Oh, Had it Been a Mushroom Instead

February 4, 2007 at 10:18 AM

Every time I went to practice, the needling sensation provoked such rage that I immediately had to set the fiddle down and go thrash something less expensive.

Without my fingertip to serve its purpose, I am an empty jar on a shelf, slowly filling with a black scumbling of curse words. An entire week!--now lost to an injury that people would otherwise scoff, because it's that minuscule.

No one else knows how it hurts like the dickens. No one but me.

From Eileen Geriak
Posted on February 4, 2007 at 1:09 PM

Oh Emily....what frustration ! Hang in there, it'll soon heal up and you'll be back at it in no time.
Good idea about putting that fiddle down.....hehe....

From Patricia Baser
Posted on February 4, 2007 at 1:12 PM

Ouch! Have you tried a "liquid bandaid". It might seal it up a little quicker.

From Tom Holzman
Posted on February 4, 2007 at 2:14 PM

I hope your recovery moves quickly.

From Neil Cameron
Posted on February 4, 2007 at 3:14 PM

Charles might know how it hurts.

Hope it heals soon.

Neil

From Gabriel Kastelle
Posted on February 4, 2007 at 6:00 PM

Oouaah. Ouch. :-(
Heal up!!
I once sliced my third finger, left hand, exactly in line and on target with where I contact string. I swear blood jumped five inches in the air on the first squirt-- I looked like a Monty Python film. I had a band gig that very night, and New Skin hadn't been invented yet, so superglue it was, and it did me well. I had fortunately just a thin slit cut perpendicular to skin surface-- it sounds like you were more parallel to skin, but on the wrong side of tangent, slicing off a patch of area. ??. A double coat of superglue lasted me (only!) about forty five minutes of playing, which was about time for set break and another chance to double coat the superglue. I got some blood on the violin. Cleans off. The skin sealed over and healed pretty quickly (days), but I still felt pain, then a dull steady throb, then still an occasional twinge even a year to a year and a half later-- especially on long, juicy vibrato notes. (What I'll do for vibrato!! Yes, Jim, all violinists are some sort of masochist or another, I think.)

From Emily Grossman
Posted on February 4, 2007 at 6:25 PM

Your injury sounds much more severe, Gabriel. Yep, I sliced off a piece that resembled the very edge of a mushroom (since that was what I was chopping at the time). Lots of nerve endings got irritated, but like I said, it's such a small injury that it's embarrassing to show people. It would have been nice if it had given me a sympathy squirt or at least run a little... :)

From parmeeta bhogal
Posted on February 4, 2007 at 6:41 PM

Emily,
hope it heals.
Meanwhile, all violinists and other users of fingertips learn to always chop using the professional hand position, whereby you hold the food being chopped, with all the fingers curving in towards the palm and relaxed. That way, if you do overchop, it will only be your knuckles or the outside of your fingers getting cut, leaving you free to play the violin (but I guess not from pain)- it just takes a little practise...
watch the first part of this video to see it in action.

From parmeeta bhogal
Posted on February 4, 2007 at 6:57 PM

Next to Brunoise photo, there are 3 video links. Click on any to start.

From Linda Lerskier
Posted on February 5, 2007 at 12:30 AM

Wishing you a fast recovery! At least you can mental practice. ;)

From Emily Grossman
Posted on February 5, 2007 at 4:29 AM

Oh, I know all about that knuckle technique. I'm a professional cook. ;) Unfortunately, I leave all my cooking skills at work. At home, anything goes, especially when trying to manipulate a rather dried out mushroom while trying to fix dinner in the ten minutes between lessons and rehearsal. The mushroom rolled, the knife glanced, and you know the rest.

Don't point that out to George. He would scold me.

From parmeeta bhogal
Posted on February 5, 2007 at 7:06 AM

Apologies..i forgot about your cook job!
Alas, I know too well about what you mean about meals and ten other things at the same time.

From Emily Grossman
Posted on February 5, 2007 at 7:17 AM

Hey Parmeeta, I got so excited to see someone else knowledgeable in the knuckle technique that I forgot to thank you for posting it. Do you cook a lot?

From Tom Steele
Posted on February 5, 2007 at 3:20 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1-NpyaOWV0

From Emily Grossman
Posted on February 5, 2007 at 7:43 PM

I say, that kinda turned my stomach. It's so, you know, bloody.

From Linda Lerskier
Posted on February 5, 2007 at 7:46 PM

Wait, you're a professional cook? Why, that's awesome! What's your specialty?

I. LOVE. Food. Yum.

From Emily Grossman
Posted on February 6, 2007 at 6:43 AM

Actually, my specialty is carrot cake. Equilateral carrot cake.

From Tom Holzman
Posted on February 6, 2007 at 1:54 PM

I love carrot cake! please let me know the next time you are cooking it and I will send you my address.

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