Well, That Ain't Good!

Posting this to mainly remind everyone to be careful when working out in preparation of elk season.

I have been pushing myself pretty hard by loosing weight (currently 158 lbs)and working out while getting ready for my Sept elk hunt. Last week I ran (2) 5k's, and run every other day at least the same distance. Putting on a few miles a week with 80lb of rock in my pack, and hitting the gym.

Monday morning while pushing myself, I felt a pop in my neck and had a severe headache in my left temple. Tuesday, my left eye was half shut. Wednesday my eye was still half shut and my left pupil was the size of a bb and right eye was normal. Wife being a paramedic had me at the hospital immediately, knowing that something potentially bad had happened.

Results- I have a dissected (ballooned out) carotid artery, which put pressure on the nerves going to my eye causing the jacked up looking eye (Horners Syndrome). Carotid artery, which is an important one in the neck, has a weak bubble poking out. If I continue working out hard, I'm at a high risk of a stroke, and could still have one.
Solution - Blood thinners and have to take it easy with little to no working out until my next appointment on Sept 2.

This sucks, but am glad it happened now as opposed to 10,000' toting elk meat in the back country! Y'all take it easy while working out.

Man hate to hear that. Rest up and get better.

Wow! Hope all goes well for you.

Hope all goes well for you good luck. I've had to have shots in the knee because of training this year for elk hunt this fall. Like you said better now than later, but yours sounds way more serious. Hope all ends up well for you.

Danny,

I am really sorry to hear that you are down...But at least you are not out..

I just had skin cancer removed from my back and the doc said that "it was my wake up call" Lets say that it brought things into perspective.

Take it easy,

Todd

Sorry to hear this.
I hope and pray things work out for you.
Definitely take it easy...

Holey moley --- glad to hear you got to medical help okay! Prayers your way ...

Blimey you have dodged a bullet there!
80lb of rock, wow, i will admit to carrying 35lb on a 8 mile training walk, but that is it at the moment.

I must admit, i am experiencing a lot more aches and pains, and real stiffness and inflexibility this time around in preparation for my hunt, feeling all my 56 years.
And i had a lucky escape last week, shifting a buried piece of concrete, used the wrong tool for the job, result was a badly bruised arm and chipped bone, thought i had broken it but luckily i hadn't.

Cheers
Richard

Wow! Like Devon Deer said you really dodged a bullet. Since I don't know anything about it i'm wondering if your artery will heal on it's own. Will it require surgury? Hopefully not. Will it have a weak spot forever.
Hope all goes well for you at your appointment.

Slow and steady wins the race for us old timers.

Wow! You're training for an Elk Hunt or NSWG / Little Creek training???

You win!!! The elk mountain is yours! Either way, you're going to hurt after a good hunt for elk if you dig into the back country... Just the nature of the mountain.

Take it easy. Hope you get better soon.

I'm going to a vascular specialist tomorrow morning to find out exactly what I can do, or what can be done, and the prognosis.
As for why I have been pushing myself so hard. It started out by preparing for the hunt, but ad I continued to get it better shape and feel so much better, it became an addiction. Ironically, my buddies who eat ice cream and watch Netflix all day are now joking with me about who's in better shape now! The one with a artery that's about to pop, or one who's arteries are closing up! They have a good point.

Good news! After 5 weeks, and few doctors visits, the Neurologist told me yesterday that I am good to go on my elk hunt...with a few limitations. I can't push it too hard with preparing for the hunt, or the hunt itself. I'm still just walking, no running, and only basic working out, NO straining or strenuous exercise.
He did tell me that my Horners Syndrome may be permanent. Which is the drooping left eye, offset pupils, only sweating on the right side of my head. I hate the lazy eye look, but it does look pretty intimidating and I look crazy!
It will be many more months before it completely heals, but he said that with me being in really good shape, especially for being almost 50, that my health had contributed to the recovery time!

Great news!! Have a good time ... I am jealous

Easy does it. Do what the Dr says.

I ran into a guy 17 yrs ago up on a 11k ridge laying on the ground with a buck over his shoulders..having a heart attack.
Got aspirin in him & to the pass and stable when the SR team showed.He made it,barely. I was off duty Park Ranger/EMT & on the local volunteer FD & had a radio with me. I was hunting too,solo, only 2 miles from my truck.
When I was done giving my report to responding S&R folks I asked them why was he trying to carry a buck off the Mtn.
They told me he was just one of those extreme/tri-athelite type guys and he was always pushing the extreme limits. They went back up with me to help me get my gear and his down. No questions asked.

I talked to him a year later as he was sitting around the lake resort. He said he was doing pretty good all things considered.
He was 36,married,2 kids. Turns out he was a local SD deputy and back to work at light duty,desk work. And back to his racing around training to get "IT" back.
Said he almost made it back with the buck,was pissed I had left the dink buck on the Mtn to rot....seriously.
Him,the buck or getting off the mtn? Guy never even said thanks for helping.
He died a year later in the SO gym.

2 years ago I had a heart attack and have taken it as easy as I can,or thought I could.
I am not the 36 yr old I used to be I realized. I'm 61 and lucky to have made it this far. Carrying a guy off the Mtn is not going to happen again....and I had pushed it last year to get "it" back too.
Doc said to take a few more steps back & take it easy all the time,that my PB had hit 280/120 when the morphine kicked in...and yes taking an aspirin and getting help quick is only thing that saved me....that and being in very good shape for my age.And I'm just plain lucky,the attack would have burst most folks hearts or arteries.I have no damage.
Now I have really started taking it way easy and have decided cutting 4 cords in afternoon or elk hunting solo 8 miles in is not smart for me to try anymore.
But I feel a lot better than I did a year ago and am happy to see the 104/68 PB in the morning.And I can hike 5 mi again easy,well with breaks and lots of water.

Take it easy.

Scary stuff here. Mountain hunting is about is extreme as it gets. Especially when an elk is on the ground and you start to wonder, "where am I exactly?"

Wow that is crazy...Good to hear you are getting better andeal will be able to hunt! Good luck this fall!

Hank4elk, it is very easy to forget that we're not 35 anymore! My problem is, I feel better than I did 15 years ago, so my brain tells me to keep going, but evidently my body says otherwise!
I've definitely backed off and although I want to keep pushing it, I do pull back and try to remember that I dodged a big bullet and remember what caused it in the first place.

Thats scary for sure. Im out of commission for a bit myself, I cant raise my left arm from my side today, I went Wake boarding yesterday and somehow I messed my shoulder up on a jump(and crash) No way i could even hold my bow up right now. Ice and advil for now i guess.....

you might be a diehard hunter if: The 1st thing you think of while laying in the water in agonizing pain waiting for the boat to come back is whether you can draw your bow or not....

genesis273 said:

Hank4elk, it is very easy to forget that we're not 35 anymore! My problem is, I feel better than I did 15 years ago, so my brain tells me to keep going, but evidently my body says otherwise!
I've definitely backed off and although I want to keep pushing it, I do pull back and try to remember that I dodged a big bullet and remember what caused it in the first place.

Click to expand...

Glad your doing well.
Sounds like you figured it out.
I over did it daily for many years.Physically & mentally the last 20. Stress.
6 yrs after retiring it caught up. My reality of what I CAN get done now by myself is very real. So be it.
I'm in a good peaceful place and content. Pills & a wrist brace help.lol