I've been watching this thread closely -- particularly because of what has been at stake for you, Greg. Hope your recuperation is complete and full -- that you find shooting your favorite boomers does not cause you grief.

Dan

Greg,
If it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger, eh?

You must have had some heavy duty damage repair to induce such post-op swelling problems. I can imagine the hammers, chisels, and and drills taking out the bad and putting in the good. Beat you up pretty good in the cleanup.

Steroids can do all kinds of good and bad, and it is just unpredictable.

I am sure you will have all kinds of rigid and soft cervical collars to work your way gradually into the "just for kicks" again ... way down the road yet.

Go slow and get strong.
Live long and prosper.

Congratulations on enduring such a difficult ordeal!

The normal little things from now on will be extra sweet I am sure.

QUOTE]Originally posted by RIP:
Greg,
If it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger, eh?

You must have had some heavy duty damage repair to induce such post-op swelling problems. I can imagine the hammers, chisels, and and drills taking out the bad and putting in the good. Beat you up pretty good in the cleanup.

Steroids can do all kinds of good and bad, and it is just unpredictable.
[/QUOTE]

RIP,

My neurosurgeon said that I was a mess. The disks were all calcified. I had lots of ostiophytes to clear out and the tendons looked "grizzzled" and beat up. He was surprised at the amount of damage and said it was quite complicated to get it all cleaned out.

He also said he's never seen anyone have such a severe swelling reaction as I did, and not being able to take steroids isn't helping things. We are on the time and pain management program now.

But like you said RIP this is only going to make me a stronger person. I will overcome! Hell I've ALMOST got the old lady thinking that a .375 double would be the best cure known to man.

Think you can find me some literature to back up that course of recovery in the PDR?

My wife told me that the first night in ICU I gave the nurse a complete dissertation on the fine art of tracking leopards in the Kalahari including proper weapons, foot wear and the best beers to drink while doing such. The wife claims I even explained how leopards have soft feet, fuzzy tails and long whiskers which makes them very hard to see. The ICU nurse was great she had a sense of humor and could talk about anything. She was a ranch girl from Northern CO.



Morphine is great stuff. I've never been to the Kalahari and I sure as HELL have never tracked a leopard across the burning sands!

Greg

quote:

Originally posted by N. Garrett:
Surestrike,

Hope you get better soon.
Send me a PM or email if I can help.

Garrett

Garrett,

THANK YOU sir I will be in touch!

And thank you for your previous posts that is VERY encouraging.

Greg,
First, glad to hear you are recovering well!
Secondly, what a great ICU story! Better living through chemistry!

Greg/Surestrike,

In about three weeks (my medical assistant has been charged with making sure I am reminded) I can crank out a nice consultation letter about my recommendations for long term rehabilitation in your case. A 375 Rimmed SXS would of course figure prominently in the list of mandatory physical therapy devices.

RIP could speak to the perfection of the African climate for adequate physical, psychological and spiritual (oops, too late for that) healing.

If Garrett concurs and endorses our prescriptions you would be walking in tall cotton.

john/lawndart

surestrike...just read the thread...@!#$%^*&*$$##!!!!!

would not wish that on an enemy...glad to see you are on the other side now

i will add you to the people i am praying for. keep up the good spirit and your next hunting trip will be a rewarding one...nobody here mentioned adding weight to the rifle so i thought i would add that. maybe you could do a system that can reduce weight later when you have recovered.

hope you take advantage of the recovery time to refocus and dream big.

hope the recovery is a speedy one

Thanks Guys,

Lawndart,

Please include in your report that single selective ejectors and an ejector cut off switch would be very helpful in my condition. Some nice English rose and scroll on the side locks would also be very beneficial towards a speedy recovery.


Dies and about 500 rounds of brass are an essential part of any PT for neck surgery I've been told.


As far as climate goes in your professional opinion would you recommend about a year spent in Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia.

Or should it be two years and include Ethiopia, Benin and such?? Hmmmmmm.

That's why you medicos make the big bucks. One wrong decision and POOF we'll have to repeat the whole course of treatment.

Greg,

Best wishes for a speedy recovery. I too have back injuries (low back...L4-L5, L5-S1) and love to shoot the big stuff. Take it easy, follow the docs advice and keep us informed of your progress.

John

Minimum two years to heal .

