Dealing with Adversity

[davewerden]

Well, today was a rough day. I had to play 4 pieces in church, and woke up with a rather distinct pimple on my upper lip! (I thought puberty was pretty well over for me.) It is relatively 3-dimensional, which is bad, and it sits right where the inner edge of the rim sits, which is worse. I could not get a good mouthpiece placement, even being will to deal with pain.



I could not believe how I sounded when warming up. Bad center, for one thing. But the most flabbergasting effect was my range topped out at a G above the bass clef (A above the treble clef staff). That is a full 6th or 7th less than my warmup usually covers, even on lazy days, but the notes literally did not come out in any way, shape, or form. I guess it was fortunate that the highest note I had to play was a concert G.

I did the Holst 2nd march (first part only - no gigue) as a postlude. Here is the video. I think you can hear me struggling. The result here was not awful, but did not have the flow and strength it should have. (My prelude was a different matter, and it will not show up here!)

[John Morgan]

You are a warrior, Dave! Nothing quite as awful as getting sores around the mouth. You sounded swell, however, so good job.

I could write a book on the topic of cold sores and canker sores. I suffered with cold sores for virtually all my years from 25 to well into my 60's. And they came at the worst possible times, a day or two before I had to play something noticeable. Never really found anything to avoid them or heal them faster. A funny thing has happened to me over the past several years. I had a problem with an irregular heartbeat (sort of a benign condition), and then had a minor heart attack caused by an almost completely blocked artery. Got a stent put in, and good as new, but I take several medications now because of all this, along with a low dose blood pressure medicine.

The peculiar part is that the cold sores have virtually gone away. To be replaced with frequent and very annoying canker sores, which I never had my whole life, with maybe just a handful of exceptions. Now it is not unusual for me to have 3 or even 4 in my mouth at the same time. And some form right on the tip of my tongue. Ugh!! Why me!!??

Have tried virtually every known and unknown remedy and prevention, drugs, pills, diet, sleep, special toothpaste, etc. Nothing seems to be solving this. Guess I must have irritated someone way more powerful than me. My wife takes Tramadol for back issues, and I have found if I have to play a solo and have a canker sore that is really right in the way of playing without pain (some I can play without too much of an issue), I take a Tramadol and I am good to go for the performance.

I did read a while back that former smokers, of which I am one but quit over 5 years ago (timing?), frequently start getting canker sores after they quit smoking. I found that very interesting. Almost made me want to start smoking again, but I read that this does not make the canker sores stop for those who started getting them when they quit smoking. Bummer. My years smoking sure show up in my ability to play long phrases, which I can't. At least it does not seem to be getting any worse.

But, Dave, I can so relate to having something like that standing in the way of playing. I assume this is not a normal thing for you?

[highpitch]

Yep, I can identify as well. A few years back, an endodontist nicked a nerve causing a numb spot in my lower lip.

I have gotten used to it, but certain modulations will give a squawk at the worst of times...

DG

[euphlight]

Some peoples bad playing days are often other people's good playing days. You still sounded well even with your pimple.

I had my concert on Monday. Circus Bee March was 1st up. I think we only got it up to half note = 125 then speeded up to 140 on the last strain. I couldn't practice much the previous week as I had a popcorn kernel stuck on my one of my upper left teeth and could still feel it. My roof of my mouth and my upper gum felt raw. While I was able to nail it especially the 1st half, everything felt off out of whack including my air flow. Thankfully I haven't listened to the recording of the concert, not sure if I want to! The other 3 pieces we did were fairly light and easy so I was able to back off and just have a 'B' playing evening.

[davewerden]

But, Dave, I can so relate to having something like that standing in the way of playing. I assume this is not a normal thing for you?

This particular manifestation is not typical. I started playing professionally 48 years ago (almost to the day) and have never had a sore complete shut off my high range. I too have had many canker sores over the years. Those started in college for me (never smoked, by the way). During those early years I could go to a pharmacy and get some sliver nitrate sticks (I think I got the name right). They were like a long matchstick, with the chemical tip at one end. I would press the tip right on the sore and hold it there for 10 seconds or so. It hurt like everything! It was cauterizing the sore, essentially. It would then clear up within a couple days. Without that, it could persist for one or two weeks. Unfortunately, by a few years later those sticks were taken off the market - too dangerous for the public, I guess.

I have played with a pimple on my chops on several occasions. Sometimes it was directly under the rim, and that was painful but I could deal with it, and there was very little effect on my output. I also played with raging canker sores sometimes. On a couple occasions it was on tour when I was soloist. So I would go backstage during the piece before the solo and put Anbesol on it to numb the pain. Then I could generally play at 95% or so. The toughest time was when I was playing this piece on tour (Rondo for Trumpet, by Claude Smith). The octave jumps into the high range were tough on the sore! (The recording below was NOT from tour)

[howrdhodge]

Sorry to hear of your difficulties Dave, sore chops for whatever reason are a vexation.

