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Main Boards => Prayers/Concerns/Honors/Ailments => Topic started by: Wind D Ranch on June 19, 2013, 09:42:00 PM
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My doctor tells me I need carpal tunnel surgery on both hands and my pain tells me the same thing. I'm hoping to wait until after deer season if possible. I need to know your experience with this procedure. How long did it take you to recover? Can you shoot your bow normally? Would you do it over again knowing what you know now?
Thanks for your input.
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Mine went perfect
Recovery was short about 5 months
Sister did both at once and had great results. Husband dis everything for her for 10 days.
Find a great doctor and do it.
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I did my right hand first, then the left a few weeks later. Everything went as planned and I feel much better now. I can shoot my bow just as before. Somewhere around a 5 month recovery.
I had the first surgery in January, and the second the end of February. Plenty of time for me before deer season.
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I keep putting mine off. My uncle had both of his hand done and wishes he had never done it.
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I have had carpal tunnel problems. I went to a chiropractor, I have not had a problem with it since.
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While you are putting things off damage can be ongoing to the nerves in your hand which also affect the muscles in the hand.
Doug
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My mother had both of hers done at the same time. She had great results afterwards. My father not so good for the first few days having to help her with bathroom duties :) .
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Had my right hand done and 4 weeks later the left. I was shooting 5 weeks later. No regrets.
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Originally posted by Hermon:
I did my right hand first, then the left a few weeks later. Everything went as planned and I feel much better now. I can shoot my bow just as before. Somewhere around a 5 month recovery.
I had the first surgery in January, and the second the end of February. Plenty of time for me before deer season.
I will be darned Herman, me too. :-)
Best thing I ever did. All pain is gone and if you have it bad enough to need the surgery, that means a lot.
Don't put it off...you will be shooting before you know it.
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They split my surgeries up too, about a month in between wrists. I waited until after hunting season and was able to shoot by spring. If you have it done right now you might be ok by October...or maybe not. I was told not to rush back into shooting so I put it off until I had plenty of recovery time with no incentive to push things.
It is however a gamble to wait, as I was told sternly by my surgeon. I got away without any permanent damage, but not everybody does. I fought it for many years and figured a few months wouldn't matter but I wouldn't advise anybody else to do the same.
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I never had real pain, just numbness and tingling right hand. I had it done and it went very well. I started shooting a 33 lb bow about a month to six weeks after surgery. But I waited several months more to shoot my normal weight bows. I have the 33 lb rehab for sale now. I would recommend a light weight bow to ease into shooting again or going really slowly on reps. And you can't look at my incision area and tell that I had the surgery. It was made in a natural line. My wife had both hands done. Good result for her too.
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You can look into acupuncture too. It worked for my wife. Less invasive thing to try before they start cutting around nerves. They are getting good at the surgeries now too though, so if that is the bottom line to feeling better so be it. Good luck in your pain management.
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If you do both hands you best hope your better half really loves you. When you go to the bathroom who is going to wipe your butt + other things lol. Something to think about.
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Thanks for the great information. I knew you were the people to ask. I will definitely be looking into all options including the chiropractor even though I can't wrap my head around why that would work. I have been battling this for many years but it has gotten to the point where several times a day it feels like a rubber band pops in my wrist followed by a feeling I can only describe as being hit in the wrist with an electric cattle prod. If you had an ornery grampa like I did, you know what an electric cattle prod feels like. The information ya'll provided is very encouraging and I'm not so apprehensive knowing it should only affect my archery for a little while.
:archer:
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Great post, told I need surgery too. It will screw up my bow season though but, I have made my insurance deductible already this year so......time to getter dunn!
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Originally posted by critman:
I have made my insurance deductible already this year so......time to getter dunn!
I told my employer that I was getting these 2 surgeries and when they were scheduled. 2 weeks after the first one we have a staff meeting and was told we were changing insurance companies. Had to pay TWO deductables :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
Oh well.
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I had both done at the same time. I'm very stubborn and I suffered through the private hygiene stuff on my own. I was on the computer the day after surgery and typing was OK. I'm retired now but was a game warden at the time and took 3-4 weeks off work. I was ready to draw and shoot my handgun by then. If I had it to do over I would get the surgery but baby the rehab a bit more.
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Originally posted by pavan:
I have had carpal tunnel problems. I went to a chiropractor, I have not had a problem with it since.
Definately explore chiropractic or licensed massage therapy before committing to the surgery. My wife has had major problems that were at one point suspected to be carpal tunnel, but have been significantly improved by massage therapy in her shoulders and upper back.
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double
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There is a growing number of docs who are using vitamin B6 supplements to cure carpal tunnel symptoms. I've seen lots of cases of carpal tunnel do well with chiropractic care too.
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After debarking about a zillion osage staves with a draw knife over the years my hands would go dead on me a dozen times a night waking me up in the process.
Always a procrastinator, I put off surgery. My wife became ill, needs full time care(surgery is out for now) so I opted for wearing a wrist brace at night. After a few months of wearing the brace I tried a night without it, no dead hand. I don't wear the brace anymore and my symptoms rarely come back and then only slightly.
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I did the surgery. Split with a few months between. Actually had latest done in June and had no problems with the bow. Practiced in August and was hunting in October. Take it easy the first 1-2 wks. I didn't on my second and it got infected (moved 12 face cord of firewood). Delayed the healing a little.
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The wrist braces worked for me for a while but I eventually had the surgery. I have some arthritis in one hand from an old football injury so I still have occasional pain and the other one seems to have lost a little strength but I can at least sleep at night. I was waking up several times a night with cold numb hands.