You folks can't imagine how very much I have needed and appreciate the support you've given me after my little altercation with a robber about a month ago.

I was packing up to go on a client call up in Indiana, about 6:00 AM. Like an idiot, I left the front door open. A kid from the neighborhood I had actually let work every so often came in with a knife.

The resulting struggle left him with a broken wrist, dislocated sholder, a damaged knee and lots of ugly cuts and bruises. He went to the emergency room and then to jail.


I had a cut on my left upper arm, some soreness and not much else. I thought I'd be sore for a week and be fine.

I just had some reconstructive surgery this week to repair nerve damage from the cut. I have no feeling in my left hand and wrist area. That means, unless things improve rapidly, for the near future, at least, my left-handed keyboard bass, upright, bass guitar and guitar days are over.

I can still make some of my jobs. I have two tonite and one tomorrow, all on arrangers, which, as you know is my least favorite way of making music.

At least I can do that. I have to re-think the way I do things, and keep my eyes on the left hand, because the co-ordination you have with feeling the changes and positioning just isn't there.

Only other players (you folks) can understand the effects of not being able to play. Family and friends have stopped by and expressed their feelings, but, in this case, you "gotta be there" to understand.

This little incident has also dramatically affected my work in research analysis, copywriting, graphics...anything requiring using a keypad.


Driving is also a challenge. I can't handle standard shift as well as I need to and left-handed clutches on my motorcycles are "deal breakers". Luckily, I've got a couple of automatic vehicles, a couple of old restored Cushman motorscooters and an automatic Kymco, which I just rode across town to lunch and back.

Thanks so much for the support. Sorry I mentioned this in Cass's post on the 2nd Jam.
Did not intend to hijack the thread, and let my frustration get the best of me.

Be careful out there!


Russ

Brian, I REALLY appreciate the humor, and am glad you have recovered.


Thanks so much!


R.

Russ...
The loss of hand (left, right or both) coordination as it relates to playing music has always been one of my biggest fears.

Imagine losing an arm. That is what happened to a country artist I worked with in WV. He now resides in Florida and is a one-armed one man band thanks to Ketron and some very creative foot pedals.

I know you are not a country or hill-billy fan, but he is a member of the Rock-a-billy Hall of Fame....and they did a story on him. http://www.rockabillyhall.com/DaleBrooks.html

He invited Carol and I up to his house in Orange City FL a couple of years ago and never once mentioned the loss of the arm or any problems it has caused. In fact, he invited some of his band members over one night and we had a jam in his living room. It is UNBELIEVABLE how he has coped with the loss of the arm.

Based upon previous posts of yours I feel confident that you will make the best of your current situation. Imagine if there were no such things as arrangers. I would hope that your arm, hand and fingers recover fully. Till then, you will make plenty of music with one or more of your arrangers. I will bet on it.

Eddie

[This message has been edited by btweengigs (edited 07-10-2009).]

It's very frustrating, Russ, and I can identify...I had a my little finger nearly lost when I had got into a set to with a guy with a knife...I was only about 18 or so.

I wasn't expecting it (he was an acquaintance) and my martial arts didn't prevent me from getting cut, but it did help finish things quickly in my favor.

I couldn't use my left hand for quite some time...they re-attached the finger, and a year later I had surgery to reconnect the tendons.

You are lucky you weren't cut worse, and also very lucky they can fix the problems...all it will take now, is time, and we musicians aren't noted for our patience.

I'm just glad to hear you're okay...I don't want to lose another "uncle"...especially one that can play keyboards, and is savvy in business...usually that's a rare combination.

You have my best wishes for a speedy recovery, and I hope you're back behind the keys in jig time.

Your "nephew"

Ian

No BS here, Russ. Take care of yourself and use only the best doctors available. Follow directions and pray. I now have a plaquie in my family room that says, "Prayer Changes Things." I believe.

No good deed goes unpunished, they say...

For this to happen to you, and by someone you have helped in the past says a lot about where we are as a society. A sad place indeed...

If there IS a bright side to all this, I can only imagine it is that things did not turn out FAR worse (he might have had a gun ) than they have, and that yes, we do have amazing tools at our fingers (however many of them we can use) to make music that would not have been possible thirty years ago or so. Small consolation I am sure, but better than none..!