Just a side note on the topic of canker sores.... I suffered with them for many years, and found that taking L-Lysine as a supplement really helped keep them at bay. I don't think there's any medical evidence as to how Lysine helps, but I found a non-scientific anecdotal article that corroborates what I experienced with lysine, and the author indicates it can help with cold sores in a similar way.

https://www.menshealth.com/health/a1...ore-treatment/

[RickF]

Sounded pretty good to me. Maybe I heard one or two little chips, but nothing too bad. Way to struggle through Dave.

[John Morgan]

Excellent rendition of the Rondo for Trumpet!! I like the new feature of you being able to insert a video right in a post. So, you know exactly all about the canker sore hex. Sorry to hear you have those, too. Maybe someday they will go away...

[davewerden]

I like the new feature of you being able to insert a video right in a post.

Unfortunately, I have not found a way to do this globally. I have to turn it one a category at a time.

[ghmerrill]

During those early years I could go to a pharmacy and get some sliver nitrate sticks (I think I got the name right). They were like a long matchstick, with the chemical tip at one end. I would press the tip right on the sore and hold it there for 10 seconds or so. It hurt like everything! It was cauterizing the sore, essentially. It would then clear up within a couple days. Without that, it could persist for one or two weeks. Unfortunately, by a few years later those sticks were taken off the market - too dangerous for the public, I guess.

This reminds me of an incident at a dentist when I was about 12 years old. The guy was not the greatest dentist in the world, but I had this severe canker sore on this particular visit and he said "I can fix that," produced one of the sticks you describe, and fixed it pretty much instantly. He then explained that the substance was silver nitrate. The Mayo Clinic web site mentions this cautary approach as well on its site (though suggests that it's not particularly effective!).

I just checked, and you can in fact still get the stuff -- even (of course?) on Amazon. And the sticks are available from several different medical or veterinary supply places such as https://www.mountainside-medical.com...icators-sticks.

Given the descriptions of how the cautery works, I'm thinking I might want some of these around. Or the next time I have a sore (luckily not often), I might try a styptic pencil and see if that works (though from what I see, the silver nitrate appears -- at least anecdotally -- to be more effective).

[John Morgan]

This reminds me of an incident at a dentist when I was about 12 years old. The guy was not the greatest dentist in the world, but I had this severe canker sore on this particular visit and he said "I can fix that," produced one of the sticks you describe, and fixed it pretty much instantly. He then explained that the substance was silver nitrate. The Mayo Clinic web site mentions this cautary approach as well on its site (though suggests that it's not particularly effective!).

I just checked, and you can in fact still get the stuff -- even (of course?) on Amazon. And the sticks are available from several different medical or veterinary supply places such as https://www.mountainside-medical.com...icators-sticks.

Given the descriptions of how the cautery works, I'm thinking I might want some of these around. Or the next time I have a sore (luckily not often), I might try a styptic pencil and see if that works (though from what I see, the silver nitrate appears -- at least anecdotally -- to be more effective).

I might have to give the silver nitrate a shot. Now, about the styptic pencil, that is interesting. I bought a few of those because I am on a blood thinner and the slightest nick with my razor or any scratch I get on me bleeds like crazy. And I use the styptic pencil to stop the bleeding. But what would it do for a canker sore?? I'll let you be the guinea pig, let us know how that works if you get a chance!

[daruby]

My worst playing with adversity was just one month ago. The New England Brass Band was getting ready to record a new CD in the Fraser Studio at WGBH in Boston. This is a fantastic studio. We have our own engineer, but I had to get there the day before to set up the band so that he could then set the microphones and get everything ready for the start of the session the next day. As I was walking on on Thursday afternoon, my toe caught a crack in the sidewalk, I fell, and tried to catch my fall with my right hand. In addition to smashing my glasses I really messed up my right hand. Though my local ER did not see a break, it turned out I broke the metacarpals of my right middle and ring fingers (2nd and 3rd valve). The next day, my wife drove me in to the studio and I ended up playing 16 hours of recording session on Friday and Saturday. I saw my hand specialist (Dr. Matthew Liebman of HandSurgery PC at Newton-Wellesley Hospital) on Monday. Both his nurse and he said "It sure looks broken", which it was. I played a concert that Tuesday night with a cast on my right hand. I had multiple rehearsals and travelled to Reno, NV to play a recital with my brother the next week.

It is now just exactly one month later. I just got the hard brace off and started Occupational therapy. Still haven't missed a performance and only missed a rehearsal or two. The fingers wiggle, so "Play on!"

[John Morgan]

You are a warrior, too, Doug. Ouch, that hurts to think about it.

[davewerden]

For this conversation, I think Doug deserves the coveted Warrior Prize! That had to be lots of awkwardness and pain, I would think.

[ghmerrill]

Wish I had a buck for every missed obvious fracture that I know an ER or urgent care has missed.