MEDICAL UPDATES REGARDING DAVE

Hi, everyone. I hope this finds you well. First of all, thank you for your continued prayers and support. You really have kept me going during this time. Second, this update will be long, so go grab yourself a cup of coffee. I’ll wait.
 

Welcome back! I had a nice visit with the neurology folks this week. Overall, they’re happy with my progress, but they’ve thrown me a couple of caution flags with regard to my healing - more on that in a minute. A consensus has been reached that my blackout was caused by a vasovagal syncope (pronounced like syncopation), as several of you have suggested. (For brevity’s sake, consult Dr. Google for the fine print.) The short version is that bodily functions become involuntary, usually with little or no notice. My event was triggered by a violent coughing spell, causing a sudden drop in blood pressure which led to my blackout. A vasovagal syncope is primarily a heart issue, but my cardiology team says the ticker is just fine. This had happened to me only once previously - at a family dinner during the holidays. I was just embarrassed, and didn’t realize my body was trying to tell me something. A vasovagal syncope, by itself, is not a life threatening event. What it does, as I discovered, can make you susceptible to a life threatening event. Thankfully, there have been no signs of a repeat performance.
 

Now that we know how I got here, what does the road back look like? It looks like the truck lane going up a steep hill. The main concern from neurology is that I’m trying to rush the healing process (I am!) and it’s not working. The neck brace will continue to be part of my life for a few months, mostly when I’m out of the house. I told the doctor that I had borrowed a walker from a family member and was getting ready to return it. She told me to hang onto it a little longer, just in case. I feel pretty good most of the time, and I’m moving around well, but I still get just a little lightheaded for brief moments on occasion. I thought I was going slow. I haven’t been going slow enough. Sigh. I am scheduled for a follow up with the neurologist the first week of June.
 

We discussed my concern about my singing voice at some length. I learned that the trauma to my vocal cords was caused by the surgery and not by the fall. In the hours immediately following the accident, concern about me being able to sing took a back seat to preventing paralysis and/or death. The standard procedure for a spinal fusion in the neck involves moving the throat to the side and spreading the muscles apart (Ouch!) to install the brace, and then putting it all back. Obviously, it’s all done with the precision and gentle touch required, but it’s not a pretty visual. There has been very little improvement in my vocal ability in the last couple of weeks, and the neurologist has advised me that I will now need to totally retrain my voice in order to resume singing. She also said that another hospital visit may be necessary if there’s either regression or lack of improvement soon. The vocal training will begin in earnest just as soon as I recover from a mild dose of crud brought on by the 20-below wind chills in Oklahoma this week.
 

So here we are. Although I’m disappointed in seeing these speed bumps, I’m grateful to still be on the road. My return to the stage is going to take longer than I want. I am tentatively scheduled to be the featured artist at the monthly Songwriter Night at Music Unlimited in Shawnee, OK on April 4. The folks there have assured me that they’ll reschedule my appearance to a later date if I can’t answer the bell.
 

I’m trying not to be discouraged, but I’m only human. Thank you all for hanging with me. Please continue your prayers and positive juju, and I’ll update again when there’s something to tell you. In the meantime, there’s an endangered species known as the performing songwriter. Help prevent their extinction by going to see a show! God bless you all. We’ll talk soon.

Greetings, Earthlings! Hope this finds you all well. I’m happy to report some improvement in the last week.
 

On Tuesday, I returned to the McGee Eye Institute to follow up with the folks who put my face back together. They removed sutures, took a lot of photos, and checked my overall vision. I was advised that the breaks in both my nose and my eye socket were hairline, and that any attempt at corrective surgery would do more harm than good. We shook hands, and they told me to have a nice life.
Having noticed a minor change in my vision following the accident, I then went immediately to my regular optometrist for a new eyeglass prescription. Believe it or not, I was given a slightly weaker prescription, meaning that the accident actually IMPROVED my sight! (Maybe all those things my Dad used to say about knocking some sense into my head weren’t so far fetched after all.) I do have a follow up with the neurology team next week, and I’m hopeful that the neck brace will go away after that. Overall, I have to say I’m feeling pretty good.
 

