 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: CarlT
Date: 2010-06-12 22:41
I hope I can adequately describe this.
While playing racquetball about a week ago, I cut my upper lip (got hit with my opponent's racquet). Really didn't hurt much...just cut it a bit, and bled only a bit. Well, I didn't think a lot about that, but I noticed the next day that I couldn't quite get the sound back for very long, as my lip hurt when I practiced more than a few minutes.
I have been "babying" it now for a week, and what is starting to scare me is although I feel no pain at all, it appears that the lip has, at least for now, a small indention about an inch out from center...just where I need to make a good seal.
At first I am able to seal okay, but once my embouchure starts to tire, I no longer have the ability to seal, and air starts spurting out that side.
Have any of you experienced similar lip accidents, and if so, please tell me that my lip will likely heal back normally (as I said, there is now a noticeable indention right where I should be sealing the side of the MP).
This comes at a time when I feel like I am making very good progress. I finally got the sound doing well, and now this!!!
I appreciate you.
CarlT
Post Edited (2010-06-12 22:42)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2010-06-13 10:41
Ouch. When I was a kid (and kids heal faster than adults) I got a ball smack in the middle of my upper lip, and it took about two or three weeks to get back to halfway normal. Half a week for the swell alone.
The muscle tissue is traumatized and takes time to rearrange properly. Most likely there's a scar from bleeding that needs to heal.
Gently using your lips helps to get faster into shape - just like physical therapy will help other muscle injuries, but do stop as soon as things deteriorate.
I'm moderately confident that you'll be doing fine by the end of the month, unless there are complications. Maybe you can talk to your dentist next time you see him/her?
--
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2010-06-13 11:52
In high school P. E. softball, I misplayed a short-hop and got the ball smack in the kisser. (With unanimous encouragement from my teammates, the teacher then promoted me from player to umpire....) Fortunately, I made this bad play in right field -- the team probably would've rioted if the teacher had put me at shortstop -- so the ball had lost some momentum by the time I caught it with my face. The bruise and the fat lip weren't too bad and within a week or so had healed well enough for jokesters to quit asking me how the other guy looked. Still, I remember having some problems on clarinet for a few weeks after that. I could play, but it hurt and air leaked at the corners. I sort of got used to the discomfort and forgot about it, until one day I realized it must've been gone for a few days.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: CarlT
Date: 2010-06-13 20:45
Thanks, Ben and Lelia.
Last night I was really worried, but you both have encouraged me, and now I'm quite a bit more optimistic that my lip will heal well soon, and I hope to be properly "sealing" before long.
CarlT
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
