My Accident.

[Bill Clements]

The fellow who coined the phrase, "watch your step", should have been standing next to me Saturday afternoon, May 30, as I was painting the basement stairway ceiling of my mother's home. With a gallon paint can in one hand and a paint brush in the other, the ladder slipped off the step out from underneath me. I landed on my left shoulder and hip from about five feet up. Five hours later in Emergency, decked out in a neck brace and pumped full of morphine, they determined my left shoulder was neither broken or dislocated. But I was writhing in pain.
A few days later an MRI revealed severely torn rotator cuff tendons. Yesterday was surgery. I'll be in a sling for (6) weeks to be followed by lots of physical therapy. Playing the mandolin is out of the question.
To make matters worse, I have a new Eastman mandocello sitting at Elderly getting set up including a new nut made and bridge saddle re-cut to follow the string spacing of a Gibson H-1. Master luthier Dave Cohen is shipping a beautiful new mandolin to me June 29th commissioned a year and a half ago, and I just bought a 1905 Ditson Empire bowlback from eBay (thanks for the help, Mick) which will arrive Monday. And I won't be able to play any of them. That's REAL agony!
So friends, please be careful and wish me luck!

[Steve-o]

Bill,

So sorry to hear of your mishap. Hope you can at least get some quality listening in and enjoy the eye candy coming your way. Don't rush the recovery and overdo it. Get well!

[Doug Edwards]

Get better Bill. Like the saying, Housework, Yard work, ect won't kill you but why take a chance.

[PH-Mando]

I will pray for a speedy recovery for you, Mr. Clements.

[hank]

Dang Nabbit. Sorry to hear this Bill. This might be an opportunity to be one with the circle of fifths and music study. You certainly got some good stuff comin to inspire you when you recover from this fall. Sometimes giving it a rest makes one a better player as painful as it may be.

[Mickey King]

Bill, I feel your pain. May 25, I managed to break my right thumb and tore my bicep tendon from the muscle. Had surgery two weeks ago and my right hand is in a cast. My wife can clearly sense the depression I an suffering as I'm sure you are too. If I could only grip a pick..but I can't. Hang in there it will get better. Just not as soon as we both wish it would!

[Bill Clements]

Get better Bill. Like the saying, Housework, Yard work, ect won't kill you but why take a chance.

Thanks, Doug. If I want to make myself feel better, I'll simply look at my Big Muddy that features the beautiful Armrest and Pickard you recently made for it,
Thanks again, my friend.

[Bill Clements]

Bill,

So sorry to hear of your mishap. Hope you can at least get some quality listening in and enjoy the eye candy coming your way. Don't rush the recovery and overdo it. Get well!

Thanks, Steve. I still want to catch up with you at Elderly and drool on that Jacobson mandolin Marty crafted.
The Mural is coming along quite nicely!

[Ivan Kelsall]

I'm really sorry to hear of your injury Bill,i've had a few myself in the past & i know just how PO'd you can get being able to do nothing,especially playing. After i severely injured my lower back 11 years ago through lifting a very heavy object,even after i could walk around again,i couldn't even lift my banjo case. I wish you a speedy & hopefully, pain free recovery,
Best wishes - Ivan

[Ivan Kelsall]

I'm really sorry to hear of your injury Bill,i've had a few myself in the past & i know just how PO'd you can get being able to do nothing,especially playing. After i severely injured my lower back 11 years ago through lifting a very heavy object,even after i could walk around again,i couldn't even lift my banjo case. I wish you a speedy & hopefully, pain free recovery,
Best wishes - Ivan

[Bill Clements]

If I could only grip a pick..but I can't. Hang in there it will get better. Just not as soon as we both wish it would!

On the bright side Mickey, we're fortunate to live in a time where surgical technique is so much more advanced. The orthopedic surgeon who performed my operation had already done eight other rotator cuff tear repair surgeries before mine that day. Amazing.
I hope your recovery is swift and comfortable.

[brunello97]

Yikes, Bill. What a story! All the best to you for a quick recovery.

When you first mentioned the shoulder injury I thought it might have been you bringing high heat for the Lansing Lugnuts. No joke, I'm glad you are in good hands and look forward to hearing better news soon. You've got some great axes there to tell us about....

