MS

So after MRI and many tests it turns out what had been diagnosed as Carpel Tunnel Syndrome was actually Multiple Sclerosis (MS). No wonder the carpel tunnel release didn’t help! Trying various treatments but there is no cure or easy fix for this and I have gone downhill so fast this year that I think I should change the name of this blog to Clarinet and Wheelchair.

Travels with Wheelchair

Clarinet has taken a back seat but still plugging away at it when I can. The grade 8 exam is probably out of reach now but determined to try and get through the repertoire at least and do some things just for fun.

The MS does give me a whole new area to write about but at the moment I’m just trying to come to terms with it.

Playing on

As if Multiple Sclerosis wasn’t enough I fell and broke my thumb. Avulsion fracture, which means ligament damage as well as bone and apparently that takes longer to heal. Great!

Hard splint for broken thumb

Well that made playing clarinet impossible for a while. A longer break (didn’t intend the pun) than I have had since I first took up clarinet so a bit worried how much these unreliable hands would remember.

Tried today for the first time, 12 weeks after the fall, wearing a soft brace to hopefully protect the thumb.

Pleased to say it wasn’t so bad. Slow, a few stumbles but can still play. Sorry neighbours your peaceful time is over! MS or not, broken thumb (hopefully healed) I can still play squeak. The journey continues.

🎼 🎶

😄

Carpel Tunnel Dirge / Requiem for hands that work

15 months since the carpel tunnel operation. Sadly not filled with the joys of happy hands. They don’t usually go numb now but still hurt to some extent most of the time and worse when used. Gripping anything like a steering wheel, changing gear, carrying any weight all causes pain and I can’t put them down flat so have to lift myself up using my knuckles.

Writing is still worst than is was before the operation, holding the pen is painful & controlling it is difficult. Playing clarinet is frankly ridiculous, still persevere with practice and lessons but there are problems making the fingers do what I want and after 30 minutes I can no longer even hold the clarinet. I am just too stubborn to give up.

Very disappointed. Especially as the surgeon said whilst he didn’t guarantee the operation would cure the problem there was no chance of me being worse off afterwards.

So to anyone considering this operation just be aware that whilst for many people it works well there are some who end up with more problems.

🙁

A little Inspiration 

Sometimes in the midst of the slow process of lessons, mistakes & practice it’s good to be reminded why we take up an instrument. Driving home from work & Debussy’s Rhapsody for Clarinet (& orchestra) was on the radio. Ah…Love it. 

Didn’t catch who was playing it but there are plenty of versions on YouTube. 

Now to practice!

Brahms – a year on

After taking a year to learn my ‘little tune by Khachaturian ‘ I said check back and see if the Brahms took as long….so now one year later…with some time out and reduced practice due to hand operation…..the beautiful first movt of the second Brahms Sonata certainly didn’t take me as long to learn but I think it may take me a lifetime to play well.

Tick at the end of the first movement of Brahms Sonata
The all important tick at the end of the Brahms

As for the Khachaturian, pleased I could still manage to get through it after the hand operation but it really needs constant practise.  I may have to play this piece everyday for the rest of my life!

Sooo…

Just keep practising, just keep practising…

Carpel Tunnel – 8 Months Post Op Lament

8 months of pain in both hands…..is this actually an improvment from hands that were constantly numb?

It has been very frustrating, one of my main issues before the op was that I felt I was loosing control of he fingers, I seemed to be fumbling.  Sadly that hasn’t improved, there are so many things that I find really hard to do, doing up buttons and writing is even worse than it was before the op.  Gave up trying to pick a pin up off the floor, impossible.  Can play Squeak (clarinet) for a maximum of 30 minutes, not sure if that is good or bad for the hands but not giving in, might be better for the neighbours!

The hands were worse 6 months ago so I guess it is improving, just soooo slowly that I don’t notice. Not the quick fix I had been hoping for.  Got 12 months in my head….just give it 12 months and maybe it will be ok. – will it be the 12 month Jig or Dirge?

Post Carpel Tunnel Blues

8 weeks since the operation and I am still getting a lot of pain in both hands but it may be showing some signs of improving…..or I may just be trying to convince myself that it is.

Certainly hadn’t been prepared for such a long recovery period. Surgeon doesn’t seem too concerned, though I have now apparently also got tendinitis in both wrists to add to the fun.

Driving is painful, holding a pen is even more difficult than before but I have managed a couple of brief sessions on Squeak (clarinet). So be warned neighbours the peace & quiet may not last!

Carpel Tunnel

Going off at a bit of a tangent to my normal blog posts but still relevant to my progress (or lack of) in learning to play clarinet .

For many years I have had carpel tunnel syndrome, this makes the hands go numb when not in use, especially at night.  As it got worse over the years I felt I was losing control of my fingers.  First I had problems holding a pen, then found I could no longer touch type. Couldn’t be helping with my attempts to learn clarinet but didn’t want to make excuses.

Continue reading “Carpel Tunnel”

Clarinet Mouth – Or Embouchure vs Blowing Raspberries!

The embouchure, or mouth position, for playing clarinet doesn’t just happen. When I first started playing clarinet I found after a short while my mouth would just go slack, no way could I hold it there any longer, completely useless and impossible to play any longer.  Continue reading “Clarinet Mouth – Or Embouchure vs Blowing Raspberries!”