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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: smokin joe on November 06, 2016, 07:19:00 PM
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I am having a total shoulder replacement surgery tomorrow morning. I have struggled with a bad right shoulder for years. I have had three surgeries to repair this shoulder and there is no cartilage left in the joint. So it is now grinding bone against bone and that makes for a joint that doesn't work at all.
I figure I am probably not the only archer who has a seriously damaged shoulder, so I am going to chronicle my recovery and rehabilitation experience here. I hope that my story of dealing with this will help guide any fellow archers who might be considering a full shoulder replacement.
With a little bit of luck and good rehab I will be shooting a hunting weight bow within six months.
I will be in the hospital for a few days and once I am back home I will post an update.
Wish me luck.
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I sincerely hope all goes well, and wishing you a speedy recovery.
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Best of luck to you.
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Good luck and best wishes for a quick and complete recovery.
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All the best in your journey. Rehab will be tough but you have to stick with it. I'm having my right knee replaced on Dec 5th, had the left one done 17 months ago. Best of luck and keep us posted on your progress.
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Best of luck with the surgery, and a speedy recovery..
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Set of luck you!
Bisch
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Best of luck, wishing you a healthy and speedy recovery!
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Hope you have a quick and complete recovery!!
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Best of luck hope all goes well
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Good luck and prayers sent!!
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Good Luck JOE!
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Prayers your way Joe, and thanks for taking us along for the ride!
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Larry D Jones had shoulder surgery 4 or 5 years ago and totally recovered in a relatively short amount of time.
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You should just shoot a crossbow ( insert heavy sarcasm )
Seriously though I hope and pray for a speedy and full recovery!
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...and not that it's a bad thing to shoot a crossbow, I think cross bows are wonderful for folks who can't use archery equipment...it's just good to see someone with enough love for archery to give it a good try
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Good luck and Godspeed. A veteran of knee and hip replacements and not to be a "Debbie Downer", but those I know that have had the "trifecta" all swear the shoulder is "hands down" worst of the lot! I have had three shoulder arthroscopy/surgeries also, but they all call me "pantywaist"!
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Good luck and a speedy recovery!
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I sure hope it went well and you are on the mend already! I'm glad you have a motivating event to keep you at the rehab!
Thom
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I was sent home on Tuesday. The big challenge so far has been pain control.
Olddogrib is correct. Now that i have had the trifecta of hip replacement, knee replacement and shoulder replacement, I must say that the shoulder replacement is much more painful than the other two.
But now the surgery and immediate post-surgery period are over. now the early phases of rehab begin.
the exercises are simple, things like making a fist, but they are very important. So i am starting on that road now.
i'll write more in a day or two when I start to feel a little better.
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Hang Tuff my friend !
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Good luck on your recovery. Hope it is quick and the pain subsides
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Praying you heal rapidly. Don't push the rehab any faster than the experts say, even when the desire to sling arrows is overwhelming. (That's the voice of experience talking).
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I think he's going to work on the shooting with his teeth out to about 12 yards in prep for our hog hunt in February.
Shooting with his teeth will be a new challenge and fun to do when you can't see it any other way. I shot that way a couple years back when I blew my ulna tendon.
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Just spoke with Joe.....he's in good spirits and planning his 'comeback'.
I for one will be here waiting.
:campfire:
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Having had surgery on both ankles, both feet and 2 surgeries on my left knee and a bi-lateral knee replacement coming up in a couple of weeks, it is my opinion that mental attitude is a very important part of recovery. A positive attitude that you will come back from the surgery and get back to the things you enjoy doing is key to recovery. That being said, I think Joe will do great! Hang tough!
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I am now one week post surgery.
The surgery involves sawing off the top of my upper arm bone, installing a metal stem in the hollow of the bone and placing the ball on the end of that stem with a polished metal ball that is then the new bearing surface of the ball-and-socket joint.
On the socket side, the original socket is reamed out to accept a new plastic bearing surface. Thus, the new joint has a metal ball in a plastic socket.
i have a prescription for some pretty powerful pain pills and they have been very useful. There are still periods during which the pain will ramp up for no reason that I can discern, and pills and ice help a lot.
