Looks like my BTB season is over

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Prof. Salt
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Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Prof. Salt »

Many of you know that I had major neck surgery 11 years ago where half my neck was fused together after a car crash. It was not all bad - rehab led me to kayaking. Well evidently I've injured a neighboring disc now and it's really hampering my left arm function ...the disc is pushing on the nerve and that makes paddling and fishing a real challenge. I paddled Saturday in the shallows and it took concentration just to get my left arm to cooperate so I could paddle. Afterwards I felt better, or at least until I laid down that night. At this point I can only raise my left arm to about 45 degrees (I hold a rod and write left-handed), and punching through the surf is strictly forbidden by my doc. I'm scheduled for MRI Thursday and will speak to the surgeon Friday to see what we should do next. Recovery will take months before I'm offshore rated again, but I'm not complaining. Just wanted to let you guys know why I've been absent from the open water for a while and will be for the next few months. Y'all catch some good ones for me!
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Getz-Some55
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Getz-Some55 »

Sorry to hear that Professor. At least your recovery started now (near the end of BTB season) vs. something like late spring time.
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Crusader
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Crusader »

Time to buy a boat! ;)
SWFinatic
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by SWFinatic »

Hate to hear that! Hope you get passed this and get back offshore next season.
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JW FunGuy
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by JW FunGuy »

I hate to hear that too Professor! I also have had a cervical fusion and it truely is the gift that keeps on giving! :? Don’t push it. As I am sure you are painfully aware of.
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Kalait
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Kalait »

Praying for your swift recovery, work hard with your PT.
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kickingback
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by kickingback »

Getting old sucks my friend. Thanks for letting us know! Stay focused on another hobby to keep your mind off the pain of the shoulder and not being able to kayak and fish! Maybe you can do some flounder gigging? I got the gear, just let me know when and I'll drive down and we can gig a few!
I pray that you get some great medical care and a fast recovery. I had arthritic shoulder and the pain made me stop using my arm like normal for three years before they found out I had bone to bone contact and gave me a new plastic/metal shoulder two years ago. It was not only painful to get to a point I could use it again but I also had to work in three years of muscle neglect. I am still working on muscles that I never used during the three years. That's partly why I use a trolling motor in my PA14. :wink:
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Prof. Salt
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Prof. Salt »

Kalait wrote:Praying for your swift recovery, work hard with your PT.
Thanks, and you know I will! PT was what got me into a kayak to begin with, and look what that little project led to. :D For now I just want to get it repaired before nerve damage becomes permanent. I don't mind the work of rehab - actually I kind of enjoy it (after those first two ugly post-op weeks). The doc thinks it could still be something shoulder joint related, but the symptoms and movements that cause pain don't match up.

I appreciate the good thoughts and prayers!
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by reelmn »

Season maybe over for you this season but you have over six months to bet back to BTB again. Your an inspiration to a lot of folks learning to go BTB so don't hang up your kayak and gear. I have a friend that had his shoulder replaced months ago and he said it is the best thing and is glad he had it done, he had bone on bone contact also. Hope you get back to being able to hunt and fish soon. Its going to be tough hunting with the bow this year but you can do it.
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Prof. Salt
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Prof. Salt »

reelmn wrote: Its going to be tough hunting with the bow this year but you can do it.
Right now I can't lift my left (hold the bow) arm up beyond 45 degrees. Once the nerve is decompressed the motion and strength should come back eventually, but for now there is no way for me to get the bow into position. It's not too bad though, because I still have two deer and over half an elk in my freezer from last season. Rehab food!
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Killerbee
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Killerbee »

Praying for you man! I know you will be back soon!
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Fishtolive »

We pray for your fast recovery, Glenn.
It was you and Daniel have led me into this addictive hobby.
Your reports and video are my stress relief from a hard day at work or ...canine fever illness.
BTW, I had torn ligaments in my left shoulder too. Never bother to fix that problem.
The long paddle day would give me an excruciating pain for couple days that why I switched to peddle kayak.
We know that you will be better and comeback to the open water classroom soon.
God Bless you
Take Care
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Ron Mc
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Ron Mc »

wish you the best Glenn, I had a similar injury for the same reason about 20 years ago, and have made it without surgery, but have aggravated it a couple of times with bad lifts, and know the feeling of losing function in arm and hand.
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Ken S »

Just remember,, PT,,PT,,PT all the way,
Good luck with the surgery, and you'll be back in time for next season.
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Prof. Salt »

Thanks for the kind words, guys. The injury has cooled off enough that I'm feeling better, and with dead winds yesterday I... well, I can't stay off the water. I wasn't venturing into the surf, but shallow water offered me a safer place to find out if I could paddle and cast. My paddling isn't great, and casting is really weak, but I was able to find some fish to play with. I have another MRI next week and then we can figure out how to proceed from here. I just figured if surgery is in my near future I had better seize every chance to wet a line before that long dry spell.

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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Tagdog »

Sorry about your injury. Hope you heal well.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Ron Mc »

just a heads up - once when my injury flared up, went through conventional PT, and kept wondering when they were going to do something - took 6 months.
Next time, went to a chiropractor, and it took 2 weeks, though chiropractor experience can sometimes be weird.
The good thing was the wave machine, which is kind of a full-body massage.
Last edited by Ron Mc on Thu Oct 17, 2019 2:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Kalait
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Kalait »

Prof. Salt wrote:Thanks for the kind words, guys. The injury has cooled off enough that I'm feeling better, and with dead winds yesterday I... well, I can't stay off the water. I wasn't venturing into the surf, but shallow water offered me a safer place to find out if I could paddle and cast. My paddling isn't great, and casting is really weak, but I was able to find some fish to play with. I have another MRI next week and then we can figure out how to proceed from here. I just figured if surgery is in my near future I had better seize every chance to wet a line before that long dry spell.

Image
Mr. Glenn, behave your 13-year-old self, get the repairs or PT done then back to the water, you are only injuring your self further which is not a good thing.
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Prof. Salt
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Prof. Salt »

Thanks for all the well-wishes everyone. The latest doctor visit was surprising. After the injury calmed down I was convinced it was all in my shoulder, and I can still feel something in there that doesn’t belong. It feels like something is torn. It turns out that referred pain is a very real thing. The disc below my current fusion has broken (not herniated) and a piece that broke off was pushing on the nerve root that goes to my shoulder. It still feels like my shoulder is damaged but according to the MRI the shoulder is not damaged at all. The weakness, that is fading, is also from the disc fragment pushing on the nerve. The plan now is to get steroid injection(s) to shrink the fragment and hope that my body will reabsorb it. If not, then it will lead to surgery in the future to expand my fusion to include one more level...
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by SWFinatic »

Hopefully the shot will do the trick!
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Kalait
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Re: Looks like my BTB season is over

Post by Kalait »

Praying you, heal well and soon.
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