Facing shooting restrictions today

[kmw1954]

By Dr. orders!

Just got home from a week in ICCU and a triple bypass. All is turning out well, sore and very bruised. Now to recover and get thru this activity restriction. I've got a whole lot of test loads waiting for me to try.

[ShootistPRS]

Take care of yourself and take the time to heal. It is better to take six months off shooting the big guns a than it is to rupture the stitching the doctor put in place. You can probably shoot a 22 rim fire in between your walks and resting.

I was forced to do something similar after back surgery. It lasted about 10 years for me and I couldn't even shoot a 22 rifle. I had to start with a small weight on a string attached to a 1 inch dowel. I rolled the string up and down by rotating the dowel in my hands at full extension over and over to build up my wrists and my upper back. I started with my 22 revolver and worked my way up in weight and in the guns I fired. 22 silhouette has helped provide the therapy that I needed. Now I am back to shooting and enjoying it.

[Chris_B]

Get well soon!

I am on self-imposed restriction, recovering from a minor stroke at 45. I'll be back to 100%...sometime soon. I can handle a rifle safely about now, but pistol in my opinion no, that will have to wait a little longer. I can clap between pushups and hop on my affected leg and juggle, obviously using my affected arm.

The ICU sucks! When your chest heals and you get back into the swing of things you'll feel like a million.

[kmw1954]

Thanks folks. And to think the 1st broken bone I'd experience would be my sternum! A lot of strained and sprained joints but never a broken bone.

The chest pain I experienced this time was the strongest ever. I've had angina attacks before and this was much more intense..

Being told recovery should be 3 to 6 months. Yippie! Rebuilding the old fishing boat was in the plans for this spring. Maybe not now.

[jcj54]

A friend of mine was impatient and talked his surgeon into letting him try to shoot his M1 Garand after 5 months. He did, and after 5 shots realized things did not feel right....a trip to the doc revealed he had cracked the sternum because it was not fully knitted yet.
This time he waited and after another 7 months was fully healed up.

[g.willikers]

Depending on your age and other personal factors, serious surgery like that takes a lot longer to heal than you might imagine.
It's better to take caution and be very conservative about it.
Best of luck and don't hurry it.

[NoSecondBest]

I'm wishing you a speedy recovery. I know what you're going through. Your sternum will take a full year to completely heal. Your doctor might let you shoot before then, but don't cheat the process. There's other things to do to keep you occupied and interested. You've always got next year for the shooting. You can always start shooting some type of rimfire. I bought my target RF while I was restricted and found out how much fun that can be...for a while anyway. Best on betting better!

[g.willikers]

As I've mentioned may times, don't forget about air guns.
They will keep your shooting skills alive and you won't even have to leave the house.
I first got interested in them when we lived where it was cold and dark months on end.
Later on, air guns proved invaluable when I was unable to shoot my "real" guns due to infirmities.
Just a thought.

[kmw1954]

Thanks everyone! It's going to be a hard row to hoe but I'm committed to getting there. So it also looks like this will be season 2 of no fishing.

We just finished our 1st visit with the visiting nurse and she was very helpful. Also trying to determine all those old triggers for a cigarette., so far it's been 7 days!!!! We have also taken some of the post surgery photos with the heavy bruising and put them on my computer to use as a visual reminder of why I can't smoke.

[PolarFBear]

KMW1954: By the moniker I presume you are a "54" model. I am a "52" but had my by-pass on my 45th; what a birthday present! At 45, I became quite healthy. Even as a collegiate athlete I could never run a mile without stopping. Wrestle 9 minutes, play both sides of a full football game, run lots of wind sprints --- but no distance. Two months after getting out of the horses-pistol I was able to do a 2 mile run. But, I started by walking to mail boxes. Every day I would add the next mailbox in the neighborhood. First two weeks were tough. That sternum really hurts and USE that "hug-pillow". I would NOT count on doing any shooting or lifting for the first month. Keep to the milk container weight limit for lifting. So no aiming a Desert Eagle and no shooting a S&W 442 with a +P round. Just be patient. The body will recover. Take the time to relax and read good outdoor books/magazines.

[JB60]

Take it easy, behave yourself and get well soon. After a bad case of Pancreatitis and two surgeries I was only able to shoot a Heritage .22 and 10/22 for couple months. Walking the 100 yard range to fix targets is pretty good exercise

[Aguila Blanca]

I had open chest cardiac surgery in May of 2014. I wasn't allowed to even drive a car for eight weeks after I was released from the hospital (and for the first four or so weeks I didn't feel like doing anything other than sleep anyway). I eased back into shooting with a .22 conversion 1911. I don't remember when I finally braved real, centerfire shooting again, but it was a long while.

At the time, it seemed like forever. Looking back -- I can't even remember exactly. Take your time, and let your body heal.

[OS11085]

I just had surgery on my left hand March 3rd. I'm in a splint to immobilize the wrist will be that way for total 12 weeks 1/2 way there right now. Getting cabin fever want to get to the range but that's not going to happen for a while. Can only use my right hand and I'm left handed for just about everything except shooting that I'm right handed but without the left hand for support I'm not able to shoot. Funny thing I'm right handed with a handgun and left handed with a rifle. Going thru therapy now and results are good so I hope it won't be to long. About all I can do shooting related is reload, doing that right handed. So I know what you are feeling. Take it easy it will heal and we both will be back in time.