And a summer in Michigan to enjoy!

Mick

[Bertram Henze]

a gallon paint can in one hand and a paint brush in the other

My toes curled at this part already - the rest of the story was kind of unavoidable. As the seamen's saying goes: one hand for the ship and one hand for yourself. Whenever I go on a ladder, I have some point to hold on to which is not part of the ladder, and I have one hand free to hold on to that with.

Wishing you a quick recovery, be out of pain and back to playing soon.
And out of sheer curiosity: what happened to the gallon paint can?

[MysTiK PiKn]

Bill,
I do hope you keep posting whenever you feel like it. You are one of my favorite posters here. I think it's about how such a young person, who's barely big enough to hold a mandolin, can say such mature things time and again. And I'm also amazed by your mature taste in quality instruments, and your ability to express that. Have no fear, your young body has an infinite capacity to look after itself; you will be amazed as you look back to this day. Keep the faith, bro. Watch and see.

[Darren Bailey]

very frustrating Bill - but be patient , the time will pas. I'm just about to go back to work after five weeks of being laid up after a fall too. Broke three ribs and damaged a lung - but all sems on the road to recovery and last night got to perform at a local festival with my son - so know you'll be on the other side of it soon. But those instruments are going to look tempting!

[Hany Hayek]

I wish you a fast recovery.

[Astro]

So sorry, that certainly is real agony. You have a long road ahead with a lot of hard work in PT. But let those idle instruments be your motivator. Keep your circulation pumping, eat right, and mend well so you can get back to the happy business of mando !

[John Soper]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Having had my share of "near misses" in the past, I avoid ladders at all costs!

[AlanN]

Bill,

Hope your recovery is quick and not too painful. To pass the time, let me send you (FOC, to keep) a 1GB Sansa little mp3 player, loaded with some good and varied bg, mandolin music. I'll include a USB cable for computer connection, but no phones...I have more of these I can shake a stick at, no worries.

Send me your address if you'd like it. And good luck. You'll be picking again in no time.

[UsuallyPickin]

Expressions of regret to you. Most of us have been through and may go through this process again to some degree. Exercises in patience are rarely enjoyable and when added to pain and the associated medications can feel interminable. Please take time to heal properly. Your instruments will abide and your music will return to you.

[Clinton Johnson]

Music heals, soothes the soul, & causes depression to leave. It's a fact as proved down through the times. You obviously have helped many through your music and now it's your turn. Set back, receive, enjoy and soak in the healing properties of music. The time will pass quickly before you know it and then you will minister once again to others. Good health to you sir ��

[Timbofood]

Okay sister is a (now retired) RN who keeps telling me that "NO ONE over fifty should climb on ladders!"
I only break that rule six or seven times a month.
Take all the time convalescing the doc tells you to! It will be time better spent than re injuring.
Alan, what a kind gesture!

[OldSausage]

That's nasty Bill, I do hope the recovery goes well. And a timely reminder to us all to stop helping out around the house and play as much mandolin as we can, it just makes sense.

[Austin Bob]

Bill, I hope you have a complete and speedy recovery.

Sounds like an opportunity to do a deep dive into some music theory while you are mending.

Good luck.

[Bill Clements]

I'm overwhelmed!
Thanks to all who took the time to reply and wish me well. Here I am on the way home from hospital pumped full of good stuff.

I'm a bit more senior than my avatar leads MysTYK to believe. Thanks for your sentiments and commentary on my posts.
The block wore off mid-day yesterday and then the fun started. Not much sleep last night, but not too tired to to express my heartfelt thanks.
Mick, I'll post photos of the Ditson here when I get it Monday, with wife's help. Bertram, the reason I screwed myself up so badly is I hung on to the darn paint can instead of letting everything go and just jumping to the stair landing. I didn't spill hardly anything believe it or not. I've done a bunch of painting over the years, putting two sons through college painting new residential construction on the side.
Darren, good to hear you're well and back to doing things you enjoy. David, your humor is a good dose of medicine.
Lastly, how generous of you, Alan. I'll PM you later today.
Bravo, friends…if only I could clap vigorously!