Another finger issue

[scobie]

Hey Folks:
A couple a months ago I sliced about a 1/4 inch or so off the end of my middle finger. Besides not being able to drive as well (think about it), the real problem is playing. Granted I am a beginner and just play for fun so it is not that big an issue. The finger is healed over but where the injury was it is still very tender. The doctor said it just takes time. Does anybody have any home remedies to help, I try to avoid using the middle finger as much as possible, but it is a little frustrating.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. I'll take my answers off air.
Peace
Scobie

[John Rosett]

I had a friend who had the same injury, only a little worse (he did it with a table saw) many years ago. He played guitar, not mandolin. He learned to play without the use of his middle finger, and after he re-integrated it, he said he could do things (on guitar) that he never could before.
So I would say try to play without it, and gradually start using it as pain allows.
As far as not being able to drive, you have two hands, don't you?

[allenhopkins]

As far as not being able to drive, you have two hands, don't you?
Yeah, but the left one's a lot closer to the window when you want to editorialize, via gesture, on another idiot's driving stupidities.

[mandroid]

No personal experience, but someone [female] said to toughen up fingertips for guitar playing Alum was used, fingertip dipped for a minute or 2 in a dissolved alum/water bath, repeat ocassionally.. check with the doctor 1st, U don't want to mess up his repair job.

[MandoBen]

If the wound is completely healed you can layer on the super glue... no really you can, I'm serious.

[Jim]

I took the tip off my left index finger when plyers slipped in 2005. I was working full time in a blues band at the time playing guitar. I learned to play with other fingers and used alot of superglue on the tip for about 6 months. It is still a little sensitive compared to how it used to be but was fully functional about 2 months after the injury. good luck and careful with those digits.

[kestrel]

I doubt this is your problem, but I had a really weird experience, recently. About a month ago, I began having a really sharp, burning sensation, in the tip of my fretting index finger, shortly after I'd start to play. This went on for a couple of weeks, getting worse every day, until it began as soon as I'd touch a string. My callouses are pretty thick and hard, and even though it was starting to feel like an imbedded foreign object, I couldn't see a thing. Then it started to sting by just rubbing against my trousers, or reaching into my pocket, so one morning, I stuck it under my magnifying lenses, and started to dig. I worked a needle down through the center of the calouse, and when I reached the other side, a great glob of pus (Sorry for the image, but it were whut it were.) oozed out, with a tiny, black, hard object that appeared to be the tip of a thorne. Must have picked it up while trimming the roses, back in March, and it worked itself down through the callous. The soreness disappeared, immediately, and has been fine, ever since. I was certainly glad it wasn't anything more serious.

Hope your thing works out to be something as easily repaired.

Gene