Get better soon, Russ...

Russ, here's for a speedy recovery. Something tells me you won't be down long

I never followed the other thread, so I'm SO sorry to hear about this now Russ.

Modern Medicine can do great things these days (I'm not just saying that flippantly - I firmly believe it) so hopefully we'll see some real hope and improvement in your situation.

You'll get there buddy!

HI Russ,
hoping everything works out ok for you. It's usually takes time for wounds to heal.
All the best.
best wishes
Rikki

You KNOW I'm praying for you, buddy ...
t.

Oh my, this must be a nightmare for you, Russ. I can't even imagine how difficult this must be. I do hope everything comes back to normal for you as soon as possible.

G'day Russ...What a low act, especially as you had shown this youth compassion in the past.

My thoughts are with you and I hope you are soon mended and back to playing.

All the best,

Dennis

Russ - I'm so sorry to hear about that altercation. Like Diki says, it's sad that (growing) portions of our society are caring less and less about our neighbors and acquaintences. Hang in there and best wishes for you to return to your "normal self" in a minimum of time!

PS - I had a guy (suspect it was a teen gang member) hide in the back seat of my rental car in Los Angeles several years ago - I was going to be forced into a trap and may have gotten killed. I didn't do what he expected and he decided it would be better to vacate the premises and he jumped out of my car at 40 miles per hour on Ventura Blvd. I was very lucky.

Again, so sorry to hear about that incident and I join the rest of the gang in hoping your recovery will be swift and painless!

Randy

My prayers are with you Russ. Do the doctors expect some improvement over time with the nerve response in your left hand?

Russ, I'm sorry to hear of your altercation. Best wishes for a speedy recovery and May God Bless. Take care.

OMG. Horrible.

I am confident that you will recover. Your body knows the way - and hopefully the doctors do too.

Best wishes.

Beakybird

Thanks everyone for responding to my pathetic little attempt at asking for support. You all came through in Spades!

Last night, I played two jobs using my MS-60 and did OK...just a little sore from the surgery and a little strange having to look at the left hand all the time to compensate for the lack of feeling. The good news is, I have most of the strength I need; it's just the lack of feeling that is so strange. I tried recording a nylon string guitar song for a Kenny Rankin tribute I am supposed to play with a local philharmonic orchestra (fundraiser) in early September, and I did a terrible job! I started working 4 hours a day, 7 days a week today on a nylon string Giannini (a Feliciano model-another favorite) to make that job. It means more to me than a fitting tribute to a musical giant (in my eyes). It is a personal goal to make me stop feeling sorry for myself and "get on with it"! Another goal will be to record "Masquerade" on nylon string as part of a medley with "Hiding Inside Myself", one of my favorite Rankin tunes. I am going to try to get that finished by the end of July, to meet the deadline for enteries in Cass's "jam".

Finally, I hate to dispute his "hardass" persona, but a member here has gone way out of his way to be kind and ultra compassionate when I needed it the most. He is genuinely concerned and supportive...a real "softie".

He and Eddie have been a great help/support.

That member is Diki, and I will always be greatful to him (you, too, Eddie).

Be careful, folks. It takes something like this to find out that there are lots of people each of us influences and who care(s) about us.

Russ (one-armed bandit-for now) Lay

(Nigel, the jury is out on the nerve damage. The concensus is, I'll get some of the feeling back, but it will always be like having a mild electric shock when I use those fingers. That will be a "piece of cake" to deal with).

Hello Russ
My prayers are with you.
Cheers and best regards from Brazil
Chico

You see...? No good deed DOES go unpunished

I work hard for my rep here, Russ, and now you've gone and made it twice as hard for me to be the 'bad boy' of SZ...!

But if that's what it takes to cheer you up, OK, I'm all for it. Now, where's a good Mediastation thread for me to get my rep back on?

Sincerely,

'Mean Joe' Greene

hi Russ,
I thought I had already posted to this thread but can't find it so I guess these old gray cells are doing it again.
I have a similiar problem to yours except my loss is in my brain. It tingles all the time, roars a lot but don't do much anymore.
Yours will get better while mine will get worse.
I pray yours will get better really soon.
Best to you and yours,
Bill