 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Nessie1
Date: 2016-05-04 17:46
Hi all,
I am about to go into hospital briefly for a renal biopsy as my kidney function is very low. I have been told that I should not do any heavy lifting for two weeks afterwards.
I asked the doctors about playing and also carrying my pair of clarinets around in the case (weight about 4 kg). They seem to think that this will be OK but I wondered whether any contributors to the board have any experience of this procedure and its effect on playing/the advisability of playing etc.
Thanks in advance for any input!
Vanessa.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2016-05-04 18:55
No experience of my own on which to base advice (except recent hip surgery, which is probably irrelevant). But, I imagine if the doctors have no concern about it, then they're telling you in effect to listen to your body, do what you can and don't do what doesn't feel right.
To the extent that it's relevant at all, my surgeon told me after my bilateral hip replacement that I should do whatever I was able to do. It sounds like your doctors' advice is similar.
Everyone's recovery from surgery is different. If you try to play and it's uncomfortable, you probably will decide not to push it, especially if the musical result isn't worth any stress it causes. If nothing hurts, then you'll know it's OK - until it does.
That said, I don't know that I would book any clarinet gigs for right after the surgery. You just won't know how things will go.
Karl
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2016-05-04 22:48
...from my wife, the non clarinet playing MD:
Lets see if I can type as fast as she talks.
Rather than green lighting you or not for clarinet play after the biopsy, what might be a useful angle to consider is a discussion of the factors that have doctors asking you to avoid strenuous activity after the procedure.
Essentially, the exertion avoidance is to allow your body the ideal environment to both heal at the incision sight and where the small kidney sample was removed internally, and to do so with the minimal likelihood of infection.
Infection risk is always a concern in piercing skin, but especially when that being probed is the very organ responsible for eliminating the blood waste that contributes to said infection (your kidneys), and is otherwise as you report clearly compromised in its ability to do so. Still more, although I wish you all the best, we remain curious as to what the biopsy will show.
Heeling, and the speed of same depends upon your constitution and luck. Numerous factors, which you haven't discussed nor should feel the need to talk about in public play a role, but we trust you've discussed with your physician. They include your age, weight, genetics/family history, the degree to which you are already immuno- compromised, whether or not your diabetic and the degree, and your overall state/medical history, not to mention what antibiotics you've already received in life, as stronger and strong ones (e.g. Cipro) may be needed to combat infection that may result.
So, consider yourself, if not green lighted or red lighted to play (and carry your) clarinet, "yellow lighted" with caution. Exert less than you are capable of, and listen to your body as Karl suggests.
===
As a side note, I "gig" with a 1/2 under the airline seat approved bag with wheels, as I suffer from the same condition Karl does: age. ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif) It's a killer.
Best of luck.
Post Edited (2016-05-05 00:15)
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