The protocol at this point is rest, ice, pain control, and complete immobilization except for prescribed exercises.
The exercises are pretty basic, things like unweighted pendulum, flexing at the wrist, etc.
One of the nurses at the hospital told me her father had both of his shoulders replaced and that the results were spectacular. I liked hearing that.
I'll post again in another week. In the mean time questions are welcome and encouragement is appreciated.
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I hope the recovery continues to go well. Good luck.
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Here is a photo of the shoulder one week after the surgery. The bruising is starting to go away thanks to the liberal use of an ice pad on the shoulder.
(http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg611/smokinjoepix/IMG_1466_zpszl1kxtyx.jpg) (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/smokinjoepix/media/IMG_1466_zpszl1kxtyx.jpg.html)
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You can do this.
Decide that in your mind and the results will follow...
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That is just a plain old butt puckerer right there. I makes mine hurt thinking about it. Get well soon buddy!
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That made mme laugh out loud, Big Ed. Thanks for that. I needed a good belly laugh.
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Man o man......hoping for the best for you. In 3 weeks I get my partial knee replacement, had the other side done so I know what's in store for me. Shoulders are the toughest but do the rehab and you'll be good to go. Keep them ice packs handy....
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Ron,
If they use an ICEMAN machine on you after surgery you can take it home. It circulates ice water through a pad and it works great. One hint: Freeze a few 20 oz. pop bottles filled with water and use those in the water bucket instead of ice cubes.
Good luck with the knee work.
Joe
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Best wishes Joe.
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Glad you shared that picture Joe, when you sent it to me I was looking like this
:scared:
Heal up good, you've got a big hunt coming up!
Thom
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Good luck with the recovery Joe.
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Ray, Charlie,Thom,
Thanks for the support. I am determined to heal up and get my strength back. I have a black bear hunt in June, and my goal is to be ready at least a month before I leave. Like Terry said, I do have a hog hunt scheduled for late February, but I think that may turn out to be too soon. We shall see.
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Smokin Joe-
Good luck on your shoulder recovery. I went thru rotator cuff in 2014 and it was hell! But now that rehab is complete, I'm shooting the best I ever have!
Good luck and Godspeed to you.
Kenny :pray:
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I see the doctor for the two-week check up on Tuesday morning. I also get the staples removed from the incision. I will have about a six-inch scar. I will see what more I can find out about the next steps of rehab.
As I said before, I am determined to get back to a hunting weight bow and reasonable overall strength. And I will keep posting on the rehab progress. That way anyone who faces shoulder replacement in the future can profit from my experiences.
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Best of luck to you, you'll be back in the woods in no time
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You can and will do this, i'm positive with the right attitude you will overcome this. And in the days from now this will become a distance memory.
Good luck on your recovery and remember to pray and ask the Lord for strength in the days ahead.
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Best of luck Joe, looks like your on the road to recovery. My prayers go with you, I assure you this is not to big for the Master!!
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Best of luck! We are all rooting for you!
I, for one, would be interested in hearing any details as to the cause of the problem, if archery-related. It might help some of us to be more careful, and learn from your experience. Was it an accident? Too much weight? Too much shooting? Normal wear and tear?
Again, best of luck in your recovery!
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It will take some time to heal PROPER so be patient about it.Listen CAREFULLY to what the Dr is saying and I hope you have agood one. The shoulder is the most complicated joint as it moves 360 degrees accompanied by a complicated structure of muscles and tendons for it to work. I had to have acromioplasty impingment relief surgery years back. Basically easy ones can be done orthoscopic but mine was so bad they had to pen up the shoulder. Bones were ground away for clearance, frayed tendons were detatched and holes drilled then reattached for even more clearance. The fraying was repaired. Things were quite extensive in order to obtain a usable shoulder again. I was out two months from work and only allowed light duty when I got back. It took two years before all pain stopped and full use came back but man was it worth it!I had it done after bow season and was shooting hunting bows by the next fall with ease (tho with slight pain from stickbows) I couldn't shoot compounds because the sudden motion of the letoff caused mucho pain so the journey to sticks full time began. (one of those blessings in disguise IMO). Go slow and steady. Plenty of ice in short periods and if you can take anti inflammatory OTC I would recommend them. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF REHAB! Pain will subside and the pain meds won't be needed. Road seems rocky at forst but it smooths out soon enough.Good luck and hope you get the relief I did.
