Re: [Harp-L] eyes and harmonica playing

[David Payne <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I had assumed the glaucoma thread was a precursor to an argument for harmonica players being prescribed medical marijuana for "preventative medicine," but I see instead it has turned to detached retinas. 
I guess if you shake your head around enough, you could. I guess. President Theodore Roosevelt, the manliest of all U.S. presidents (the only one to win a Medal of Honor and kill a lion with a knife), used to box and wrestle all the time in the White House, he'd go out in a barn and his sons would jump down on him from the loft and they'd throw down. He'd be walking up the White House stairs after some fancy state dinner round a corner and BAM! one of his kids would whallop him with a feather pillow (which pack a heavier punch than modern synthetic pillows) upside the head, he'd grab the nearest seat cushion and they'd have a blast beating each other.
T.R. was really into martial arts stick fighting and he fought Gen. Leonard Wood about every day and they'd beat each other senseless. There was a lot of concern  about the president getting hurt, so he started sneaking in these wrestlers from Japan and wrestling them. 
So T.R. took a LOT of blows to the head.
Finally, he was boxing some dude, who whopped the president upside the head and a retina finally detached, making him blind in one eye. I could see, I suppose, the theoretical possibility that folks playing harp could whop their head to and fro violently enough over time to pull a Teddy.
 _________________________________
Dave Payne Sr. 
Elk River Harmonicas
www.elkriverharmonicas.com 




________________________________
From: Mick Zaklan <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2008 9:43:23 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] eyes and harmonica playing

  Don't know how this relates; but many years ago I had a buddy who had a
detached retina.  When they reattached it, they told him no lifting heavy
stuff or harmonica playing.  Something about pressure on the eyeball or
the head-shaking warbles being a bad idea immediately after an
operation.  Being a guitarist who doubled quite a bit on harp, he must have
specifically asked.
  Now my brother Joe, an occasional harpist, has had two retina operations
and his docs never said anything about staying away from the tin sandwich.
Ditto with harpist Nelson Keaton, who had a retina detach on a gig this
year.  He went right back to playing after the operation.
  Me, I think I'd play it safe and set the harp down for awhile if I was in
that position.  Wonder if harmonica players are statistically more likely to
have retinas detaching?

Mick Zaklan
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