finally able to shoot a little!

[Mike Bolin]

Since the latter part of June, I have been getting increasingly weaker. Doctors thought maybe lyme disease or meningitis. After a bunch of tests, missed days at work and no improvement, it was discovered that I have some degeneration going on in my lower neck. Sprained my neck and pinched some nerves. The pinched nerves caused the weakness and not finding the problem for over a month got me to the point of being weak as a kitten. For the first time in over a month, I was able to pull my bow and actually shot a half dozen arrows. I had to drop down into the upper 40#s (48#@28") to get it done, but other than the sharp pain, it felt pretty good.LOL!! I have one of Rose Oak's Tomcats and I am able to shoot the same arrows that I was shooting from my 57# and 63# bows. Just gonna take it slow and easy....doing my therapy and weights and shoot just a bit and hopefully in a month I will be to the point where I can hunt. Best day I've had for awhile! Mike

[Billy]

Sorry,to hear about the pain Mike.
Glad to hear you are on the road to recovery.

[groundhawg]

mike, so sorry to hear this, give me a call

[Carcajou]

Jeez, Mike, sorry to hear of your misfortune! Heal up quick!  

[Bucksnort101]

Sorry to hear of your injury. Take your time with getting back into shooting.
Not going to preach, but in my mind the severe pain while shooting would be a flag that you may still overdoing things?  Take you time healing up, better safe than sorry and no use in re-injuring yourself or making the existing injury worse.
Get well.

[Bonebuster]

Here`s to better days yet to come!

I hope you have a full recovery.

[Hot Hap]

Good luck! Which Tomcat did you get? The brown or the gray. I have a Wildcat and it's the best I've ever owned. Hap

[Mike Bolin]

Thanks for the concerns fellars. I am definitely going to take it slow. Hot Hap- I got the gray one.....it seems to shoot about as quick at 48# as my PLII did at 55#. From 10 yards back to 20 yards I hit what I was looking at....extremely quiet bow and good "pointing" characteristics. As my shoulders/neck get stronger I will be able to spend more time with it and if all goes well, I can bump it up into the low 50# range with an extra set of limbs. I do beleive my 63#er is due for a trip to the bowyer for a weight reduction, or a lighter set of limbs. Mike

[kennym]

Glad you found what it was and can be fixed,not knowin is the worst! Take it slow!

[Doc Nock]

I feel for ya man...but I had to chuckle when I got to the "shooting in the 40's" and saw it was what my limbs are for the Morrison! LOL.

With his past center shot, I'm shooting GT5575, 260 front weight and they come in about 615 gr. total.  

Course, I've had impingements in both shoulders and long-term neck issues and back stuff, so I've no fantasies of shooting more'n 50# ever!      

Won't do Africa on that, but they work just fine on NA animals me thinks!

Keep on being smart and let the body dictate the weight to draw.

[Mike Bolin]

Doc and everyone-this whole mess may well have been the wake-up call I needed! After years of sports and weights as well as working as a pipefitter, I have begun working more in supervision, not getting the physical activity that I was accustomed to. All day looking at prints, doing layout and scheduling, about the only exercise I was getting was yard work and shooting my bow. Between therapy and getting back into a more consistant workout program, the only way to go is up! I still plan to hunt Moose in the future and would like to be shooting at least in the low 50#s for that. I started this year working out and with good intentions to keep it up, but after the granson came early and the running back and forth to TN for visits, I just quit taking time for me. Thanks to all for the encouragement and good wishes! Mike