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(http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg611/smokinjoepix/IMG_1468_zpsr20ueddn.jpg) (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/smokinjoepix/media/IMG_1468_zpsr20ueddn.jpg.html)
Here is what my shoulder X-ray looks like now. You can see that the stem of the implant goes down into my upper arm bone. The socket side is polymer so it does not show up on the X-ray. You can also see the staples that were used to close the incision. The staples were removed after the X-ray was taken.
I have been told to try to go without the sling as much as possible, but to continue to wear it in public to avoid any accidental bumps that would cause injury.
Last night while eating my dinner I moved in a way that made a loud pop in my shoulder, and it hurt like the dickens. I think I may have broken an adhesion. The doctor has been adamant that it is important to keep from forming adhesions and scar tissue that would compromise the new joint.
I don't believe that my shoulder condition was caused by archery. When I was younger I boxed, played many years of football, and played baseball until I was past 50. I have had several surgeries to repair sports damage. My fun playing sports has led to a long battle with arthritis in most of my major joints and in my spine. I have already had a hip replacement and a knee replacement.
When I recover I will be shooting bows in the low 40s and I will shoot the most souped-up bows I can get my hands on so I can squeeze every bit of energy out of the draw weight.
The pain level is still diminishing, and that is good. I will start new physical therapy protocols next week. I'll check in with info on my next level of rehab therapy.
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Rooting for you. Looks like your on you way back.
C
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Joe,
Didn't realize you were local! Did Janeway do your surgery? I think he's still the shoulder specialist and did my 3 arthroscopies. He used to be a bit of a "bohemian" in his younger days, but I think he mellowed out when he got a few years on him and figured out what us old geezers weren't lying, lol! I've had a new knee and hip there in the last two years (compliments of sawbones Howe)I'm halfway to being the Bionic Man! I wouldn't expect too much too soon....an actual shoulder replacement makes sober men weak at the knees! And lay off the oxycodone(I now know why the call it hillbilly heroin)..or you'll be halfway to a Prince concert.
Good luck, attitude's half the battle.
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Hey Joe about that February hunt keep working that teeth tab and we'll have you fixed up to shoot across the ditch into the middle of the road at Wild Things..... I've already talked to Andrew about it...... two road sections four ways of the compass so you'll always have the wind right.
Now that would be something to tell your grandkids!
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That's excellent, Terry. I can start experimenting with a mouth tab in another week or so. Plus, with the hunt being about 9 weeks after I am allowed to start strengthening exercises for my shoulder, well I just might be doing pretty good at that 9 week mark.
Snd, Olddogrib, my surgeon is Eddie Pollock at Orthocarolina. He is an excellent surgeon and I trust him completely. As to the oxycodone - I have no idea why anyone takes that stuff for recreational purposes. It is a good pain killer, but I see no fun in it. To each his own I guess.
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Best wishes and praying all will continue to go well with your recovery.
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Good to know your recovery is going well, Joe.
Best wishes for continued progress!
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Smokin' Joe - Thanks. I'll be joining your club tomorrow morning. I appreciate the tips on what to expect. Are you still needing the oxycodone? That stuff is effective, but it's downright evil when it comes to getting back off of it.
Thanks again and good luck with your rehab.
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Physical therapy took a big step forward on Tuesday. Now the exercises are focusing on stretching the shoulder in three different directions. I will be doing these exercises three times a day for 2-3 weeks, then I will get an assessment and perhaps more complex exercises. The purpose of the exercises are to prevent internal scar and adhesion formation and to start to increase range of motion. These are all passive stretches in which I am using an aid (like a cane or stick) to stretch, and during the stretch I am not supposed to activate my shoulder muscles.
