Facing Music Career Death At Age 20

Violinist Adelle Fregoe opens up about her life-altering injury

that first-handedly fought against her through college.

It was October 2013 when I was diagnosed with Kienbock's disease.

I was a junior in music school, a violin performance major. I had just turned twenty. What a way to kick off a decade.

Perhaps this was a symbol foreshadowing all of the hardships that I would face through my years. I sat in the examination room with my mom. When the doctor came back in with the MRI results, he stated the name of the disease, then proceeded with, "The lunate bone in your wrist is dying."

A spark of electricity shot up through my spine. So many emotions flooded my body. I kept my cool until he left the room. I looked at my mom, nervously laughing, and told her that I was going to cry. She assured me that everything would be okay. Upon the discovery of this life-altering disease, I did more research and was horrified with what I found.

Kienbock's disease, also called Avascular Necrosis, progresses through four different