Shooting after heart surgery

[mnoland30]

Thanks for that link Muddyboots. I hope it never happens to me, but very good to know.

I tell my hunting buddy I want to die quckly from a heart attack right after shooting the biggest elk of my life. He tells me he'll cut me up and carry me out after the elk. LOL

 

[Travler]

25 years ago I had my first Pacemaker installed, I got released from from the hospital just don't lift to much the next day the Doctor said don't lift to much , you should be good as new in a month or so ( I live on a Ranch 50 miles from hospital ) Pacemaker was on the left side , I shoot right handed , one of my favorite rifles is a .264 win mag , I shoot a Mountain lion , the kick from the rifle unplugged the pacemaker, from that point on I have learned to be very careful on what and how I do any thing , now I am on Pacemaker number five , it's on my right side , I get very nervous shooting any thing that kicks

good luck

 

[epoletna]

Thanks for that link, Muddy. Some good information in that!

 

[Travler]

muddy boots I read your story after my last post , I new when I squeezed that trigger something was wrong I got in my truck and drove to town straight to the hospital, 30 minutes after arriving I was in the OR getting a new pacemaker
that still small voice speaks loud if we listen

thank you wise advice

 

[Beluebow]

I had double bypass surgery Aug18, 2017...I shot a Fclass match the second weekend in Oct, basically two months later. I wasn't strong enough to carry my gear to the line. I learned what free recoil was really quick...it was waay to soon for me personally. I would recommend giving yourself plenty of time to heal.

 

[JKB57]

Take your doctors advice and skip the hunting this year give everything time to heal,its not worth the risk over a hunt to be back in surgery or dead.

 

[GLTaylor]

Wonderful advice above. 2 heart attacks and 6 stints later, one thing wasn't really addressed enough. A heart attack damages the heart muscle. The surgery requires healing as the previous doctor mentioned. It's not all about healing tissue - but that's a big piece. The heart muscle that's damaged may also become limited as to what it can do. My cardiac output is now 35%. No serious walking, climbing, running etc. Arm strength also diminished. Not to put a wet blanket on your optimism, but there may be more in play than just recoil. You also have to listen to your body.

 

[wldcat]

Thank you everyone for the sound advice. We have decided if I have the energy I will go to Idaho, but only as a spectator. It hurts to pass this year up but I would rather have many more years in the future. GLTaylor makes a great point about damage to the heart itself, I believe I was also very lucky there as well. My blockages were in the left anterior descending artery, (the widow maker) but I was lucky enough to have a deformity where the blockages were. Normally it forks into two where I had trouble but mine forked into three and that allowed another path for blood flow that most people wouldn't have. So all in all I feel extremely blessed and I will not push myself into anything too soon and risk ruining this second chance I was given.

 

[74honker]

Thank you everyone for the sound advice. We have decided if I have the energy I will go to Idaho, but only as a spectator. It hurts to pass this year up but I would rather have many more years in the future. GLTaylor makes a great point about damage to the heart itself, I believe I was also very lucky there as well. My blockages were in the left anterior descending artery, (the widow maker) but I was lucky enough to have a deformity where the blockages were. Normally it forks into two where I had trouble but mine forked into three and that allowed another path for blood flow that most people wouldn't have. So all in all I feel extremely blessed and I will not push myself into anything too soon and risk ruining this second chance I was given.

Lots of good advice here. As a recent fellow 12%er and also under 50 as you, glad you're still here. I won't derail your thread here with my long strange story but your body WILL tell you when you screw up and do too much while recovering and there after, ask me how I know lol. I was lucky enough to not to have to get surgery but I still didn't fire a shot for several months after.

 

[Netz]

I had a heart attack in Sept 2005 and received 5 stents as result. This is what I learned. Speak with your cardiologist more frankly.

Your heart is a muscle and can be severely bruised from a heart attack and requires sufficient time to recover. There are significantly other impacts from have bypasses that also require extensive recovery time. Do not underestimate the seriousness and significance of sufficient recovery time for adequate healing.

I highly recommend you discuss every detail of shooting a high power rifle with your cardiologist. Explain everything in excruciating minutia. They do not have a clue on details of shooting a rifle, the physical and emotional effort to shoot at a big game animal. You need to hear the hard facts once the cardiologist understands the total effort including shooting a rifle with recoil. Therapists are NOT cardiologists so IMO, the discussion had to be with your cardiologist. I explained what I needed to do and he was very thoughtful and honest in response to me.

We all want everything back to normal ASAP but it will never be normal again. You will have to adjust. I was back hunting high altitude but I made adjustments to accommodate my potential risks.

Your advice is spot on! Missing one hunting season or several trips to the rifle range is the best choice for a full recovery.

 

[Crockett12]

So I proceeded to tell him that's perfect we have a hunt scheduled Nov 6th in Idaho!!! He got this blank look on his face and after what seemed like many minutes but I'm sure was only seconds he just said you can't shoot!! But he also declined to give me an estimate as to when he felt it safe for me to start shooting again.

My son runs a laboratory for a large group of Doctors in North Carolina and told me most Doctors were very liberal and very anti-hunting. Of course I wouldn't know your Doctor but I wouldn't be surprised that's why he "got a blank look on his face".
Good luck and I hope you heal well!

 

[Muddyboots]

Thanks for that link Muddyboots. I hope it never happens to me, but very good to know.

I tell my hunting buddy I want to die quckly from a heart attack right after shooting the biggest elk of my life. He tells me he'll cut me up and carry me out after the elk. LOL

Just remember to tell him in Colorado, the head has to come out last...

 

[Rick Richard]

Just remember to tell him in Colorado, the head has to come out last...

Lot easier if he just builds a big fire and turns you into ashes. Wouldn't be so heavy for the pack out.

 

[VaWhiteTailHunter76]

Thank you everyone for the sound advice. We have decided if I have the energy I will go to Idaho, but only as a spectator. It hurts to pass this year up but I would rather have many more years in the future. GLTaylor makes a great point about damage to the heart itself, I believe I was also very lucky there as well. My blockages were in the left anterior descending artery, (the widow maker) but I was lucky enough to have a deformity where the blockages were. Normally it forks into two where I had trouble but mine forked into three and that allowed another path for blood flow that most people wouldn't have. So all in all I feel extremely blessed and I will not push myself into anything too soon and risk ruining this second chance I was given.

Yep, never pass on a 2nd chance when the Good Lord gives you one!