Weight bearing exercise and active movement exercises involving that shoulder are still forbidden.
At this time, the three-week mark, I am getting through the day each day without the use of the sling and I am allowed limited movement with "nothing heavier than a cup of coffee" -- I am extending that rule to include a glass of bourbon.
Good luck Dragon Rider. If you are getting a full replacement, I will make sure I post a bit more often to keep you informed of what's in store. f you take your oxycodone because the pain is getting to you, when the pain diminishes you won't even think to take it. At least that's been my experience.
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Glad things are coming along Joe. I just saw your post surgery pic. The good news is I no longer need to cook dinner lol.
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Seems you are progressing as expected and thats a good thing. Agree on the oxy, for me the side effects eliminated any desire to continue using. Looking forward to hearing of more progress.
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Smokin" Joe,
Thank you. Had the surgery on Monday. So far everything is going as you said it would. PT is limited to sliding my arm straight out in front of me on a counter or table top 5 times a day.
The oxycodone is great when you need it but like you I just don't get the recreational appeal. On the other hand that ice water pump system is a truly wonderful thing.
I outsmarted myself a little yesterday. i had reached the point that 2 oxycodone would hold me for 6 hours so I tried cutting it to 1 every 6 hours. I've had better ideas 1 every 4 seems to work OK though. If any of you guys have major surgery, while it's good to get off the heavy narcotics it's also good to stay ahead of the pain. Playing "catch up" sucks.
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Dragon Rider:
Now that you know, keep staying AHEAD of the pain. Take your meds on time and you will be fairly comfortable.
Did you get a conventional shoulder replacement or a reverse shoulder replacement? If yours is the conventional "total shoulder replacement" then it is like mine.
This weekend I am going to start fiddling around with making a mouth tab. If it works, I will be able to shoot without using my right arm at all. It will still be several months before I can test my new shoulder with any weight-bearing activity.
Joe
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Joe:
I had the conventional replacement - also no weight for a while. Would you please post what you come up with for a mouth tab? That could be really cool.
paul
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Joe I have my total replacement set up for May. Just wondering if you could tell me when you can write. I need to work yet and they will let me back at work when I can write (office work). I'll sure be watching your post and wishing you the best.Thanks
Chuck
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Glad it is going well. I have had 4 shoulder surgeries. (to much baseball). Most all went well but total recovery did take a year.
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SS Snuffer:
I was able to sit down at a desk and use a computer keyboard at 3 weeks post surgery. It was not easy and I got very tired very quickly. I think two weeks would have felt like cruel and unusual punishment because I was still needing to use pain medications and ice several times a day.
Dragon Rider:
I will photograph the mouth tab and post how I made it, probably tomorrow. I am also going to try shooting with the mouth tab for the first time tomorrow.
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As promised, here is a picture of the "mouth tab" or "bite tab"
Here is how I made it:
-- I got a 5/8" wide nylon dog leash at Tractor Supply.
-- I cut off a piece that is 4.5" long and doubled it in half and melted the cut edges so they wouldn't fray. That made a double-thickness bite tab that is 2.25 inches long.
-- I then melted a hole through both thicknesses of the leash material with a heated 10d nail. The hole is about 3/8" from the end.
-- I went to Gander Mountain and bought something the compound shooters call "nitro string loop" material -- they come in a package of 3. This is the stuff compound shooters use to make a loop on the string where they attach their release aid.
-- I looked up how to tie the nitro string loop knots on the internet.
-- I made sure the loop material had pretty good mushrooms melted into both ends.
-- I tied the string loop just below my usual nocking point and then ran it through the hole in the bite tab. then tied the second loop knot below the bite tab.
-- then I snugged everything up so I am ready to give it a try. Basically you just bite down on the tab with your molars and draw by pushing the bow forward with your bow hand. To release, just relax your jaw and the tab will slip out and the string will launch your arrow.
