AsMother, I hope the visit on Friday was helpful. In terms of feeling cosmically singled out, it’s an occupational hazard… On Saturday, my daughter was practicing using her pain-free left arm (PT having just told her she’s mostly healed and decreased frequency/length of sessions); she recorded herself playing a piece and sat down to listen to it and take notes. Unfortunately, there was no chair beneath her; instead of falling straight down, she twisted to protect her violin and bow and instinctively stopped her fall with her right hand. Nothing broken, probably, but it’s at least sprained/strained. She can’t bend her wrist. We’ll see what happens, but for the moment, the graduate school dream is looking increasingly like a pipe. She’s trying to stay positive. Hope your son is faring better!
Oh, @StringPop , that is just awful–I am so sorry! It’s so hard not to feel that the heavens are spitting upon one’s head when things like that happen, especially when it’s JUST at the moment it seems that things are coming together! I’m still somehow a believer (at heart) that things really do happen for a reason, and that if you can manage to relax and see things through the reasons will become clear (I know that that probably sounds all Taoist and mystical and impractical, but that’s just what seems to happen in my own life). That said, it still sucks, and I’m sure that neither you nor your daughter (just like my son and me) don’t get a lot of comfort from that at the moment!
When are her prescreens due? Is she hoping to attend an NYC school? If worse comes to worst, can she apply to start in the spring semester?
I SO hope that the injury isn’t as bad as it seems, and that it heals in time. Please let us know.
Thanks for the good thoughts on my son. He went to the Performing Arts Clinic for a two-hour evaluation on Saturday, and was referred to the PT who is connected with the clinic and whom @HereWeGoAgain2018 recommended. I think he just feels better knowing that some actual nerve-testing, etc., was done, so at least we know that he seems to have “just” a repetitive strain injury. It will, however, take a few months (I hope at least be the time spring semester starts). But he seems upbeat and is composing and trying to learn the clarinet in the meantime…
Thinking good, healing, anti-inflammatory thoughts for your daughter. 
That sounds like a great start, @AsMother. So glad he’s being treated.
As for my daughter, yup, NYC schools are on the list, among others, almost all of which require prescreens by December 1. An upcoming competition is almost certainly out, and a recital, and imminent sample lessons. Prescreens might not happen. They were already something of a question mark due to the left hand issues before the latest. Nothing has been cancelled yet; she’ll just have to see where she’s at. She’s a bit shaken, but she knows the drill. A good friend of hers slammed a heavy door on her fingers a week before her auditions a year ago. Another tore her ACL – went to all auditions on crutches. Another student was crossing the street in front of the music building and was hit by a car. And, honestly, that’s not the worst of what she’s witnessed. She’ll get through.
Whoa–okay, I no longer feel that my son has been singled out by the cosmos! I will have to pass that list of mishaps along to him…
I really hope your daughter is able to do all the things she has planned. And thank you for helping to put things into perspective!
@StringPop I’m very sorry to hear about your daughter’s accident. I sincerely hope she will recover in time to carry on with her prescreen recordings and not get impacted in the admissions process. Wishing her for a full and quick recovery.
@AsMother glad to hear your son was able to be seen at the Performing Arts Clinic and that they checked him out throughly and recommending just PT at this time. The PT they referred him to is taking care of all the professional musicians in Boston so she is well known and regarded. I’m sure your son will be getting the best care possible. Wishing him a quick and full recovery as well.
Thank you for the kind thoughts, @HereWeGoAgain2018 . She MUST be taking care of all the professional musicians in Boston, because when he called to make an appointment last Monday he couldn’t get one at either location until the 29th! But at least he’s got one.
And I’m also hoping to hear good news about @StringPop 's daughter.
How is your daughter doing?
