Update 7: January 23, 2008. Went to see Doctor Collinge today and all is well. Some pain in both wrists, but they are fine. Will just take a long time to totally heal. Told him that I've been working and lifting a lot of weight. He said that was fine. Whoohoo!! Lot of guitars here close to being done. I have a picture of the X-Ray of my wrist with the plate and nine screws from October:

Update 6: October 24, went to Dr. and I'm healing up fine. He said that I am 100% fine but to take it easy on wrists and not do any twisting or heavy lifting. He also has me set to see him again in a two months and if the other wrist is still hurting, he will see about fixing it. He said that it should be fine and that it just takes a long time to heal since it is a ligament strain. I'm able to get stuff done now and I have guitars going out finally!!!

Update 5: Today, August 30,  I spent 6 hours 45 minutes at the Doctor's and hospital getting X rays and evaluated. He said that I am healed!!!! Said that I did fantastic in my recovery and it will be 100%. Just need to take it easy on my wrists. Fractures, plates, and screws are healed!!!! Yes! Now I can get some stuff together. He told me to be careful buffing and lifting anything heavy but I think that I'm okay. Still hurts when I lift things, but nothing like it did just a couple of weeks ago. So, I have a lot of guitars sitting here that I'm in the process of wiring up. Also buffing and cutting. I managed to get some inlays cut this past weekend also. Looks like things are really going to be happening now. Thanks for your patience and understanding. I'm trying to do everything that I can now.  

Update 4: Last week I went to the Doctor and got a great review. He said that I was doing fantastic in my recovery. Way ahead of schedule. He also told me that I had to stop lifting anything over 5 pounds. He said that I expect too much and should be very happy with where it is. I seem to expect to be back in perfect form in 4-5 weeks. He laughed and said to do what he says or it might mess up his work. So, just doing that now. I see him again in a few weeks but I think that I can do some stuff now. I have some inlays, wiring, etc. that could be done. So, I'm trying to get some of that done and call some of you back. I really apologize that this happened but Dr. said I will have a full recovery sooner than he previously thought. I'll update some more as soon as I can. Thanks again for all of the well wishes and your patience.

Update 3: This Wednesday, June 26,  I went to see my surgeon, Dr. Collinge, and he took the sutures out. About 30 of them. I was kind of shocked to see my wrist when it came out of the splint. It looked swollen and misshaped to me. He said that I was only 2 weeks out of surgery and that it looked great. He said that I was doing fantastic. Probably because I was in such good shape and health when it happened. He told me to take it out of the splint a few times a day and try to move it around and stretch the tendons out. I immediately asked him how long until I could make guitars. He said as soon as the pain is not so bad, I can do stuff. So, I took myself off of the pain pills yesterday, and I also tried to lift some light weights to see how it would go. Lot of pain, but not as excruciating as before. So, today, Friday, I am supposed to take the bandage off and replace the splint. I’ll do that tonight and keep trying to move my hand. I go see him in less than 3 weeks, July 18, to get an X ray again and make sure it is fine. My right wrist is sprained also so that doesn't help much having only one sprained hand to do stuff. I am really trying to do what he told me. Last week really helped as I tried to not do anything with it. I can feel a huge difference in it from the last few weeks. Still insanely painful if it twists or the palm goes up, but not nearly as bad as the last 3 weeks. That is what I have to work on, turning my palm up and bending my wrist.

I have about 8 guitars sitting here that are very close to being done. I think that I can at least wire a couple of them up soon. I’ll see how it goes but I really do feel lucky that I wasn’t hurt much worse than just the wrist. I think that I’ll have to take up running or something now as bicycling seems to be detrimental to my health. Thanks to everyone for your patience and understanding! I am really trying to do everything to get better.  

Update 2: Today, Monday, June 18, talked to my Dr. He told me that I have to stop trying to do anything until next week when he takes the sutures out. That is why it is hurting so much. I keep trying to do stuff. So, I am going to do what he says to make it heal much faster. That means that I can't be at my shop until next week. I have to make myself sit still and keep my arm elevated and not move it. That's so hard for me since I am always moving and working. Well, it is hurting so much at  night now, that I have to do it. I really apologize for not getting anything done since the wreck, but it looks like if I rest and elevate it, it might be doing pretty good next week. So that is what I have to do. Thanks for your patience and support! I'll let you know how it is this weekend or at least early next week. I get the sutures out on Wednesday of next week and that should be really good. Thanks again!

Update: In hospital Monday June 11, then surgery on wrist Tuesday June 12. He did a 5 hour surgery on left wrist then out later that day. Have to rest and keep elevated for a few days. Back to the Dr. Next week. Seems to be doing pretty good right now!!!!                                                                                                                                                                                            

I want to apologize for breaking my wrist and let everyone know that I had a really bad bike wreck yesterday,  June 4th, so I will be hard to reach for a few days. What happened is this:  I was riding my mountain bike on the trails at about 4:30 yesterday and was passing a family of riders. As I came around a curve, another cyclist was coming at me in the other direction. It was next to a concrete support wall and was a blind curve because of this. As I came around it, we saw each other and were heading towards each other very fast with only a few feet between us. We hit our brakes and mine locked up. My bike’s front wheel locked up and the bike flipped end over end throwing me off onto the concrete really hard. I broke my wrist and got road rash on my shoulder, knee, and forehead. Big goose egg knot on the left side of my head. Right wrist sprained. Left knee bloody, swollen, and stiff. Left wrist swollen huge and all crooked. Knew it was definitely broken. Got up and called girlfriend to come get me. Got dizzy for a few minutes but that went away.

 She took me right away to the hospital. They X-rayed everything and the left wrist was broken in 6 places. Kind of shattered so they put me under with an I. V. and set the bones. The Dr. put me in a temporary cast and put me on antibiotics, tetanus shot, and Vicodin. Luckily, he was a guitar guy so when he found out that I make guitars, he said that he wants to do everything that he can to get the bones back like they should be and good as new. I see him again Monday. He will then see what needs to be done surgery wise.

 So, I will probably be a little hard to reach for a few days as the Vicodin and trauma really knock me out. I’m mad at myself for breaking bones and slowing stuff down, but I’m doing everything that I can to get things done. It’s hard to type right now too but I wanted to let everyone know what is happening. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

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