I have to give Terry Green a shout out about this bite tab. He is the one who suggested it. With this I can be hunting hogs in SC by February.
(http://i1246.photobucket.com/albums/gg611/smokinjoepix/IMG_1475_zpsu9kwvb1m.jpg) (http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/smokinjoepix/media/IMG_1475_zpsu9kwvb1m.jpg.html)
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SS Snuffer - I'm writing this on my laptop, using both hands, about 1.5 weeks post-surgery. I guess it all depends on what the doc has to do to fix things, but for me the pain was controllable with Alleve within a week of surgery. Sounds like Joe hasn't been as lucky. But then my doc doesn't start heavy duty PT for 5 weeks post surgery so that may explain the difference.
Joe - cool tab - looks like it might be fun to play with. Thanks for the instructions. Not sure about hog hunting though - not sure my old teeth would stay in holding that much weight.
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Good luck for sure.
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Well.....the experiments with making a mouth tab went very well, but shooting with a mouth tab...not so much.
Shooting with a mouth tab is much harder than it sounds. Holding onto the tab is easy. Drawing by pushing with my left arm only, a little awkward. Hitting what I'm aiming at....not even close. :banghead:
I have to admit it was a little funny to let an arrow fly and see that it was going nowhere near the intended target. I finally stopped because I didn't want arrows flying all over the neighborhood. "Hide the cats, Mary. He's out there with his bow." :pray: :pray: :pray:
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Prayers and good wishes for you, for a speedy and effective recovery!
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smokin joe: from all of us with shoulder issues I appreciate your posts here regarding your replacement. Keep this thread active throughout your entire recovery. I have seen forum posts about getting a replacement but never any follow up on archery progress. thanks
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Two days ago I had another physical therapy evaluation. Here is what I learned.
The passive, assisted, range of motion exercises have yielded very good results, and I am to continue those daily exercises to lock in the gains I have made and to progress a bit more if possible.
New exercises have been prescribed that just use the weight of my arm to move in ways that are designed to get the muscles around my shoulder to "fire."
It seems that it is normal for the muscles around the shoulder to shut down after the surgery as a means of providing protection. The exercises I am doing now are designed to make those muscles wake up from their 5-weeks of being shut down, and get them to move at will. I have learned by doing these exercises that this is much, much harder than it looks. It is pretty simple stuff like sliding my hand up a wall until my hand is overhead. At this point when I get a touch over shoulder height with my hand it gets very difficult for my shoulder muscles to handle the weight of my arm. But I understand how important it is to keep at it and get my muscles to make tiny gains each day.
As for archery, as of now I can move my shoulder and arm in the motion that replicates the drawing of a bow, but I am doing that with nothing in my hands. It is just the movement with no bow, no bowstring, no arrow -- just my empty hands and no resistance.
So far I have had no issues with internal scar formation, and that is a very good thing. Forming adhesions that would have to be broken later would be unfortunate. Preventing the internal scars and adhesions through lots of stretching will be much better.
I anticipate that some very light resistance will be added to my exercises between Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
All in all, I am very encouraged by the results of the shoulder replacement so far. The constant dull arthritic pain in my shoulder is completely gone. Now the goal is to stay the course and get the muscles around the joint rehabilitated.
I have another check up with my surgeon in 5 days. I will post again after that meeting.
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Too funny on the shooting Joe...yep...its a challenge...I've got a call into Rob to see if we can get him into camp...he's been planning on it...now I just have to get him to PLAN it.
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Feel for what you are going thru. It's been a week since they re-routed the Ulnar never in my left Bow) arm. I get the stitches out on Monday and will see what they think of my progress. I am not happy with the results so far since I now have numbness in the arm as well as the two bottom fingers in the arm. Im hoping this is normal and things will improve. They have said that never recovery can take 6 months:) Very depressing looking at my bows hanging in the basement.
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Tracker 12:
My son had that same ulnar nerve rerouting surgery. The recovery was tough, but the outcome after recovery has been excellent. He is now back to being as strong as an ox, and without numbness. Be patient and things will be OK. I wish you well.
