Ilness that have nearly stopped your musical work.

[nialldoran]

Just thought id start a thread to share horror stories if anyone has got them about any ilness or affliction youd like to share that has stopped you playing guitar, mixing music, anything from wrist injuries to ear problems,

its been on my mind recently as i have gone deaf in my right ear, and the doctors dont know why my hopes to work in live sound or mixing have almost been dashed in the last two weeks, just cause i woke up deaf one day, and its not wax imfreaking out, anyone else had any problems that made you shake in your boots at the thought of not being able to do what you love?

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Really sorry to hear that, hope it gets sorted out :/

A few years back, when I was working as a construction worker, I completely fucked up my chord hand's middle and ring fingers with a power saw. The first thing the doctor said was "You don't play any instrument, do you? Oh... Dear..." Fortunately I was in luck and the fingers are functioning again, the only thing that reminds me of the accident is a scar in the ring finger and a dead spot on the middle finger.

 

[Notuern]

I broke the scaphoid bone in my right hand, which left me like this for nearly 2 months(Was supposed to be 3, but i got lucky.):

Then i had some psychological issues that almost made me sell of every single piece of musical gear i own.. related to band issues and allot of shit going on making me loose inspiration and hope of continuing.
Now i only have to deal with a chronic ear infection, but it really only hinders me if i use headphones and stuff like that, but its still a huge problem when rehearsing or tracking in studio(Since headphones and earbuds triggers it.).

 

[Chryst Krispies]

My mental illness has made me think about not playing guitar many times.
I also almost chopped off my fret hand index finger many years ago. Big scar.

 

[Joematthews]

When I snapped my clavical in half and had surgery on it I couldn't play for 2 months.

 

[Charlie E.]

I injured my wrist and had to stop playing guitar for a whole year
Pretty scary.
It still cramps up sometimes. I basically can't play acoustic guitars anymore. Just electrics with light gauge strings and classical guitar. It has seriously affected my chops as well.

 

[Line666]

Laziness

 

[muckypup1]

I injured both my wrists pretty badly, I had to stop playing for over a whole year before I could play for 5 minutes again...that was one of the more depressing times I've gone through because I had nothing, no friends, no guitar to play, and just constant agony. I've still got the wrist injuries and can't play much, but I'm still able to record and write music, I just can't practise like 7 hours a day anymore!

I also have tinnitus, which is pretty depressing because I'm into AE shit, so good hearing is so important But its not awful yet, I just have the sound of high pitched ringing constantly faintly in the background, but when I'm in complete silence its like roaring white noise in my ears, but I've been trying not to let it get me down to much

 

[muckypup1]

I injured my wrist and had to stop playing guitar for a whole year
Pretty scary.
It still cramps up sometimes. I basically can't play acoustic guitars anymore. Just electrics with light gauge strings and classical guitar. It has seriously affected my chops as well.

That sucks man, I had the same thing but I got it before I was able to get any real technique

Laziness

I think most people suffer from this

 

[vespiz]

I was diagnosed with Cholitis Ulcerosa in '99-'00. It's been in remission since then, but it still affects my whole life.

There have been times when I've felt so bad, that I've thought of quitting bands, or rather playing live, since it takes a toll on my physique.

 

[StefTD]

30% reduced hearing since I am 2 years old, tinnitus since I am 12, broke my left arm 4 times,
all in all 8 broken bones in my arm, the last time was the worst, 2 years ago, broke my elbow into
3 pieces, my biceps is still way smaller than before, not able to bend and straighten my arm like
I was before and never will be again, but thankfully I am still able to play guitar, just needed
some time to get used to it again, like 1 year to be able to play while standing and so on, but I also
needed like 2 months to be able to open or even lift a bottle of water again and 3 months to be able
to touch my face or remove my glasses, that time really sucked.
Never ever even thought about stop making music, I know that I suck at it but it's just one of the best
things in my life, it was the first thing I tried when I got out of hospital with a 6 inch long piece of steele
in my arm and a 5 inch long cut on my elbow that was still bleeding.
Oh and I needed pain killers for 5 months and they had the byeffect of reduced hearing, too, so I was
half deaf.
I also had a few pretty bad cuts in both my hands (bandsaw, chainsaw, sharp knives) so I have
a few deadspots (almost my whole little finger in the left hand, half of my thumb and a few smaller ones).
But it can be way worse, a friend of mine was a pretty good sax-player (played 15 years, 1-3 hours a day)
but had tongue cancer, he's able to speak again, but there's no way that he will be able to play sax again.