[kmw1954]

Once again, thanks everyone.
Today was a hard one for some reason. New pains showing up in the leg that they took the vein from plus we had a real warm front pass thru and it seems I was having a hard time regulating my body temp. It's storming now and I've already soaked thru all the pillows and sheets.

Appreciate everyone sharing their personal stories, it gives some insight as to what I have to look forward too.

The best part is that I've made it thru another day without a cigarette!

[rebs]

I wish you a complete and speedy recovery, but don't push too hard. I had a heart attack at 52 and had triple bypass surgery. When I came home I felt so useless and cried a few times but it got better. The best thing I did was go to Cardiac rehab therapy. Went three times a week and after three months I felt great again. All in all about six months from the day of surgery til I was pretty well back to feeling great and I was back to shooting. I attribute my recovery to cardiac therapy. They really got me back on my feet.
Take your time and if possible go to cardiac therapy.
I forgot to add I am now 70 years old.

[4V50 Gary]

God speed on your recovery. You can still do 22 LR and airguns, can't you? Depending on the powder charge and the weight of the rifle, black powder can be very mellow

[Aguila Blanca]

^^^

I assume (always dangerous, I know) that a triple bypass, like the valve surgery I underwent, involves splitting the sternum. Now that you're home, it's held together with stainless steel baling wire (essentially). My surgeon explained to me that it takes a LONG time for the bone to graft together. That's why the restriction on lifting weight, and that's why they don't want you to drive. My surgeon imposed both the weight restriction and the no driving restriction for eight weeks after I was released.

He didn't mention shooting and I didn't ask, because I don't want any mention of GUNZ!! to show up in my medical records. I just decided if I wasn't allowed to even sit behind a steering wheel, I probably shouldn't be shooting -- especially not rifles, which bear directly on the shoulder adjacent to the chest and ribs. By the end of the eight weeks with such restrictions, I had lost a lot of muscle tone and I needed cardiac rehab to get back to some semblance of normal. When you do get back to shooting, you're going to want to start with something small and light, like .22, because your muscles won't be capable of shooting even half decently with heavier stuff.

[kmw1954]

One Day at a Time, Baby Steps, Sail on the Breeze.

I am no expert but I believe I'm on track or a little ahead of the curve. Been home 2 nights now and getting in and out of bed unassisted which is much more than I expected. Still having a time trying to regulate the pain pills as I know I'm taking much less than prescribed. Last thing I want is to become addicted to opioid pain killers. The cigarettes were bad enough.

I was joking with the wife about my restrictions and told her when I follow up with the Dr. that since I'm on a 12lb weight restriction can I still go fishing if I only use 6# test line? I mean that is only half. I wonder if he will understand the sense of humor.

On Day 9 Smoke Free!

[Aguila Blanca]

12-pound limit?

I had a 5-pound limit when I was sent home. I had my brother go out and buy me a 5-pound barbell just so I could exercise. I wasn't raised to 10-pounds until a month after I came home.

[lefteye]

I wish you the best kmw and especially the best patience you can muster. Last summer I had spine surgery performed by a brain surgeon to solve a problem with pinched nerves in my upper spine. He fused three vertebrae and replaced the disks with cadaver bones, then screwed a titanium plate into my spine to make it "impossible" to flex or bend in that area. After weeks of therapy I am almost free of pain. I have not shot any firearm for nearly a year. I was lucky - my problem was not life-threatening. Take your time - firearms can wait.

Edit: My weight limit was 8 lbs. for about 6 months.

[kmw1954]

Thanks, now I had to double check.
8.6lbs or no more than a gallon of milk. No driving for 3 weeks. Start short walks this week.

[JimPage]

Take it easy. Shooting a month or two sooner than the doc advises isn't worth the risk of having to start all over. Your life should be worth something to you.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by kmw1954

Thanks, now I had to double check.
8.6lbs or no more than a gallon of milk. No driving for 3 weeks. Start short walks this week.

My driveway is almost exactly 100 yards long. My first walks were under the supervision of the occupational therapist who was assigned to me. The first try I made it one lap (to the street, and back) and had to lie down to recover. After a week I was up to three laps, and I was elated.

Recovery is progressive -- don't try to push it too hard at the start, or you risk setbacks.

[kmw1954]

AB, Thanks! I had an artificial graft put in my legs almost 14 years ago. That surgery was almost as invasive and if it wasn't for the sternum this time that surgery would have been.
After that one I was able to return to very light duty after 3 months and then to light duty after 6 months. I was almost a year in until I finally felt I was 100%.

At this point I'm looking forward to my rehab, the walks that I could see improvement being made though I'm still at the point that even after taking my shower I need to go lay down for about an hr because it's so physically draining.

[kmw1954]

Visiting nurse came today and everything is going very well. All seems to be healing as expected or better. Also been able to get out and walk about 6 blocks a day comfortably. It's also been 13 days smoke free!!!!