If I make too many wrong decisions around this county, POOF I'm coyote food on South Mountain.

lawndart

Surestrike,

Hang in there, it gets better quickly. In July of 2003, I had C5,6,7&T1 fused with cadaver implants and a titanium plate holding the whole mess together. Prior to surgery my left arm was all but paralyzed, and the pain was unbearable. My surgery took 6.5 hours but I had no complications. In August of 2004 I went on my first safari, and killed eight animals including a cape buffalo in Zimbabwe. This year I went to Tanzania and killed another buffalo and a warthog. I have shot a bunch of rifles including a 470 Nitro double with no problems. Give the fusion sites time to grow together, excercise wisely, listen to your doctor, and you will be good as new soon. In the fall of 2003 I killed a wild hog and a witetail doe with a crossbow just seven weeks after my surgery, and took a fairly decent whitetail buck on the opening day of our rifle season. Best of luck to you. I've "been there, done that", and you will find that life after the surgery is much better than before, with the nerve pressure etc.BTW. my safari rifle is a CZ 375, and I shoot it a lot. Never a problem with the recoil.

quote:

Originally posted by 1115:
Surestrike,

Hang in there, it gets better quickly. In July of 2003, I had C5,6,7&T1 fused with cadaver implants and a titanium plate holding the whole mess together. Prior to surgery my left arm was all but paralyzed, and the pain was unbearable. My surgery took 6.5 hours but I had no complications. In August of 2004 I went on my first safari, and killed eight animals including a cape buffalo in Zimbabwe. This year I went to Tanzania and killed another buffalo and a warthog. I have shot a bunch of rifles including a 470 Nitro double with no problems. Give the fusion sites time to grow together, excercise wisely, listen to your doctor, and you will be good as new soon. In the fall of 2003 I killed a wild hog and a witetail doe with a crossbow just seven weeks after my surgery, and took a fairly decent whitetail buck on the opening day of our rifle season. Best of luck to you. I've "been there, done that", and you will find that life after the surgery is much better than before, with the nerve pressure etc.BTW. my safari rifle is a CZ 375, and I shoot it a lot. Never a problem with the recoil.

Surestrike,
My advice would be as 1115 says above. Lawndart's regimen couldn't hurt. Do that too.

Surestrike,
I am an ENT physician, who one year ago had a C5-6 microdiscectomy (Anterior Cervical fusion). I went to the ER with chronic pain in the right trapesius area that acutely worsened, and was operated on within 12 hours. My Neurosurgeon said all went well, but I awoke with new numbness in the hand and weakness in the arm (50%). Neurontin and steroids as well as physical therapy and workouts like I've never done before followed, and over the summer, I got in the best shape of my 45 year old life, and went on a successful Dall Sheep hunt in Sept. I used an ultralight (NULA) in .30-06 and shot extensively before the hunt, using a Caldwell lead-sled.
I think I'm back to about full strength, although there are times........like holding my two-year old in my right arm, and my pectoralis cramps, or sometimes when pouring a two liter coke I almost think I'm about to drop the bottle. Heck, right after the surgery, I couldn't pour from any bottle or even pick up a football..........very disturbing.
I said all this to indicate to you that recovery is coming, just take it slow, and expect it to take about 6-12 months.
My prayers are with you.
Don

Greg,

You will most likely be fine for shooting big hunks of lead, again.

How do I know? I broke my C3-C7 during 2000. They reset my C-3 and C-4 due to a dislocation. I currently have 3 titanium plates with 12 lag bolts holding my C4, C5, and C6 together. They used cadaver bone in place of my disks between 4 & 5 and 5 & 6.

You can barely see the 3 inch scar under the right side shadow in the attached pic. I also have a robust zipper down the center of my neck, rear. Other than that, you can barely tell that I my neck was completely destroyed.

By the way, I have since spent 21 months in combat zones, hunted all over the world, and still do enjoy shooting the large recoiling weapons.

Word of caution though: Let yourself heal completely at least 1 year. I did not shoot at all for 6 months.

Gentlemen,

Good information. I am still having complications. My left side is still very painful, my left hand is still numb and I am once again losing strength / muscle mass in the left triceps and pectoral.

I also was plated C-7-6-5-4 and had cadaver bone implanted in the disk spaces of C6,7, C5,6 and C4,5.

I am going to my Nero guy Wednesday. He thinks that I've got two things going on. One since the MRI and CT scans show normal placement of the implements and implants and since they also show no nerve impingement. My surgeon is thinking that I've got some deep nerve bruising in the C-4, C-5 region also that they had to use some large bone wedges on me to gain proper foramen spacing for the nerves, so it is possible that I've got some muscle stretching causing spasms through the trapezoid, shoulder and down the left arm. The nerve bruising may be causing the numbness and atrophy.

He is going to do a nerve conduction test and a milogram CT to try and figure this stuff out.

Right now I am on 900MG of Nuerontin a day plus some kind of morphine derivative and precocett for pain. Hell I’ve taken all of the above within the last hour and can still write this. That’s an accomplishment in it’s own right!