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Terry,
It will be great if Rob can make it.
Talk soon.
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Time for another update.....
I had an appointment with the surgeon who did the replacement surgery. He told me that everything is progressing as expected.
He told me that I can start light resistance training. So we talked over the parameters of that. I am to start using a very light stretch band (the green one available at Dick's sporting goods) and other light weights to slowly work my way up in strength. The target is to be back to pre-surgery strength in about 10 weeks (just in time for my hog hunt at Wild Things) and progressing to full strength in about 6 months.
He said the key to making this work is to continually keep doing all of the stretching exercises while I am strengthening so that I prevent the formation of adhesions and internal scaring.
I have come to understand that taking things slowly is part of getting a good recovery from a shoulder replacement.
Pain level now is almost always zero. I do feel an occasional tweak in the front of my shoulder where my sub-scap tendon was reattached at the end of the surgery, but that tendon is still healing and tight, so it is not surprising that it gets a bit irritated.
I'll post again as the exercises start to yield results.
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Very interesting and informative post Joe ... I had both my ankles replaced a few years back and the recovery is some what similar expect I had eight weeks non weight bearing on each ankle before I could start rehab. I got pretty good with a knee scooter. The rehab was definitely the hardest part and where pain management was necessary. Now it's been three years on one and two on the other. I can hike, bike, golf and enjoy walking around for the first time in many many years. Good luck on a full recovery and have fun on that Hog hunt.
best to ya, Ken
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Joe
Thanks for the words of encouragement. Since my last post I have seen a lot of progress. Tingling in the fingers is getting less every day. Actually I think I just didn't realize the level of trauma that was involved and expected to much to fast. Glad things are progressing.
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I am now 8 weeks post surgery.
So far, the shoulder replacement is amazing. My "bad" shoulder is now my good shoulder -- and I think that is remarkable.
I have started light workouts at the gym. Mostly this involves exercises that I normally do but I am using ridiculously light weights. For example, lat pulldowns with 40 pounds - or - cable rows with 60 pounds. The point to this is to work up very slowly so I don't develop inflammation or tendonitis around the joint.
Im am also doing a number of rotator cuff conditioning exercises (called "soup can exercises" back when I was playing sports because that is about all the weight you use) and a lot of prescribed stretching.
I am also able to do an exercise that replicates the action of drawing a bow. Basically I am using a stretch cord and drawing it like a bow. I am slowly working my way up, and I am now at about 25 pounds. I expect to start shooting my wife's 30 pound bow next week.
I have a hog hunt scheduled for the end of February and a bear hunt in June. I am motivated to stay on track to make those two hunts pay off.
:pray:
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Today, January 13, 2017 --- I shot my hunting bow 5 times.
With ABSOLUTLY no pain whatsoever in my repaired shoulder.
In the first shot I was a bit apprehensive. I wondered if I could get the bow to full draw. Would I hurt myself, etc.
On the fifth shot, I concentrated on my shot sequence and shot a perfect bullseye. To say I am excited by this development would be a huge understatement.
After ten weeks of pain and grinding out the rehab exercises (which I still have to do) I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. This is going to work and it was all worth it. I do have to work to get my muscles in shape so I can shoot more than a few shots at a time, but I am now confident that I did the right thing in getting the shoulder replacement. And, that I am on the road to complete recovery.
Modern medicine is amazing. :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
I'll be hunting hogs at Wild Things in early March and bears in Quebec in June.
:archer: :archer: :archer:
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Sounds like you're doing well hope everything works out for you!
Nick
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Congrats Joe, that's great to hear. I'll admit that I was a bit of a skeptic when I first read this post. The population in the subset of "folks I know who have had full shoulder replacements and come back to do anything near shooting a traditional bow"....is now exactly one, you! It's nice to hear a good success story. I had a knee replacement over two years ago, which isn't fun but not near as dicey as a shoulder. I was the poster child for the recovery and rehab according to my surgeon, but the pain never got better than equivalent to a moderate sprain. I'm not complaining. It's better than it was and I can climb trees....albeit not like a squirrel any more. I've also had a hip since and it's a piece of cake. Go get 'em and good luck!
