Ouch!

mds725

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I consider myself really lucky to have come away from a bicycle accident this weekend with only minor injuries, but one of those injuries is a broken fingertip on the middle finger of my right (strumming) hand.

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And the Wine Country Ukulele Festival is only two weeks away.... I strum with my index finger, but I haven't yet figured out how to strum without my splinted middle finger getting in the way. While I'm disappointed that I'm probably not going to be able to take the workshops I signed up for (especially Gerald Ross's fingerpicking workshop, which would require me to use my broken finger), I'm really focusing on all the bones that didn't get broken. And to all you drivers out there -- PLEASE look out for bicyclists before you open your car door.


By odd coincidence, this was my 2,000th post on the UU forums.
 
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Oh boy - I'm glad you weren't hurt any worse Mark. Getting doored is a drag, as is getting injured just before the festival. You'll probably be pretty sore tomorrow. I think if you email Elaine she would move you to other workshops under the circumstances. Hope your hand feels better soon! - Mary
 
Sorry to hear about your accident, but glad to know you're okay. I'll look for someone with a splint and introduce myself in Napa.
 
Sorry to hear of your accident Mark. While I know that you are bummed about your finger, lucky it wasn't worse.

Have you tried strumming with your thumb? I am a thumb strummer anyway. Your middle finger stays clear of the strings that way.
 
Ouch is right.. sure hope that you heal quickly and figure out how to strum. Hope that is the extent of your injuries... take care!
 
Ouch! Take care of yourself! I hope you heal quickly and are at least able to learn something from the upcoming classes!
 
Sorry you broke your most expressive finger (double entendre) If the thumb doesn't work too well, use a felt pick for a little while (I usually chew on the tip of a new pick a little to soften it slightly)
 
Sorry to hear about your accident. Hope you get that finger back to strum-worthiness soon.

Car doors opening into bicyclists is a real hazard, and it seems to be a fairly common way to get injured. When I'm riding my bike, I always try to give wide berth to parked cars that look like the driver is inside. Even so, last week I had a guy look at me as he's opening his door, and he must've decided I had enough room, because he went ahead a opened the door fully. I just missed him.

I think it's a design flaw in our traffic system.
 
Ouch is right. Glad to hear you weren't seriously injured. Get well soon.

In my two years in SF, I managed to avoid car doors, but I did get a couple love taps from bumpers. City biking's great, but scary.

I'll second the idea that now's a great time to work on some thumb strumming techniques. Could also be the time to get into some Ohta-san style thumb-only picking.
 
I'm glad that is the only injury you've got, Mark - but it really does suck.

At least it isn't the left hand!

Now, if only you know a Good lawyer... (g)

. . . . -Kurt
 
That is sad news. Glad it wasn't any worse! Do you have to wear the splint all the time? Maybe by the time of the festival you could just tape your finger for short periods. What does the doctor say about the expected healing time?

–Lori
 
Best wishes for fast healing. Thanks for posting the cool pic of your fractured finger too!
 
Major squirm action... How does one have to hit in order to break that particular part of the finger?

I cycle every Saturday and Sunday morning with two neighbors. We're actually more comfortable around cars than other cyclists. Since we're on the road by 6:30AM, we don't encounter much vehicle traffic. But we are very keenly aware of the animosity some drivers feel toward cyclists.

When I had rotator cuff surgery last year, I figured it to be a good time to practice finger picking techniques. Mostly I just sat in the recliner with ice packs.
 
Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. I'm feeling a bit better today and I remain grateful that I wasn't more seriously hurt. [Squirm alert: Harold, I believe the finger got pinched between my handlebar and the car door that hit me.]

I actually went to my ukulele class tonight and strummed using my thumb. It was a little awkward for me but it worked, although all the hand movement was probably not the best thing for my finger, as it's a bit achy now. I'm seeing a hand specialist on Wednesday, and I'm hoping he gives me a sleeker splint and a more optimistic recovery time than the six weeks suggested by the acute care doctor I saw.

I'm still planning to go to the Wine Country Ukulele Festival and I'm hopeful of being able to play at least a little bit. I'll look for fellow UUers there.
 
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