First thought after injury of any kind:

[Kinda Old]

I remember a few years ago I ran over a pothole on my bicycle. I fell hands down on the pavement and jammed my thumb. My very first thought was, it's not my fretting hand, thank God! Whether it's a paper cut or throwing a shoulder out, My first thought is: "Will it effect my playing?", even before thinking about the injury itself.
Wondering if anyone else has this experience?

[Glennwillow]

Yes, concern about how an injury might affect my playing is a common reaction for me too and shows how important guitar playing is to us.

I routinely wear gloves when doing outdoor work in an effort to try to minimize damage to my hands and fingers. And I do a lot of outdoor work.

- Glenn

[packmule]

Yep, a couple of years ago I slipped and fell walking down the street in torrential rain. It happened so fast I couldn't get my hands out to break my fall, so I ended up shattering my kneecap - that resulted in surgery, and a long, long recovery, but sitting in the hospital waiting to see the doctor I still remember being thankful that I hadn't done any damage to my hands/wrists.

[ifret]

My very first thought is about the injury, but a close second is how it will affect my playing....either hand. Years ago I broke the tip of my middle finger on my right hand and this summer I broke the tip of my thumb on my right hand. I sure hated having to give up playing for a couple months, but thankfully both healed nicely and I can keep playing, with no long term effects. I look at it now as appreciating being healthy.

[M Sarad]

When I got home after waking up in ICU due to the high speed pothole on a mt bike, moving to another room, and a week in rehab, I gingerly removed the sling to see if playing guitar with a broken collar bone, 6 ribs, and 5 vertebrae was possible.
Barely.
Six weeks later the sling came off but my right shoulder made me wait a few more months.
The Traumatic Brain Injury resulted in trying to remember my repertoire which had taken quite a beating.
After a few years, it mostly returned

[Pdubs76]

Being in the carpentry business, I’m constantly worried about losing digits. Last spring, I shot a nail that hit my index finger right on the joint. I remember being terrified that I would have to put down the guitars for awhile. I still have a lump there, but at least the stiffness has subsided and I can play freely again.

[Robin, Wales]

Hanging off a rock ledge about 2500 ft up the main wall on Glyder Fach looking at my amputated left index finger end after rock fall my first thought was - There goes learning to touch type - my second was - I'm going to have to sell my guitar (which I did) - and my third was - how the hell am I going to get back down to the valley!!!!

Short story = I actually learnt how to play squareneck dobro in a bluegrass band. But now I'm re-learning guitar, without using barre chords

[Dave Hicks]

I was carrying a guitar case through the woods, tripped and popped a ligament.

It didn't hurt, so I actually didn't think about it much until I got to where I was headed, opened the case and my L ring finger wouldn't bend anymore.

After 3 months in a splint, that finger was sort of back to normal. The embarrassing thing is that my playing wasn't any worse.

D.H.

[foxo]

I broke my wrist on my fretting hand in two places and my first thought after the initial shock was "I won't be playing guitar for a while".

I actually did end up playing with the cast on, you can just about manage three easy chord songs in open D. Unfortunately I wore the finish off my neck in a spot (the plastic mesh material on a cast is quite abrasive) which had to be repaired, but the guitar tech did a great job and you can't see where it was damaged.

[The Bard Rocks]

Many years ago, I suffered a very bad farming accident (the x-rays looked like pickup sticks, not bones). I didn't worry about my livelihood, but sure worried about playing again. When it refused to heal for some months, I worried about this even more. And I am very grateful to the surgeon (N.G. Bhat) who was able to put things together again. He was probably a person who liked puzzles.

[flatfinger]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I routinely wear gloves when doing outdoor work in an effort to try to minimize damage to my hands and fingers.

Exactly what I do too. Wife kids me about not breaking a nail on my picking hand. Where is zombywoof w his Ed Gerhard quote?

[Dru Edwards]

Yes. I cut my index finger at work 30 years ago through the tendon to the bone. A half cast for 4 weeks to immobilize the hand. I immediately thought "at least it's not my fretting hand"... turns out I couldn't strum or fingerpick either.

[Rudy4]

A "pulverized" collarbone a few years back ended up being rather fortuitous, as I never would have discovered my deep love for smaller guitars without the need to use them during recuperation.

I love a happy ending!

[Dave Hicks]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Yes. I cut my index finger at work 30 years ago through the tendon to the bone. A half cast for 4 weeks to immobilize the hand. I immediately thought "at least it's not my fretting hand"... turns out I couldn't strum or fingerpick either.

That sounds frustrating!

My left hand was out when I popped the ligament, but at least I could play lap steel.

D.H.

[Mr. Jelly]

I broke my fretting hand some years back and my thinking was well it finally happened. I'm done playing guitar. It's been a game changer for sure but I'm still playing. It's all about desire and evidently I still have that as I play in pain often.