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Good to hear! g'luck at WT and up north.
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Thanks, guys. I shot again this morning -- about 12 shots. And, everything feels good. I really took my time between shots to make sure I was doing everything right and concentrating on the feedback my body was giving. So far so good.
Next I go do my rehab exercise routine. That takes a while to get all of the exercises done.
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Great news, Joe!!!
Bisch
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Thanks for including us in this journey/recovery. That is a bitchin scar and worthy of tank tops and a great story for the wondering masses. Roll back into shooting slowly and not violate the good that has been done.
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Great to hear your doing so well! Ive been putting off the same surgery and even switched to shooting lefty. Thanks smooch for this thread. jim
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Thanks so much for this thread!!! This gives me so much hope.
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Congrats on your recovery! I'm glad it went well for you. I'm on day 4 of my 12 week recovery. As bad as I'm hurting I still feel better than pre-surgery. Reading your recovery keeps me motivated to do my part to keep on track. I'll be ready in time for turkey season with a new longbow, so that gives me something to look forward to.
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JakeD:
No matter what you do, do not get discouraged. Do the rehab exercises as prescribed and don't worry if they cause some pain.
In about two months you will start to feel like it has all been worth it and you will know that you are getting close to being able to move pretty well again.
Please be constant about using ice. It will reduce the swelling and that will let new blood and nutrients into the area to aid in healing.
You may feel free to PM or email me if you have any questions.
And, take your pain medications as directed. It is very important for the recovery that you stay in front of the pain and don't let it build momentum.
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jr1959:
I was just talking to a doctor today who said that he thinks it is a mistake to put off surgery. It is his opinion that going into the surgery with good muscle strength helps the recovery. That is because you will have some muscle loss no matter what you do, but once the muscles can start to fire again you will be starting off at a better place for recovery. After going through this shoulder replacement (and a previous knee replacement and hip replacement) I do believe the doctor is right.
I wish you well no matter what you decide to do.
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Thanks Joe ill look into it. I work construction and have no paid time off and was hoping to put off for 4 years when I retire. Strength is ok according to doc, but I'm bone on bone with spurs. Keep the updates coming and good luck. jim
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Joe: is your repaired shoulder your bow arm or string arm?
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Lost Arra:
It is my string arm....
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Following this thread closely.
I have an appointment with a shoulder surgeon in mid-February. Not sure what's wrong just sure it's not right. Very reassuring to see your progress and I hope it continues for you.
Thank you for putting this out there for the rest of us.
John
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jcp161:
I wish you the best. I had three shoulder surgeries over the years before the replacement. Shoulder surgeries are not fun, but they are sometimes necessary.
My advice is that if you are headed for an eventual shoulder replacement, don't put it off, just get it done. The sooner you get through the surgery the sooner you will be able to recover and get on with your life.
My shoulder is already much better than before the replacement surgery and it is going to continue to improve. I am very optimistic about the long term outlook. I am already able to shoot my bow, and I expect to be using my fly rod in the spring.
I wish you well. And please feel free to email me or PM me if you have questions or need encouragement.
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Today's update is that I have been released from physical therapy. That means that I have no more PT visits scheduled, though I do have exercises to do and more stretching and strengthening to do.
I have an appointment with the surgeon on Tuesday, and I expect to be released there as well.
At this point I can comfortably handle a 43# at 29" bow, and I will need to stay at or around that weight to make sure I don't over stress the shoulder implant. I am OK with that. Of course, I am reading and studying up on ways to maximize the effectiveness of that bow, like increasing FOC and so forth.
