BROKEN LEFT ARM....TWICE NOW

[Make mine wood]

HI FOLKS. AM NEW MEMBER BUT NOT NEW TO OUR WAY WITH THE BOW. OOPS, THE caps lock key is on here.
I've been shooting traditional for 60 years now, since age 4.
Anyone out there have experienced suggestions on recovering from severely injured hand-arm?
I am NOT copping out to go to a crossbow, somehow, someway I'm going to get back to shooting a stick bow. Surgeon and PT tell me it'll be at least a year. Meanwhile my arm is getting weaker by the day. bone edge severed main tendons, but surgery has some use back to 3 fingers, enough to trigger a mechanical release aid....which is a necessary compromise for now. Doc approves of this, provided the mechanical release is strapped to my upper arm, to by-pass stresses away from the wrist and hand. Alas, my pet, almost new Mahauska takedown longbow is no a viable option, no longer of use because I must switch to southpaw. But I am left eye dominate so this can work well eventually. If anyone has any experienced coaching tips I sure would appreciate.
thanks!

[don s]

hi elias, you probably should post this in pow wow. i have seen this very topic come up a few times. as a matter of fact, there may be one going on right now. you will get the needed advise over there. also, you may want to check out the shooters forum. don

[joekeith]

Switching to a lefty isn't all that bad, especially if you're left eye dominant.  I've gotta couple of dual shelf bows.  Just tryin' to "even up" both right and left sides.  If I was left eye dom. it would be no problem.  I'm still kinda clumsy left handed, but better than when I started.  Most of the selfbows I make I do a dual shelf on.  You could try that, make you're own lighweight dual shelf bow.  Who knows, a youngster like you may really get into it......if you're not already.
Good luck guy      

[hillbilly61]

Elias
 
 Even if you straped the release to your upper arm, you would still be using the lower arm for a great amount of the draw strain. The tendons are a whole new ballgame in the healing prossess. I would'nt stress that at all if possible. You might try shooting left handed after I  discussed using an extra stiff right had brace to support tthe wrist area and try to learn left handed shooting

[SEMO_HUNTER]

If your determined to get back into shooting traditional, I'd say your already on the right path. If you need to use a mechanical aid to draw the bow then so be it, at least your working the muscles it takes to shoot.
I shot a 3D tournament with a guy who only had one arm and pulled the string with his teeth, he kicked everybody else's butts! True story.

Where there's a will there's a way.

In all honesty, if the day ever comes that I can't do it the way I want to and have no other options I will suck it up, swallow my pride and get a permit for the sideways bow. No matter how bad I would hate that heavy, clunky, evil contraption I would do whatever I had to in order to keep bow hunting.
Because on the other side of that coin would be miserable death to myself if I couldn't be in the woods with an arrow and razor sharp broadhead in October.

"Dick From Seattle" is a member on here and he shoots very low poundage bows and makes them himself. I bet he could really enlighten you on the benefits of shooting a lighter weight bow, and may possibly show you some light at the end of the dark tunnel.