 

[Decimator]

I am waiting tests results for rheumatism. I should get them tomorrow, can't fucking wait! I do not want to rely on painkillers to be able to play guitar.

 

[iHate]

Tinnitus sucks. My right ear is fucked cause my first concert I stood next to the monitor the whole time... idiot. Oh and its the same ear that i used to blast the XBL headset into... idiot. And I can't seem to turn down my car's sound system, the bass flows through me and it's addicting, but fucks my right ear up... idiot.

 

[Melb_shredder]

well I haven't *fingers crossed* hurt myself SINCE I picked up the guitar. But when I was 5 years old my career was nearly preemptively ruined...
I broke my elbow, at the joint, and snapped the joint. The doctors said I could only bend my arm inward so far, so I wouldn't be able to hold a guitar etc. Luckily some specialist happened to be in at the time and said they could try something and so on. Luckily, I have full mobility in that arm, and a scar for the memory!

 

[Ermz]

2 and a half years ago I got an ear/sinus infection that left my hearing compromised, the same week I graduated from 'audio school'. Several months later, most if not all my hearing returned to one of my ears, but the other is still impaired to this day. I considered quitting AEing many times during that period.

 

[muckypup1]

Tinnitus sucks. My right ear is fucked cause my first concert I stood next to the monitor the whole time... idiot. Oh and its the same ear that i used to blast the XBL headset into... idiot. And I can't seem to turn down my car's sound system, the bass flows through me and it's addicting, but fucks my right ear up... idiot.

I got it the same way lol, It was at my first gig i went to, I didn't wear any ear protection and I was standing in front of a monitor...

 

[Harry Hughes]

Have had anxiety problems for a long time, and in 2008 when it peaked, I also came down with the depression that came with it and found myself sitting on the computer for almost my entire waking hours on some days, because I was too scared too leave the house most days.
I would go days without showering and playing guitar, just because I had no motivation.
And on top of that, my anxiety problems has just affected my functioning in the real world, and as a result, never really been employed, dropped out of high school, so I don't have great education levels behind me, and the lack of money due to my mental illness stopping me from working meant I could never buy all the stuff I really wanted to pursue the musical things I wanted to do.
Only been until now, with the help of counseling, and totally changing my diet and starting to do weights, that I'm actually really starting to become a bit more functional again mentally.
AE is just a hobby of mine for now really, but I love reading about it and trying out stuff for myself too, so I guess it's a hobby I'm quite passionate about now haha.

 

[Razorjack]

I also have tinnitus, which is pretty depressing because I'm into AE shit, so good hearing is so important But its not awful yet, I just have the sound of high pitched ringing constantly faintly in the background, but when I'm in complete silence its like roaring white noise in my ears, but I've been trying not to let it get me down to much

I acquired tinnitus whilst working with a band a few years back. It fucked me up so much, my original thread about it is still on here somewhere. I was in the middle of my degree and working on an album for some (then) friends. Added to the fact I'd lost my mother only a year before, I basically walked away from any AE work and in the process said band ended up re-recording the whole album. I was completely out of action for around 9mths whilst I came to terms with the noise in my head and the frequency damage (with a 50dB dip at 4k in my left ear, I now pan drums audience perspective to avoid killing everyone with the hi-hat!!)

I've not run a FOH desk or recorded anything but my own demos since (4yrs now). When the urge to get back into things started again I decided to get on stage instead and have become a much more successful bass player than I ever was AE.

 

[xFkx]

Almost had my right index finger cut off, it's missing one tendon, but kind'a works.

I think this is the couse that jazz III xl's pickups slip out of my hand, just can't get a strong enough grip on them. With tortex picks it's fine.

Other than that i'm fine. Been wearing ear protection and avoiding loud places since forever. Had one bone broken as a kid, nothing serious.

Yay for me.

 

[nialldoran]

wow alot of problems there with alot of people, some mental and physical, not guna quote everyone, and be a patronising prick but i am glad that most people have recoverd from their alements and for those that havent i hope they do recover, be it physical or mental issues, although people with hearing problems have hit home the most with my personal situation, this could be a good inspiration thread for those in bad situations at present maybe