I Couldn't Even Squeeze Toothpaste From a Tube ; When Virtuoso Violinist Fenella Barton's Arms Began to Ache As If She Had Been Carrying Too Much Shopping, It Was Just the Start of Crippling Arthritis That Almost Destroyed Her Career...

Summary

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After a turbulent, 18-month relationship, I'd just discovered that my partner had been cheating on me. So I put the pains I was experiencing down to emotional stress. My boyfriend was a freelance war reporter stationed on the front line in Iraq and would often be out of contact for weeks, sometimes months at a time. Our reunions were wonderful, but for much of our relationship I was living with a terrible angst.

At times, it made it very difficult to concentrate on the other great love of my life, my violin playing. I was a member of the Kandinsky Piano Trio, I had toured the world playing chamber music and I was a frequent guest player with other famous ensembles.

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I Couldn't Even Squeeze Toothpaste From a Tube ; When Virtuoso Violinist Fenella Barton's Arms Began to Ache As If She Had Been Carrying Too Much Shopping, It Was Just the Start of Crippling Arthritis That Almost Destroyed Her Career...

In October 2004, after one particularly long stretch - my partner had been away for seven months - with barely any phone calls, I was so frantic with worry that I phoned his mother in America. She sounded surprised to hear from me.

My boyfriend was not in Iraq as I had thought. He was in New York, safe and wel...

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