I’m finally feeling optimistic about my vocal situation as well. I’ve been advised by both close friends and professionals not to sweat this for a while. In the past couple of days, I have noticed a small improvement in my range, and my falsetto is starting to come back. I still have zero endurance, so doing a show is still some distance away, but there’s now a lot of hope where there had been almost none.
 

Hopefully, it won’t be much longer before I can discontinue these medical updates and get back to the grind. Your prayers and acts of kindness have been more that I probably deserve. Thank you, everyone, and I’ll keep you posted as I continue to heal. 

Hi, friends! As promised, another update. There’s not much to report as I continue to heal, but most of what I have to tell you is good.
 

The nerves in my thumbs and arms have recovered to the point that I can play guitar almost normally. I’ve been working on that, and I feel confident that I’ll able to play as well as I did before the accident. It’s been good to be able to get out and see a few of you, if only for short stretches at a time. Just being in your presence has done wonders for my morale, and I’m grateful to you for that. The physical therapy I’ve been doing at home seems to be paying off. I really am feeling a little better every day.
 

The elephant in the room remains. Since my last update, my ability to sing has barely improved at all. I’m trying not to dwell on it, but it’s been difficult not to worry. There never has been a timetable for my recovery, and I do have access to multiple vocal coaches if the situation persists. God grant me patience, and grant it to me NOW…
 

I should know more about things the next time I update you. My follow up appointments begin next week, starting with the folks who reassembled my face. I have noticed a minor change in my vision, and it may actually have improved! We’ll see. The big one - consultation with my neurosurgeon - is scheduled for the 20th. Your prayers and well wishes continue to be appreciated, and I hope to see you all again soon! 

Hello, world! It’s been almost a week since I’ve posted anything, and honestly, things are about the same since my last report. We’re in that abyss between discharge from the hospital and follow up with specialists. I was told to expect that progress would be slow. They were right.
 

First, the good news. I’ve been able to leave the house, although not without the neck brace, and even drive a little bit. I’ve seen a few of you out in public, and you’ve really lifted my spirits. I’ve been blessed to be able to replace my death trap Pontiac (it hurts to say that; I really liked that car) with a government surplus Ford Escape which suits me well so far. Some of my songwriter friends have been keeping me engaged with suggestions for projects. Last but not least, my hands are now steady enough that I can shave! Every little thing helps, and nothing is too small to be grateful for.
 

The challenges remaining to overcome are mostly physical. The nerve pain in each thumb and along each radius has become dull and constant. If I’m not moving my hands, I’m in pain. While this has been a great incentive to keep practicing the guitar, it has led to some level of fatigue. I have yet to sleep through a night since the accident, and my singing voice remains non-existent (insert joke here). We’re still early in this journey, but it’s difficult to not be concerned about that. Then again, I almost feel guilty bringing any of this up. I came a lot closer than most of you know about to exit stage left…
 

Between my neck brace and a walker, I hope to be able to get out and see some of you in the next several days. I’m nowhere near able to return to the stage yet, but being in your company might be the best therapy I have available right now. I am beyond grateful for your prayers, messages, phone calls, and words of encouragement. Please keep them coming! Despite my bravado, I’m not strong enough to do this alone. I’ll keep you posted as I’ve been doing. God bless y’all!

As promised, the occasional word on my rehab.

Today is significant for two reasons. First, this is the day that the bandages are removed from my surgery incision, which was made from the front of my neck to reach the spinal cord. The incision appeared to be healing well as my dressings have been changed during the last week. Today, we’ll find out how much of a scar will remain.
Second, I will attempt to drive a car this afternoon. I have been cleared to take short trips around town, and I’ll test the waters slowly. If you do happen to see me around, I’ll be car shopping. My old Pontiac tour bus has deteriorated to the point that my family has forbidden me to drive it. Let’s be grateful that I’m talking about used cars instead of pain management! Not that pain management isn’t important, but it's become almost tolerable.
 

