My right hand had severe problems for more than three years. My finger tips would split and bleed while playing, and eventually the skin began to slough off. I went to 14 doctors, and none of them figured out what was causing the problem. I was to the point where I was wearing a white cotton glove in order to play at all, and at times the blood would ooze through the glove. Turned out to be a vitamin D deficiency--my blood level was just 10. A level of 50 is normal. It took just three weeks of taking vitamin D supplements (5,000 IU daily) to alleviate the problem. I know how you must feel, but six weeks from now you'll be back in the saddle.

Good Luck,

Gary