Shoulder Replacement -- my story - SUCCESS

[dragon rider]

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

[SS Snuffer]

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

[tracker12]

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.

[smokin joe]

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.

[smokin joe]

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.

 

[dragon rider]

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.

[hitman]

Good luck for sure.

[smokin joe]

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.        

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."          

[GreyGoose]

Prayers and good wishes for you, for a speedy and effective recovery!

[Lost Arra]

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

[smokin joe]

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.

[Terry Green]

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.

[tracker12]

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.

[smokin joe]

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.

[smokin joe]

Terry,
It will be great if Rob can make it.
Talk soon.

[smokin joe]

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.

[elkken]

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

[tracker12]

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.

[smokin joe]

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.

   

[smokin joe]

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.                

I'll be hunting hogs at Wild Things in early March and bears in Quebec in June.