If this ailment was a dagga boy it's about to get a left and a right up the ole snout. I will beat this thing. No two ways about it. It is starting to piss me off enough that I am getting ready to get on a major offensive and nip this thing in the butt. Just like Don and Ceg and the rest of you guys did.

Don B inspirational is the only way I can describe your story, thank you sir.


Ceg1963. The fact that you can do what you do after having done what's been done to your neck is not only amazing it is most reassuring. Thank you sir for your story and for what you do. It takes one hell of a man to do your job. It takes one hell of a dedicated hard charging warrior to do so with your physical condition in regards to your injury history. I am deeply grateful and have the highest regards for your chosen profession.


Greg

PS

I haven’t felt this good and this confident since this thing started over 6 weeks ago!

Thanks again guys you are all a great bunch. Hunters and shooters all!


Keep up the good work!

Get well soon Greg. I've enjoyed your hunting and shooting posts and am looking forward to a lot more of them in the future.

Greg,

Glad to see you posting again (I am a little slow...have been travelling on business a lot lately). I am sure you will be better than ever within the year! Best of luck for your recovery!

BTW, I finally got around to watching your complete vid a couple weeks ago...great stuff! I am sure you will probably about wear that vid out over the next few months, eh!

Make sure you follow lawndart's Rx...take two safaris and call him in the morning (or something like that).

Cheers,
Canuck

Gregg, I think your dagga boy already got two up its snout... but it may take just a little while to get things sorted out. It sounds like you're getting strong enough to get ornery (ask your nurses how you're doing along those lines -- they'll likely know before you do; even if they say you're getting nastier and impatient, its good news). Your writing is clearer, has more energy, too! It sounds like you had a helluva cleanup job done, and that the MRI came back with a pretty clean statement.

I'm happy to see things starting to get better!

Dan

Gregg,

The paralysis can be a temporary thing, I had the same thing: my arm, hand, & thumb initially were paralyzed… then after a while it was still my hand and thumb, and then only my hand, then I was whole again… paralysis was gone entirely. Unfortunately, my gripping ability has decreased allot.

For example: when opening those damn Army MREs, I have to cut them now; I can’t grip hard enough to tear into them anymore. The dexterity is gone.

Remember, there is no free lunch with this severe of an injury, or ailment. I think you know that it could have been way worse.

Who is your Nero guy/gal? Mine was a brilliant Army Doc named Poffenburger?

As far as the drugs are concerned, use them when needed. But drop them as soon as you can. Morphine/Percoset ig are very addicting.

Additionally, the best thing you can do when up to it that is, is to walk it out. Start as soon as feasible. I walked every day after ten weeks recovery. Yes, even with a neck/head halo on, I'd take my wonder drugs, then would start walking, slowly at first, tipsy at best.

Gregg, it is easy to lie around and feel sorry for yourself. Don’t!!!!!!! The blood moving in and around the construct will aid healing.

It took me a year to be able to draw, anchor and shoot my bow again. Take it easy, and know this… no matter the outcome, at least you are not a paraplegic or worse… dead!!

Gregg, Thanks for the kind words my friend. I would not change a second of my life. I enjoy serving this mighty nation, whose citizens include folks like you.

Stay the course my friend, you are almost there.

Don't worry too much about the pain meds. If the analgesia is matched to the pain, you are unlikely to develop dependence. In the first few months the biggest danger is in not treating pain adequately; that slows the healing, and leads to guarding which in turn leads to scar tissue in the wrong places.

The only thing that I see missing is an occaisonal Cuban cigar.

LD

Thanks for posting this and best of luck in your continued recovery.

FWIW, I have been having some neck discomfort at night trying to sleep and looking back while backing up in a car, weaker than normal grip and all coinciding with some serious big bore shooting over the last six months.

Had you not posted your experience and those who followed with their information, I would have shrugged it off indefinitely or until it got so bad I had no choice. I think now I should at least get it checked out.

Maybe its something, maybe not but the fact that you and others here have taken the time to impart important information proves that sometimes the efforts people go to can make a difference somewhere. For that I owe you. Thanks.

Hell tigger,

I get a crick in my neck every time I see your avatar .

LD

That's not where I get my crick from her!

Greg,
Hope the improvement continues, and CEG1963, I echo Greg's and other's admiration/respect/appreciation!
This was a well timed post. I bought a new pillow yesterday because the new mattress just wasn't letting me get a good night sleep (arm/neck pain). Hosannah, I've been trying to get TSX's and Banded Solids to shoot to the same point of impact for weeks. Sounds like a good time to either get a lead sled or be happy with 2" aggregate groupings.

Thanks to you and this post I'll be much more attentive to discomfort. Hey, you think my wife would back off the nagging?

OK honey, just asking....

Safe Hunting
Clint