Splash NewsRest assured, fans: Bono is on the mend, but it's been a lengthy recovery for the U2 frontman.
In November, the Irish rock band was forced to postpone their weeklong residency on NBC'sThe Tonight Show after the 54-year-old musician was severely injured in a cycling accident while riding through Central Park in NYC.
And now, in a new interview with the New York Times, the Dublin-born philanthropist reveals his current state of health, admitting he still cannot play the guitar.
"I really used to think that my head was harder than any surface it came in contact with, and I don't anymore," Bono told the NYT backstage while rehearsing for the band's upcoming "Innocence and Experience" Tour which follows the release of their 2014 album Songs of Innocence. "I didn't come off a Harley-Davidson. I came off a push bike and smashed myself to bits. There is no glory here."
One of Bono's doctors previously told Rolling Stone that the celeb patient required five hours of surgery on his smashed-up left arm as well as another operation the following day to repair his left hand.
Bono's injuries included a fractured left shoulder blade in three separate pieces; a compound distal humerus fracture in which his upper arm bone was in six pieces and drove through the skin; and a fracture of his fifth metacarpal. He also suffered a "left facial fracture involving the orbit of his eye" and he had "three metal plates and 18 screws" placed in his arm during the operation.
While doctors originally said that Bono is expected to make a full recovery, the singer admitted he's still struggling to recuperate.
"It feels like I have somebody else's hand," he revealed, before pointing to his ring finger and pinky. "I can't bend these, and this—" he said, motioning to another part of his hand, "is like rigor mortis."
As for how quickly he's expected to recover?
"They say that nerves heal about a millimeter a week, so in about 13 months I should know if it's coming back," the recording artist shared
"It's all numb here, and this is titanium," he continued, gesturing to his forearm and elbow. "The shoulder's better, the face is better."
He added, holding up his hand: "But this is the hard bit because I can't play guitar" (in January, Bono said he may never play guitar again).
In the meantime, Bono has learned to use his left hand to grasp the microphone. He has also been writing songs and has enlisted the help of another guitarist to play the chords he can't.
Still, something tells us that both Bono and the band are going to be just fine. "They don't seem to mind," he said of his bandmates with a smile, poking fun at his inability to play the guitar.
Get well soon, Bono!