Musically, I still have a long way to go. On a positive note, I can now hold a guitar pick for short periods of time. I’m still mostly finger picking, but there’s a little improvement each day. On the down side, the accident created trauma to my vocal cords. I can speak just fine, but my singing range at present is only one octave, and it’s not pretty! I’m working on that daily as well. Follow ups with my doctors will occur in mid to late February, after my body has had a fair amount of time to heal. I expect to be able to make some decisions about my musical future around the first of March. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
 

There won’t be much new content while I’m healing, but you can go back take a look at my Feature Friday posts which give you the stories behind some of my songs. There will be a new one this coming Friday. If you’re not inclined to scroll, the features are indexed on my website.
 

I’m hoping you’ll see me around town soon, even if it’s with a neck brace and a walker. Thank you for your prayers and continued support. Please keep them coming! I’ll continue to keep you posted. 

Hey, folks - Just wanted to let you know that I'm home. I am still in great discomfort but am in the best possible place to recuperate. There is some degree of detail in the social media posts. I'll try not to be repetitive but let me hit the high (low?) points for you.

While preparing to perform at JJ's Alley in Oklahoma City on January 11, I blacked out. I fell forward and landed on my face, breaking my nose and fracturing an eye socket. I also suffered a spinal contusion. This created some nerve damage to my thumbs which may or may not be permanent. It seems to be slightly affecting my ability to play guitar, but it's nothing I can't live through. In fact, I'm grateful for it. The doctors have stated that if the spinal contusion had been just four centimeters lower, I would have been gone.

I anticipate that it will be early to mid-February at the earliest before I return to the stage. I won't be assaulting you daily with social media updates, but I will keep you advised.

I would like to publicly thank the staff at OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City. Every single individual there was a champion, from the surgeons who put me back together (I now have three vertebrae in my neck fused together, and two screws holding it all in place, not to mention the sutures holding my forehead to my face) to the nursing staff who had to suffer my sense of humor while sedated. I'm grateful for your expertise and I respect your professionalism. Y'all rock!

Of course, I love my family. They have been and remain at my side. They'll be the catalysts for my recovery. I'm in excellent hands.

I especially want to thank my friends in the music community for the visits, messages, and posts of support on social media. You brought a curmudgeon to tears, and I'm very grateful. At this point in my career, this experience makes it very tempting to call it a day. Your support and encouragement has given me the will to continue, and I will. But please be patient. This will take a little time.

Please be well and continue to love each other the way you have loved me. I'll be back with you soon. 

Hello. I'm tired. Got up and walked some today, spent most of the afternoon sitting instead of laying. Progress overall is good but upper body remains very weak. Doctors are happy. We'll discuss plans for my release on Wednesday. Please keep praying. While you're at it, send up a prayer for my buddy and musical comrade Timmy T-Music who is having hip replacement surgery tomorrow. Thank you for your continued support. 

 Trying to find a little humor in all of this... I'm 64 years old. Until last Saturday, I had never:

- Broken a bone (Broken nose and hairline  fracture around eye socket)
- Ridden in an ambulance (no excitement, they didn't have to transport me Code 3)
- Spent a night in a hospital (Two so far and several more coming)

As much as I love performing with Jesse Cahn at JJ's, perhaps I should have gone to the casino instead! 

Trauma and PT teams doing lots of work on me today. I'll update this evening and put everything in one post. Your prayers, love and support mean the world to me. Please keep them coming.

This will be brief as I am both sedated and immobilized. 

Surgery went well. Three vertebrae in my neck had to be fused together. They screwed an implant in to keep it that way. Signs look good that I will be able to regain use of my fingers. Had the contusion been a few centimeters south, we could be dealing with total paralysis. I believe that your prayers kept that from happening. Thank you.

I'll be immobilized (neck brace) here for at least a few days. I have seen most of your responses, and if I'm honest, I'm moved to tears. Thank you for your love and support. Will send responses and updates as my condition allows. Please keep prayers and good juju coming.

While preparing to perform at JJ's Alley on Oklahoma City on Saturday night, I suffered a blackout. I fell forward and landed face first on a concrete floor.

The force of the landing pushed my eyeglasses into my forehead, and also caused my hands to go numb. I was taken by ambulance to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City. The gash across my forehead required several stitches and my face is a lovely shade of purple. 