@HereWeGoAgain2018 and @AsMother, thanks for the well wishes! The hand specialist said nothing was broken; it’s a sprain, and now she’s getting basic PT (not the active release guy she’s been using for her left arm). It still hurts, she doesn’t have full range of motion yet, but it’s improving each day. Most important, her doc says she can play — so she started playing again the other day. She’s ramping up the daily minutes pretty quickly. Her teacher thinks she’ll be okay for recording. So she’ll record and let the chips fall where they may. She’s happy to have the violin in her hands again.
@StringPop , that is just awesome to hear! I’m really happy for her (and you). Just keep those chairs handy for when she wants to sit down and play
Thanks for letting us know.
@AsMother sorry to hear they couldn’t get your son in before the 29th. Once he is seen for the first time they should be able to get a regular schedule setup there so hopefully he will start to get better soon.
@StringPop glad to hear no permanent damage was caused in that fall and that she is able to go back to playing again. With the help of PT I hope she will be back to 100% in no time.
My daughter, a double bass player, has this recurring shoulder issue. Doc explained it as the muscles holding her arms in the shoulder joints getting tired after extensive use and simply letting the joint go loose and arm slightly popping out of the joint socket. It doesn’t help of course that she plays an instrument with unique physical challenges related to size, weight and ergonomics.
Its very frustrating as she does all the PT exercises that she is given and ices her shoulders regularly and it gets better for a while and then the issue comes back again. No telling when or how severely it will affect her playing. Earlier this year she had to cancel her end of school year recital and rest her shoulders so she could get better before the summer camp… For now she is okay’ish but her shoulders feel as though the issue is never too far. Very concerning given the pre-screening recordings and few competitions she is planning to do coming up very soon… We’re hoping with continued exercises those muscles will get stronger such that this issue is permanently resolved but so far light at the end of tunnel is too far and weak.
Herewegoagain2018, I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but it sounds like the tendons or ligaments have become loose and then the arm "slightly pops out (have they mentioned subluxation). My daughter did 10 years of physical therapy for a problem like this (setting a record for PT at her college_ and PRP- platelet rich plasma- therapy cured the problem in one quick procedure. The doc draws out a large syringe of blood, spins and concentrates it and then injects the enriched plasma back into the joint. It tightens and regenerates. This is done by mainstream places like Spaulding in MA, part of MGH, but generally costs $1k, though we are submitting a claim. Your daughter sounds like an ideal candidate.
Some young people have mysterious recurring joint issues, autoimmunity, inflammatory tendencies, or structural problems (tendons/ligaments are too long for the bones) etc. that make the problems recur again and again. PRP has cut that cycle for my kid.
@compmom thank you so much for this lead. We have a follow-up appointment with the specialist at the Performing Arts Clinic soon and we were planning to discuss longer term treatment options beyond PT. This will be one of the topics we will discuss for sure. Glad to hear PRP helped your daughter. Your input is most appreciated.
@HereWeGoAgain2018 , my son and I were just talking the other day about the double bass, when he was thinking about other instruments he might want to try while he’s healing for the guitar. He mentioned it, because it’s such a cool instrument, but we were kind if joking about how amazingly cumbersome it must be to get around! An arm “slightly popping out of the joint socket” sounds just awful! I hope it heals soon. @compmom is always an awesome source of advice on these things. I want to see what Kelly is able to do, and if it’s not enough we will also look into the PRP. I’m hoping that my son’s issue is simply one of overuse (practicing way too much in anticipation of getting to Berklee), and not of autoimmune or structural problems.
In the good news department for today, his Peruvian roommate asked him to spend New Year’s week with his family in Lima. I’m so happy that he gets along so well with a randomly assigned roommate in a tiny dorm room! So at least he’ll have something to look forward to while he’s dealing with the physical issue. And I really feel that it’s so important for young people to see other parts of the world as much as possible.
Hoping to hear good news from all of you!
@AsMother wonderful to hear of your son bonding with his room mate in such short amount of time. A trip to Peru sounds like a terrific way to usher in the New Year. Very happy for your son. Hope his upcoming PT session(s) work well and that he has much less on his mind by then relating to his injury. All the best