APRIL 20, 2018 Linda’s Lair, Monroe, Washington State
I swear I never once felt bummed out or negative about the accident. It was the most intense pain I’ve ever felt, but I was happy... actually elated.
Bro Mike had noticed this big, beautiful barn for years. Passed it hundreds of times. But today it was time. Our brand new band needed a home. Mike pulled in, nosed around and found the owner, a white-haired, humor-filled guy - Roger. Mike told him we needed a place to rehearse and record, and, “Would you be interested in renting it?”
“Ya know, just this morning I kind of decided I’d like to rent it out.”
Ladies and gentlemen, the MAGIC MAN!
Located near the confluence of two rivers, HUMAN TRIBE HEADQUARTERS is a short walking distance to a foot-suspension bridge that leads to miles of forested hiking trails, a welcome place for recording artists taking a break on a hot day.
The 35’ foot apex - from main room floor - with traditional barn-sloped sides, yielded a natural wooden reverb that was just too much. Before we could add insulation and a skin to the walls, we needed to patch any holes or cracks, using a rubbery material with an adhesive side.
I had noticed earlier this cool old ladder, probably a twenty-footer. Moving it over to its next place of service, I noticed its feet were kind of polished from years of use. Against the hardwood floor, this was obvious, so I scooted it closer to the wall to reduce the slope and subsequent risk of slipping.
I’m about 18’ up, “Filling the cracks where the rain gets in.” Sure enough, the feet of the ladder start to slip back! I’m watching the acceleration in slow motion, not able to react. About to land face down, prone, on the ladder rungs, everything becomes a blur, until I find myself laying on the now horizontal ladder which comes to a stop on a cross board on the wall. As I slowly crawl off the ladder, bro Mike exclaims, “Are you alright?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Then, standing up, the pain from arm and shoulder shout out, “No, I’m not alright!”
Mike quickly finds the nearest hospital and we are there very soon, my shoulder measuring the depth of every bump in the road.
Everything seems like it takes way too long, but finally am up on the bed, IV in-place, ready for X-ray. The morphine does nothing for the pain. The fentanyl doesn’t touch it. I agree to be put out for the relocation of the arm. I was told later it took a LOT of that drug to put me under :-)
The nurse walks in sees the pictures, smiles and says, “It’s definitely out!”
During this whole procedure, the nurse kept asking questions like, “What is your birthdate?” What is your middle name? Finally, just before they were going to put me to sleep, the nurse, “You know why you’re here, don’t you?”
“Yes, I’m going to have a baby.”
As the laughter dies down, how am I to know they, all four of them, while I’m under, are listening to Heart songs and looking at Rog photos on a laptop. Ha!
Coming to... RELIEF!!! My god, it’s not stabbing me any more! Wow, that pain had kept increasing, despite the drugs, right up to the point where I lost consciousness. Leaving the hospital with my loving partner Linda, I’m seriously wondering when I’ll be able to play guitar again... this hand is mostly paralyzed!
Couple days later it’s time for a CT scan. Great news, won’t need surgery! The date of the accident was April Fool’s Day. April 5 we leave for JFK airport in NYC to attend my son Dylan’s wedding to his beautiful Serbian lady, Nika Simovich.
If you are looking for a good place to get married, Gurney’s on Montauk, Long Island is one to consider. It was like a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, partly because of the context, but mostly because of the special chemistry Between Dylan and Nika. One had the sense that this is the real deal, this is going to last. These two genuinely love each other.
With the trip to New York behind us, I visit Physical Therapy and am pleased to see the jaw drop on my practitioner as she sees the rapid recovery in the ability to move the fretting hand. This was April 12. Today is April 17 and the progress continues, but it’s a little difficult imagining rehearsing in two days, which is what is scheduled. We’re flying our new lead singer and guitarist boyfriend out from Minneapolis on April 26. My left hand can fret chords and play leads, but the little finger has very little feeling, making it challenging. But any guitarist knows that moving around on the fretboard involves the shoulder, and I was surprised how much we’re dependent on this. Fact is, if I move my arm away from my body, the muscles are likely to pull the broken bone out of its healing happy place, requiring surgery and much more time healing. Resu-lt? No guitar playing until mid-May, at least.
Here are some of the things I’m doing to try speeding the healing:
-Acupuncture once-a-week from daughter, Lily Isaacson of New Life Acupuncture Clinic
-Reiki once-a-week
-Red laser treatment
-Tens electric treatment
-Hot tub twice daily - great place to do the physical therapy exercises
-Wearing a splint
-Sleeping with a brace that keeps the hand open
-Making my own bone broth
-Taking supplements
calcium; multi vitamins; vitamins A,B,C,D,and E; collagen; magnesium, and turmeric
-Eating salmon; sardines; flaxseeds; chia seeds; pumpkin seeds; grass-fed beef; swiss chard; almonds; avocados, and black beans are a few examples, follow link for great input: https://draxe.com/bone-healing/
What I’ve discovered is that my enthusiasm for playing guitar ASAP has made me try a little too hard to speed the healing process, resulting in tormented times of non-sleep, where even ibuprofen doesn’t cancel the pain. Recommended: patient, gentle, careful healing with an abundance of VISUALIZATION.
I swear I never once felt bummed out or negative about the accident. It was the most intense pain I’ve ever felt, but I was happy... actually elated. If my body had landed three inches higher on the ladder, I surely would have at least a broken neck.
It’s very possible I was THREE INCHES FROM DEATH.
The Magic Man
April 25th, 2018