I had Jim Neaves build me a custom Centaur Triple Carbon Elite that is 43# at 29". I have it now and it is very fast, very quiet and not bad to look at too. I have tuned it for an 11.5 GPP arrow, and it delivers that arrow with real authority and impressive speed. I am looking at developing a 12+ GPP arrow as well with FOC of over 20% -- I have a prototype that I am messing with. I can only imagine how fast it will be for 3-D shooting with a 10 GPP arrow, but I do want to stay near or above 500 gr. for a big game arrow.
I will post again after I see the surgeon on Tuesday.
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Great story Joe .... congrats on the new bow as well as your new shoulder, my neighbor is getting hers replaced this summer and I have told her about your posts and follow along. Gives folks hope on a better future with new body parts. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Growing old ain't for sissies
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I just had my final visit with the surgeon yesterday. I have been released from treatment. The shoulder replacement is a success. I can shoot a hunting weight bow, and the restrictions are only limited by common sense about not abusing my shoulder.
So, no heavy bench presses at the gym, but I can work out with lighter weights. That's OK with me. At 68 I don't need to be lifting heavy weights, just enough to keep fit and reasonably strong.
The surgeon said that the prosthetic joints they put in these days are so advanced that success is the likely outcome of the replacement surgery.
I am a happy bowhunter.
:goldtooth:
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Glad your recovery is going well....... :thumbsup:
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Awesome news!!!!!
Bisch
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Fantastic! Happy for you.
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Excellent forum. I too am in need of a new shoulder or two. Just committed to a surgery date of march 27 for my left. Having both hips replaced almost 16 yrs ago, I know the benefits of modern medicine and hard work to achieve a desired outcome. In this case, the continued enjoyment of traditional archery and an active life in general. I'm 56 years old and will use these words of encouragement to help me in my journey of recovery. Best wishes smoking Joe and thanks to all. "Pick a spot"
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Thanks so much for doing this thread Joe! I am 63 and have the same issue in my right shoulder with bone on bone and the joint half wore out. After one surgery for spurs and arthritis my surgeon said my next step was a replacement but not to think about it as long as cortisone shots work. They help for about 9-10 months and then the burning and aching returns. In the back of my mind I have wondered if it would be better to do it while younger and still having good muscles. I could never find an answer about shooting a bow after a replacement so I greatly appreciate you doing this. In the meantime I am seeing the surgeon this afternoon for my "good" shoulder to discuss the MRI results. It started hanging up and popping about 6 months ago and has not improved. Again, thanks Joe! You are encouraging!
Kent
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Congratulations sir! That is really excellent news....modern medicine is amazing.
But so are things like determination, faith, prayer, and determination.
I meant to say it that way.
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Joe just wanted to thank you for all your posts on your shoulder Because of your encouragement I had my right shoulder(draw arm) replacement on March 3 witch puts me 7 weeks out of surgery. Got to say it's great to sleep though the night!! I will be 66 on Sunday and was very worried I would never shoot my long bow again. No Doctor would say it was even possible. Now I understand it must be a liability thing or something. Anyway I'm stretching as instructed by my P.T. and everything seems fine. Can hardly wait to start building muscle again but I can see daylight at the end of the tunnel. After 45 years working as a machinist and foreman for the same company I think I will just retire and enjoy my new shoulder and my grandkids before something else goes wrong.
Thanks again Joe
Hope someone else reads this and gets rid of their pain, and back to BOWHUNTING
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Did you have continuous pain before the surgery? Did it hurt while shooting?
Mine does not hurt at all when shooting, but worst time is when I get up in the morning, or leaning against the shoulder when sitting on the sofa.
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I wish you well. Do your exercises and be patient.
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Glad you're doing well Joe. How's that centaur treating you?
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The Centaur is an excellent bow. It is fast and stable and when I do my part it is a real tack driver. It is an easy bow to shoot well.
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Congrats on the getting thru it all.
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Glad you're doing well.
I had a bone spur shaved on my left shoulder and the bicep in June of last year. About 3 months my shoulder was doing well, but the muscle on the outside of my arm is what I had the most trouble with.
I was doing 60 to 90 pushups a day before surgery but I'm back up to 40 a day.
Dont give up..keep on keepin on.