The MRI revealed a spinal cord contusion which affects motor function in my hands. This is rather serious, and I am being prepped for surgery as I type this. Surgery is scheduled for 0700 CST. I may be in the hospital for 5-7 days.

Thank you to Jesse Cahn and the entire staff at JJ's Alley for your immediate attention and taking care of me until the ambulance arrived. You guys rock! I hope I didn't kill the vibe last night. 

The remainder of my scheduled appearances for January will be canceled. Please keep sending prayers and good juju. I'll update as I'm able to. Thank you all for your love and concern.

November 15, 2024

Hello, friends! My accounting bots checked in with me this morning, and I feel compelled to share some numbers with you. This may appear to be a rant, but I'm not angry at anyone. I'm sharing this for educational purposes.

I wanted to tell you that I've had a record quarter for streams on Spotify. Thank you for your support! I've also noticed an uptick in listeners from Berlin, Germany. Whatever you're doing over there, Danke!

After the number of streams, the next thing I look at is payment. There's no harm in being transparent, especially for a small-time guy like me. Here's how your support helps me keep all of this going.

My standard payment for a Spotify stream is $0.0052 (read: fifty-two hundredths of one cent). In addition to that, I receive a performance royalty for my original material from BMI of approximately $0.00056 (read: fifty-six thousandths of one cent) per stream. That's a lot of zeros on both sides of the decimal point! When you honor me with your time by streaming, let's say, the entire Analog Soul album on Spotify, I make just under six cents. My "record quarter" on Spotify has earned me enough money to buy gasoline for two gigs.

I'm not ungrateful to you - please keep streaming that stuff! (My Spotify channel is here.) As you can see above, artists cannot live by streaming alone. There are two important ways you can help. 

First of all, get off your couch and come see a live show! There's a totally different aura to a live show than there is coming from your phone. A live show allows you to really get to know an artist and build a connection. We feed off of each other. Good makes good. This is why we do it! Your attendance at a live show may also help save an endangered species called the performing songwriter. I can't speak for every market, but here in Oklahoma City, some venue operators are discontinuing live music, in part, because fans want to sit on the couch and stream. Many of these business owners love what we do, but they need to eat as well. Without butts in seats, it doesn't work for any of us. (Some of you have noticed that I'm currently trying to work several markets in four different states. This is the reason why.) We as artists know things are tough all over. We're fighting the same battles as you are. If you're a couch streamer, please know that we really do appreciate your support, but we need more. I'm asking you to find an artist (or several) that you like and go see ONE live show per month. Just one. We're saturating social media telling you when and where we'll be (you can find my schedule here). We don't do this to show off. We REALLY want to see you! Besides, if you enjoy one show, you might consider seeing two shows, and then...

Second, please don't recoil in shock when an artist asks for $20 for a CD, or $25 for a shirt, or a few bucks for some other promotional merchandise. You're not being gouged. You're helping us survive. That said, never feel OBLIGATED to buy anything. Make us EARN it with our performance. We will. And when we do, don't hold back. While it's true that CDs are falling out of fashion, they remain the most cost-effective way for us to physically put that music in your hands. The sound quality is better than that of your stream. When you hand over $20 for that CD, you've given the artist the instant equivalent of over 3,800 streams. That's the same as playing one song on repeat, nonstop, for approximately 11 days. Remember also that there's a cost of goods involved. Shirts aren't cheap and CDs aren't free. We just want to make a fair profit, like any other ethical businessperson.
Finally, we all know that the best advertising in the world is word of mouth. If you like what we do, tell your friends about our show. Play that CD for them. Wear that shirt to a party. Bring them with you next time. You can see how this works!

I didn't mean to go on this long. I really am GRATEFUL for your support. But I wanted you to see some numbers to show just how much your support really matters right now - to all of us! I have musician friends with much more talent than me who are hanging it up because things aren't currently sustainable. That's not cool. As the old saying goes, we're not looking for a handout, just a hand. I never cease to be amazed at the quality of work my peers are producing, and the challenge to keep up with them means everybody wins! Make the effort to go see a live show. We won't let you down. The music means too much to us. The likes, follows, and streams are important, but nothing matters more than live interaction. After all, at its core, isn't that what music really is?