So in my last post from September 2020, I spoke about breaking my left wrist-my dominant hand, and the challenges it would present for playing the piano. Well, on January 20, 2021 -yes Inauguration Day in the States, I headed to our condo club house gym to use the elliptical and treadmill. Having recovered mostly from my wrist injury, I though it would be good to get back into the exercise routine. Well, as luck would have it, I got on the treadmill, and pressed the speed up button. It was a treadmill I was unfamiliar with, in terms of exercise equipment. I couldn’t get the machine to stop and end up rolling off of it, injuring my right index finger. It was bleeding between my first and second finger, and I thought, well-I don’t think it was broken.
My husband was with me, and we headed to the emergency room. And yes it was in fact broken, a minor break, but nevertheless broken. I could only think....here we go again, doctor visits, splints, bandage wraps and alas, playing the piano on hold.
After I spent some time in the ER I left there with my finger in a splint, and the directive, to see my hand and wrist surgeon Dr. Marlo Van Steyn. Interestingly, when I met with Dr. VanSteyn, she kindly told me that my finger break could have been a lot worse. And that I was lucky. I also got the impression that she didn’t put much stock in treadmills, and though she didn’t exactly say that, I made a decision then and there, that walking, the elliptical, and swimming would be the order of the day going forward.
I have to put in a bit of kudos to Dr. Van Steyn. First and foremost, she is one of the kindest doctors I have ever met. When you are sixty five and a hand surgeon tells you -“you have beautiful hands” you automatically start to feel better. I wanted to say hey Dr. Marlo, I have handled paper, paper clips, staples, cleaning products, and all kinds of cooking utensils for over 30 years, and let me tell you, you can’t mean me.
She also made me realize that I could conquer the injury to my finger, and get back to a good degree of normal. She also renewed my personal belief that one must always protect their hands. I think that goes back to 7th grade at OE Dunckel Junior High in Farmington Hills, Michigan, when I received a D in gym for our volley ball unit. I told my gym teacher that I was not playing volley ball, simply because I had to protect my hands, in case I became a concert pianist. I am sure my gym teacher thought I was a kook, but here is the thing, I had a such good grades in my other subjects. And I was able to weather the storm of a D in volleyball, for the sake of the piano. Hurray.
I have also learned that if you believe in your physician, and she or he believes in you, you can accomplish just about anything. Dr. Van Steyn ended up sending me to hand therapy and it is improving flexibility in my left wrist, and stiffness and mobility in my right finger. And my hand therapist is strengthening my grip, which is sadly needed at my age. So if your physician suggests therapy, don’t scoff and say to yourself, “self I really don’t need to do this,” because you probably do need it.
I add, hand and wrist therapy is occupational therapy and my therapist is on task and all business. When you work hard and do your homework, you get a well deserved “congratulations.” I also learned from Tammi Hartshorn, that she was at the Orthopedic One facility here in Columbus, Ohio, because she wanted to work with Dr. Marlo Van Steyn. That was reassuring, because I know that they are working together, to make my hand and wrist better. They both make an amazing team!!
There are loads of crazy hand and wrist therapy exercises. Squeezing a tennis ball in different positions, rolling large glass marbles in your hands, and my all time favorite, rolling a tennis ball round and round a plastic plate or frisbee, to increase wrist mobility. Every exercise, has a specific reason to do it. And I have learned that if you do the exercises, results come, and they are generally good.
There is also the “grip measures” where you can find out if you are increasing your grip strength. My grip strength is getting better, although incrementally. And honestly, when you are in a hand, wrist, arm and shoulder therapy room, you look around and realize—-count your blessings. A lot of folks have a lot worse crap than moi. So again, one more reason not to whine.
So, I’m back to practicing. There are still some pieces, that are taking a back seat for the moment. But, I am discovering there is a lot of playing I can still handle reasonably well. One must take a tortoise approach when playing a musical instrument after an injury, and I have always subscribed to the theory that slow and steady does win the race.
More piano adventures to come!
