What does playing guitar have to do with recovery?

[Lauren Lee]

 I play and MY plan was to get a great new DVD lesson series and while I was off work, beef up my guitar playing chops-I figured it would help pass the time, relieve pain and...wow my band when I get back. I usually play standing but I assume that may be too difficult at first. If I sit for practice...I usually cross my right leg over my left (which for sure will be a no-no since it is my right hip.) I could get a footrest but it would probably exceed the angle permitted.Since it hurts now, I found if I lean back in my chair a bit, cross my left leg over my right, I can get the guitar in a decent position.  I forgot to ask the doc about this today at my appointment. Any guitar players out there? How did you practice? Can we ever cross our legs again?

[John C]

Yes, part of the good new with a resurfacing is that you will be able to cross your legs again, but the timing of that will be up to your surgeon; six weeks would be pretty common.
Though my own guitar went unused during my rehab, I think that I have a solution for you. I found that playing piano was great after the first couple of days, since my piano bench is high enough to keep my hip flexed at less than 90 degrees which was good. I am thinking that if you sat on something about the height of a piano bench, and used a shoulder strap for your guitar, it should work out pretty well. I think that your guitar idea is a great plan for rehab, so I hope this idea works for you.

[hippy hippy shake]

I was looking forward to catching up on lots of guitar too.  But for the first three weeks after bilat, I was not comfortable sitting upright and playing for long at all.  To add a twist to it, I often play electric guitar unplugged when I practice--when I did this at first with the guitar body on my hip, I could feel the vibrations in my hip!  I guess that is what the solid-body is supposed to do, but it was weird.  So, I put a pillow under the guitar.  That worked pretty well - maybe it would work for you until you can cross your legs.
The other option might be a stool.   

Good luck with the recovery.

[Lauren Lee]

Thanks friends!!!! Yay!!! I just tried a combination of approaches.... adjusting my desk chair, using a pillow AND a strap and either works great. Gets the guitar at the right angle and takes the pressure off my aching right leg. Extremely comfortable. If this wouldn't have worked I was ready to send my Taylor off to California for a few weeks, for a much needed resurfacing of its own.
Im'a pickin' and grinnin'! 
Thanks again!