Looking Past a Season Ending Injury that Only Happens to Men

Jackal7

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 13, 2018
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160
Location
Minnesota
For 18 months I trained for an unguided Alaska caribou hunt I took with three friends in the first part of September 2019. I was in the best shape of my post-high school life, at age 54. The Alaska trip was extremely challenging but arguably the most rewarding thing I have done outside of my marriage and raising my two awesome kids. I kept up the 6 days per week workouts after the trip.

I also hunt field trial Labradors and got my young one back from nine months of training upon my return from Alaska. Had a couple of good waterfowl trips to Canada and three pheasant hunts on our land and then whitetail rifle season was upon me.

On opening morning of deer season, after a light snow fall, I shot a young buck but did not hit it hard. For the first time in my 37 years of deer hunting, I was required to do a 500 yard track through thick forest. But, I found the buck and ended that story, or so I thought. My two friends and I drove the trucks to a road 100 yards from the GPS marker and were able to field dress and haul the buck out just fine. We lifted it onto my hitch carrier and here is when my entire 2019 and 2020 drastically changed.

I reached into the back of truck for a box of ratchet straps to tie the deer down. I reached in forearm and palm up and lifted the box up and toward me. There was a snapping and cracking sound that was extremely loud and I actually screamed. My right arm was in agony and I was on my knees in the road cursing. My friends helped me change and got me in a make shift sling and I drove three hours back to our city and went to an orthopedic Urgent Care center. MRIs and xrays showed I had severed my biceps tendon clean off my forearm. Its called a distal bicep rupture. And apparently it only happens to men between the ages of 30 and 65 according to the surgeons. Because we lift heavy items in awkward manners! My surgeons have never seen a woman suffer this injury.

So, my hunting season ended abruptly, and I am in a cast and splint for 8-9 weeks. No lifting or pulling anything with my right arm for four months. Then I face rehab until at least May 2020. All because of a box of ratchet straps.

My Labs sit staring at me wondering why I can't take them for walks, why we aren't going hunting, and why I am a little crabby. I am thankful for the successes I had hunting in 2019, and I am especially thankful that I eventually found the little buck I had to track.

I guess the point I am trying to make here is, take each day you are afield, whether alone or with family and friends, as a truly great opportunity to do something you love. I have never been sidelined before, and it's taking some adjustment on my part. I will try very hard next fall to remember to savor each hour and day afield, especially being healthy again. And be careful of your biceps tendons gentlemen.
 
Joined
Dec 14, 2018
Messages
696
Location
SE OK
Sorry bro. Things just happen. I guess you were lucky that it didn't happen just before your alaskan trip. That would have really sucked.
I have a friend in the Chicago area. He's actually a biker buddy. He did the same thing. and wasn't able to ride his Harley for the longest time. I saw what he went through, so know what you are.
Hope you heal quick and for good.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
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15,528
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Colorado Springs
I remember when John Elway had that injury while playing in a game. His bicep rolled up like one of those noisy blow toys. But he kept playing and didn't have the surgery until after the season was over.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2019
Messages
397
Feel your pain... I am sitting here, a week out from ACL/meniscus surgery, looking at another 5 weeks on crutches and a long road to being whole again. My young drahthaar male isn't having the fall/winter he'd hoped and I'm pretty sure is bottling up his energy/frustration to be spent at a later date. I blew my knee up in the spring, and put off surgery until now - so I could hunt. Totally worth it, and looking back on a pretty good fall. Any time spent afield is time well used. Being laid up gives you perspective on how much we take for granted.
 

amassi

WKR
Joined
May 26, 2018
Messages
3,658
Had a distal bicep tendon rupture 11/25/2018.
So basically 1 year out
I'm 100% recovered.
6 weeks post injury I could supinate my arm without pain and curl 15#
6 months post injury back to doing pull ups and heavy pulling movements
Recovery was pretty easy for me, albeit somewhat younger at 32. Just take it easy and follow the advice of your pt. Do your homework(bands et el)


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amassi

WKR
Joined
May 26, 2018
Messages
3,658
So what’s the proper way to avoid an injury like that? Don’t curl stuff to lift it?
No avoiding it if its injured, could have separated just as easily carrying groceries in and setting on a counter.
Mine ruptured playing flag football when an forearm hit my tendon attachment point(radial tuberosity) it was a 1:1,000,000 freak accident.

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OP
Jackal7

Jackal7

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 13, 2018
Messages
160
Location
Minnesota
Had a distal bicep tendon rupture 11/25/2018.
So basically 1 year out
I'm 100% recovered.
6 weeks post injury I could supinate my arm without pain and curl 15#
6 months post injury back to doing pull ups and heavy pulling movements
Recovery was pretty easy for me, albeit somewhat younger at 32. Just take it easy and follow the advice of your pt. Do your homework(bands et el)


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That is good to hear.
 

chindits

WKR
Joined
Feb 25, 2013
Messages
662
Location
Westslope, CO
Best wishes for a speedy recovery. It’s easy to take what we do for granted, hunting in beautiful country year after year. Once in a while a setback can really open a persons eyes. It sounds like your eyes are wide open. You’ll be back.
 

Boiler

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 26, 2016
Messages
154
Location
Indiana
Tore mine at the end of July, and was in Utah packing out my elk 8 weeks later. Was lucky that it didn't actually pull all the way off until the surgeon cut it to reattach, saved me some "sling time". I told him I'd never draw that tag again and I was going one way or another! Still have nerve issues and some pain and numbness in my forearm and some elbow pain, but it feels pretty good. The surgeon told me that the tendon was full of tendonitis and that he "cleaned it up" and it should be stronger than it has been in a long time. Don't do anything stupid, but don't baby it too much, and I'm sure it you'll be back at it in no time. Good luck!
 

ODB

WKR
Joined
Mar 24, 2016
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3,735
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N.F.D.
Speaking of torn tendons, older guys need to be VERY careful if taking cipro antibiotics. It can cause spontaneous tendon tears.
 

robby denning

Administrator
Staff member
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Feb 25, 2012
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SE Idaho
I didn't have time to read all the responses but did read the OP.

All I can say as a nearly 30 year trainer/trainer manager working in the very same gym all that time is that I see this injury all to often and am coming to the unsceintific conclusion that isolated biceps curls are bad for your tendons. I have two, TWO! of my best trainers with torn bicep tendons as I write this. Big beautiful but busted biceps.

This particular injury seems to show up in the fit people sometimes in their 40s.

be careful!

OP, you will get healed up pretty good from my experience.
 

Rich M

WKR
Joined
Jun 14, 2017
Messages
5,107
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Orlando
My cousin fell on some ice and had this happen. They screw it back on to your bone I guess. He's fine now.

You'll heal up - be encouraged.
 
OP
Jackal7

Jackal7

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 13, 2018
Messages
160
Location
Minnesota
Follow up to my OP: I am now 14 weeks post surgery. I have been in the gym for 6 weeks working at rehabbing the biceps muscle. I can do almost anything with it. Strength is about 90% back to normal. Looks a little funky but whatever. It appears I will have no long term issues and I did not get any nerve damage etc. Thanks for the posts in support.
 
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