thejumpingflea
Well-known member
Hey guys,
*WARNING* LONG POST!
I have been a pretty active member here for a while now and I just wanted to say thanks to everyone here. Special thanks to all the staff for all their hard work, dedication and love for this little instrument. This instrument really is a large part of my life, but it hadn't always been this way....
I have struggled with bad knee conditions since I was 14. It started with them just being very sore after I'd go boarding (whether it'd be snow, skate, wake or anything else wouldn't matter). My life consisted of these sports for years so I shrugged off the pain in favor of living my childhood to the fullest. I eventually saw a doctor and they told me I had osgood schlatters disease and that my knees would fully heal after my growth plates would seal. About a year and a half passed and the knee pain began to get worse and I began Physical Therapy and had to stop skateboarding. I figured it wouldn't be too long to get back on the board. Well the PT made it significantly worse and they decided to x-ray the knees to check them out. The growth plates had sealed, but the pain was only getting worse.
Then I went to see a surgeon. He took some MRI's and figured the problem was called Patella Femeral Syndrome. Basically my knee caps were riding off place. So they did a procedure in each leg called a lateral release (they cut the lateral to loosen the kneecap back into place). They did each one separate and this consumed my Jr. year in HS. I went through extensive rehab and lots of cripple jokes (haha what do you expect in HS) and the results began to show. By that summer I was doing much better (still unable to do any of my sports) but by the end of the summer I was just as bad as before. The surgery worked, but the lateral reformed to be what it was before.
So I met with the surgeons again and now they had a more serious procedure to do. This involved chiseling out the bone under the patella tendon and moving it over to pop the knee cap permanently into place and then screwing it in. I had this procedure last December (2007) and now am a year out. I was in a wheel chair for 4 weeks of school and couldn't move the leg for 6 weeks. It was in a straight leg brace for that time with 0 weight bearing allowed. Let's just say Sr. year wasn't much fun.
Now I am starting to do better, but not great. One has had that operation, the other not, but I am still rehabing to get strength and scar tissue out. Still no boarding though and I probably won't be able to do that for a LONG time.
So why am I telling you this? Well because there was one thing that has been there for me this entire trek. The 'ukulele. I treated it like a sport at first, doing 'trick' strums and such. I have fallen in love with this instrument though in the same way I did my skateboard. It has helped me through this and has provided an incredible outsource of my energy and been a brilliant hobby.
And right when I thought I couldn't love this instrument more, I found you guys. Lessons, tabs, videos, downloads; it all is so great and just further strengthened the bond I have with this little 4 stringed 'toy'.
I just received my UU Hoodie, T-Shirt and a set of strings today and inside the package was a very short, handwritten note from the UU staff saying thanks for all the time spent in the UU and for help I have given people. I just have to say back that it is YOU guys that have helped me!!
SO thanks UU!
*WARNING* LONG POST!
I have been a pretty active member here for a while now and I just wanted to say thanks to everyone here. Special thanks to all the staff for all their hard work, dedication and love for this little instrument. This instrument really is a large part of my life, but it hadn't always been this way....
I have struggled with bad knee conditions since I was 14. It started with them just being very sore after I'd go boarding (whether it'd be snow, skate, wake or anything else wouldn't matter). My life consisted of these sports for years so I shrugged off the pain in favor of living my childhood to the fullest. I eventually saw a doctor and they told me I had osgood schlatters disease and that my knees would fully heal after my growth plates would seal. About a year and a half passed and the knee pain began to get worse and I began Physical Therapy and had to stop skateboarding. I figured it wouldn't be too long to get back on the board. Well the PT made it significantly worse and they decided to x-ray the knees to check them out. The growth plates had sealed, but the pain was only getting worse.
Then I went to see a surgeon. He took some MRI's and figured the problem was called Patella Femeral Syndrome. Basically my knee caps were riding off place. So they did a procedure in each leg called a lateral release (they cut the lateral to loosen the kneecap back into place). They did each one separate and this consumed my Jr. year in HS. I went through extensive rehab and lots of cripple jokes (haha what do you expect in HS) and the results began to show. By that summer I was doing much better (still unable to do any of my sports) but by the end of the summer I was just as bad as before. The surgery worked, but the lateral reformed to be what it was before.
So I met with the surgeons again and now they had a more serious procedure to do. This involved chiseling out the bone under the patella tendon and moving it over to pop the knee cap permanently into place and then screwing it in. I had this procedure last December (2007) and now am a year out. I was in a wheel chair for 4 weeks of school and couldn't move the leg for 6 weeks. It was in a straight leg brace for that time with 0 weight bearing allowed. Let's just say Sr. year wasn't much fun.
Now I am starting to do better, but not great. One has had that operation, the other not, but I am still rehabing to get strength and scar tissue out. Still no boarding though and I probably won't be able to do that for a LONG time.
So why am I telling you this? Well because there was one thing that has been there for me this entire trek. The 'ukulele. I treated it like a sport at first, doing 'trick' strums and such. I have fallen in love with this instrument though in the same way I did my skateboard. It has helped me through this and has provided an incredible outsource of my energy and been a brilliant hobby.
And right when I thought I couldn't love this instrument more, I found you guys. Lessons, tabs, videos, downloads; it all is so great and just further strengthened the bond I have with this little 4 stringed 'toy'.
I just received my UU Hoodie, T-Shirt and a set of strings today and inside the package was a very short, handwritten note from the UU staff saying thanks for all the time spent in the UU and for help I have given people. I just have to say back that it is YOU guys that have helped me!!
SO thanks UU!
