better slowly each day. The catheter was the worst part. I'm still trying to figure out how they got a hose that looked closer to what you would expect to find on a fire truck up my tiny little pee hole. If anyone ever suggests that for you I have some advice. Unless its life and death, punch them in the nose and run as fast as you can away from them.
 

cincyguitar

Active member
Joined
Jul 30, 2015
Messages
431
I just turned 65...and arthritis has my fingers getting stiff and hard to move too....you really get a "Slowhand"......good days and bad days for it....just have to work thru it....:dude:
 
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