Arm injury rocker fears for his future (From The Argus)

Injured Brighton rocker fears for his future

6:30pm Wednesday 12th December 2012 in News By Neil Vowles

A veteran rocker fears he may never perform again after suffering a debilitating arm injury.

Frontman Bob Ward has been in excruciating pain for six weeks after waking up with a dead arm at the start of last month.

The 60-year-old has been unable to sleep or carry out even basic tasks such as shaving or washing his hair and hasn’t picked up his guitar since the injury happened.

The Railing Stains singer says he has cancelled seven gigs in the new year and a TV appearance because he does not know when he will be able to perform again.

The covers band performed at huge charity gigs this summer including Brightona in Madeira Drive in October and Rock-Haven in Newhaven in August.

The rocker said the pain has been so intense that he feared he might have cancer.

He also said doctors initially told him his injury would clear up in a week and refused to take his condition seriously until he took a taxi to the Royal Sussex County Hospital on December 4.

Accident and emergency staff believe he has suffered severe nerve damage and his recovery is expected to be very slow.

Chronic pain

He has now been given painkillers for chronic pain, which are also used for epilepsy, and anti-depressants. The rocker has also switched GP surgeries and vowed never to set foot in his previous surgery again.

He said: “I woke up on November 1 and my arm was dead and I spent about 15 minutes trying to get some feeling in it.

‘Broken man’ “When I finally got some feeling, it felt like I had a bullet in my left shoulder.

“I’ve been sleeping in separate rooms from my wife for the last six weeks because I can’t sleep.

“I was in so much pain when I went to the hospital they offered me morphine. My consultant said I was like a broken man. My GP didn’t seem to realise how much pain I was in and didn’t treat me with any sympathy. My joy is to play on stage and that has been taken away from me.”

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