LISTEN ON –
This week’s episode of the podcast is very special for me. Greg Hix and I went to grad school together at Northwestern, and he remains one of my best friends to this day. A few years ago, we attended a friends bachelor party, and he revealed to me that he had finally sold his horn and wasn’t playing any more. This was shocking for me, as I had no idea how serious his struggles with injury were. After reconnecting with Greg last summer, I resolved to tell his story on my podcast. I was honored that we were able to make some time to dig into his experiences battling injury, specifically focal dystonia.
Although we go over the topic in the episode at length, I think it will be help to provide the dictionary definition for focal dystonia. I don’t know much about it, and I believe I have some misconceptions about what it is and what causes it. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine:
“Task-specific focal dystonia is a movement disorder that interferes with the performance of particular tasks, such as writing, playing a musical instrument, or participating in a sport. Dystonias are a group of movement problems characterized by involuntary, sustained muscle contractions, tremors, and other uncontrolled movements. The term “focal” refers to a type of dystonia that affects a single part of the body, such as the hand or jaw.”
It’s hard for me to imagine dealing with an injury like focal dystonia. I appreciated Greg’s willingness to be open and share the details of his struggles, and ultimately his choice to stop fighting. I’m inspired that he has found a career path that fits all of his passions in music, and that he is able to still have a great relationship with his love of music.
I hope you enjoyed Greg’s episode. Make sure to leave a rating and a review on iTunes, and don’t forget to share on social media. Thanks so much for listening. Stay strong, be kind to yourself, and never stop growing!
Until next time,
Ryan