Well Crud..

dogdoc

dogdoc

Well-Known Member
I started having pain in my left shoulder about a month ago. Went to ortho and he saw a spot on the xray. MRI revealed avascular necrosis of the humoral head. Only option is a shoulder replacement. My first question was if I can shoot a bow again? He said sure but not this year. Guess it will be all x-bow this year. Surgery is set for Aug 3rd. No explanation why it happened. Idiopathic.

So I might be awol for a little bit after the surgery. Just hoping I get healed enough to deer hunt this season.

Todd
 
That sucks. I'm having bad problems with PF in my foot right now and it has me worried with tracking season upon us. Have you ever hunted with an X-bow before?
 
That sucks, Doc, but you'll have fun with a Xbow. I've hunted with them a couple times and killed a few deer, just to say I did and get the experience. The compound bow will always be my first love, but I'd be lying if I pretended I didn't enjoy sending a bolt through the heart of a buck at 54 yards, having only shot 8 practice bolts with my xbow, yet feeling 100% confident that I wasn't taking what I considered an unethical shot. Aimed for the heart in case he dropped....didn't drop at the shot, but he did within 50 yards.
 
DogDoc,

I have to hunt with a crossbow due to my right shoulder. It is baseball, tennis and age in my case.
Good news on crossbow: No draw, scopes improve your accuracy and equipment greatly improved from 10 years ago
Bad news on crossbow: Noise, Noise and Noise
I shoot the "Scorpyd" made in Iowa because it is less noisy. I use expandables too - rage. You will learn to adjust - I did.
If my shoulder was normal - I would have a normal bow in my hands but I am not able to tolerate the pain. So to hunt I use a crossbow.
With a crossbow - use a good rangefinder. I am good out to 50 to 55 yards when I use a range finder.
I pray your surgery goes well and recovery better.
 
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I do have a crossbow. I have hunted with it but very few times. Mainly got it for my daughters. It is an Excalibur xbow. I enjoy shooting it but you are correct - very loud compared to my Bowtech
 
Todd

I crushed my left shoulder in an accident in 2013, so many fractures of the humoral head that we couldn't count them, x-rays looked like a spider web. I was lucky and was able to stabilize the shoulder for several weeks and avoided surgery, but recovering the full use of the shoulder was a long road. My advice, get GOOD physical therapy and WORK at it!! Many people never recover full use because they are unwilling to endure the pain and do the work necessary.

Good luck!!
 
It always seem like the serious injuries that require surgery wait to happen until deer season is right around the corner
 
boot said:
It always seem like the serious injuries that require surgery wait to happen until deer season is right around the corner
Click to expand...

Ain't that the truth!! I crushed my shoulder on August 31st, 2013.....was diagnosed with cancer on August 30th of last year, had surgery Sept. 8th and didn't get any plots in.......I'll be holding my breath through August this year!!:D

Hopefully I'll be able to get my plots in this year!!
 
My primary hunting buddy(58yo) had left shoulder replacement surgery done a couple years ago and he hunted the following season with his bow. In fact I believe his surgery was in winter and he was hunting the following October. Like mentioned above, rehab/therapy is the key. Work hard at it and it's amazing how the body can recover.
Luckily, with today's modern compounds you can back off the DW quite a bit if needed and still have a very effective killing machine. Anything over 50lbs is more than enough for most any deer you might shoot.
Good luck!
 
Sorry to hear but they are doing some great things with replacements. Shoulders take the longest to heal so just make sure not to overextend yourself in an effort to get into the deer woods. Heck if needed go spend some time in a stand or blind with a camera and allow yourself to just observe and document how deer feed, move, and react to different stimulations in their environment without the anticipation of harvest. Amazing how many small things one can pick up on when there is no expectations to harvest.

Hopefully you will be able to hunt but if not, not all is lost. Here is to a speedy recovery!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Sorry for your luck and timing Doc. I've had shoulder issues last couple years that has kept me from the recurve, but have been able to back off weight and still manage the compound. Sux. My mom had the surg when she was 78 twice!!! and she is full bore again and prob more active than myself. Good luck, gotta just be glad the crossbow is and option.
 
Wow Todd - sorry to hear that bad news. But, it sounds like they feel good about your recovery chances. I've been through some less serious things in the past, including breaking a foot once. It plays on the mental as much as it does the physical. But you have so many reasons to get well, and that hope will help you. You are in our thoughts and prayers through this.
 
I had rotator cuff damage about 8 years ago. I gave up bowhunting for 2 years. They tried all kinds of therapy and kept telling me that surgery was not really necessary. When I finally could not lift my right hand to my mouth, they decided to operate. The threrapy afterwards was tough, but today I am fully recovered. In the meantime, I bought a Srorpyd Ventilator and absolutely love it. It is all I hunt with now. It is quiet, very powerful and , with a red dot scope, very accurate. I spend more time practicing with it because I just enjoy shooting it.
 
Hate to hear it. You will recover though. I am a compound lover myself but know the day of converting to a crossbow is coming sooner rather than later. Good luck with your recovery.
 
Todd,
Hopefully you are right handed!! I had surgery to repair (not replace) my right shoulder on May 3rd and I am right handed. Makes life very difficult for a few weeks!! I wore a sling for six weeks. I do recommend having a good recliner to sleep in for the first couple of weeks and avoid riding on bad or rough roads! I think my wife did that on purpose. At almost 3 months now I have about 75% range of motion. My doctor says its a six month recovery. The physical therapy is not pleasant and causes soreness but tolerable and necessary as GonHuntin said. Good luck!!
Keith
 
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