When Oh When

[TreeWalker]

Well guys.......what would you do ?????

I love competitive archery...indoor and outdoor...I love hunting even more..........

Now here's the kicker, my lower back is severely over due for a looking at.....I'm sure it's gonna require surgery..........so how does a guy time it ?? I want to recuperate (spelling) the right way, but I don't want to miss the things I love..........I know from the guys at work that have back surgeries, that most go on STD for 3 months.........

Our indoor season runs January till March/April, and our outdoor runs from April right up to our hunting season at the end of August........and our Hunting season runs from then until the beginning of January......

Kinda in between a rock and a hard place, LOL.......I'm thinking of having work done around April, and that would give me a couple months before our Archery openers..........

What do you all think, and what have been any of your experiences with down time ??

[Chrud]

If I were you, I would have the surgery around March. If your out for 3 months, you'll be back in business for June. Then, you have quite a bit of shooting time outside and preparing for bowhunting. Plus, a lot of preseason scouting can be done then, as the bucks are putting on head gear.

[dg]

I never shoot indoors, so I'd have a check soon....!

[Tony]

thats a tough decision Clay . sounds like you have the right date in mind.. that way your in top shape by the time hunting season rolls around....

but im slightly confused ? you said that your sure it will need surgery ?
i would get to the doc and find out if it needs surgery or not ..that way you have a doctors opinion on what you should do.. maybe there are alternatives that you havent considerd ..

[buckee]

If I were you, I'd give up competetive archery early and get it done right after deer season closes.
Your going to need your back in better shape for hunting, than you would for competetive shooting.
If you get it done early, before next hunting season comes around, it will give you plenty more time to get healed up and get in shape for setting up stands, hauling out that monster and sitting for hours on end in your stand.

All the best Clay

[billygoat]

Buckee's right. Do not let your love for the sport cloud your judgement... although you can anticipate a "timely" return, do not assume it. Get the surgery done and allow ample time to heal. Although you might miss the entire indoor season... you will have given yourself a prolonged healing time, and be better able to prepare yourself for the hunting season by actively participating in the 3-d...
Best of luck with your surgery.

[VtBowhunter]

Do it in the winter so you have a good excuse not to go outside and freeze, lol.

[TreeWalker]

Thanks guys......I went in for my first check up yesterday.......he said the kind of pain they like to see is a localized pain......but mine radiates outwards from the lower back to the hips and down the back of my hamstrings......he said that is the bad kind, so they sent me directly in for Xrays.......

I got to see one of the X-rays, and you could see from the neck down, there were nice little vertebrae and you could see the dandy disks.......until you got to the last few vertbrae above my pelvis........there were two vertebrae that looked like there was little to no gap between them.........

Now the doctor said he won't be back in till Monday, but he'll check them out and get back to me ASAP......he said any good surgeon will not perform surgery until all efforts of therapy have been exhausted, and he doesn't want to do an MRI because it ultimately leads to surgery........but he said, if there is something he doesn't like from the seeing the Xrays, he won't hesitate in scheduling me for one (an MRI).......

Now I'm not a Doctor, but I have had more than my share of x-rays, and have seen a bunch of them.....I didn't like what I saw....let's hope and pray I'm wrong......