Surviving a gunshot wound

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Bfh_auto

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Feb 23, 2016
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Approximately 2 weeks ago I was shot in the pelvis by a 7.62x39. By a miracle only one vein needed repaired. The x-rays look like I took a shotgun blast. But the structure of my pelvis is solid. I'm off narcotics already and am getting by on Tylenol and a muscle relaxer. I can gimp around, go to Church, etc. But can't get a straight answer on proposed recovery time.
It looks like target shooting and deer season is going down the tubes. I probably will be switching to squirrel hunting for this year except when my nephew or brother can go with me.
 
FL-NC said:
That sucks. I took one thru my forearm years ago, and I'm lucky no bones were hit. Was it an accident or something else? Speedy recovery.
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It was a non self inflicted accident.
I can say this. A soft cast 185 bullet at 1950 was laying on the ground behind me when they cut my pants off. The bullet was stopped by my wallet and jeans pocket.
How long did it take for your muscles to recover?
 
OH MY! That is awful, Pelvis is kinda close to some other parts!
Have never been shot but everyone has different recovery times, I had work dobe on my shoulders and recovery was almost a year!

Wish you all the best and follow the orders for rehab.
 
Rule3 said:
OH MY! That is awful, Pelvis is kinda close to some other parts!
Have never been shot but everyone has different recovery times, I had work dobe on my shoulders and recovery was almost a year!

Wish you all the best and follow the orders for rehab.
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Thank God they're still in the correct shapes;)
I can say from experience. It's like getting hit by a baseball and electrocuted at the same time. I stopped. Realized what happened and made about 3 steps before I couldn't stand. I don't recommend getting shot.
 
Man - you'd think that they'd at least let you stay on the dope longer in order to make up for missing deer season.
What's wrong with those people anyhow?

Back in the 1980s you could stay in a drug-induced fog for a month or longer if you had a kidney stone,,,,I still to this day can't remember anything between Christmas 1983 and my Birthday in Feb of 1984.....(Darvon is wonderful )
All kidding aside - here's to a speedy recovery.l)
 
Hal said:
Man - you'd think that they'd at least let you stay on the dope longer in order to make up for missing deer season.
What's wrong with those people anyhow?

Back in the 1980s you could stay in a drug-induced fog for a month or longer if you had a kidney stone,,,,I still to this day can't remember anything between Christmas 1983 and my Birthday in Feb of 1984.....(Darvon is wonderful )
All kidding aside - here's to a speedy recovery.l)
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They gave me a script of oxicodone. Drugs and alcohol were a driving factor in my life for several years. I have no wish to risk going back.
Even the thought of taking them makes me sick.
It's impossible to explain and still stay under the highroad protocol.
I'll just put it this way. I asked for the pain to be bearable and it is.

I do understand you were joking.:)
 
Bfh_auto said:
It was a non self inflicted accident.
I can say this. A soft cast 185 bullet at 1950 was laying on the ground behind me when they cut my pants off. The bullet was stopped by my wallet and jeans pocket.
How long did it take for your muscles to recover?
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In the short term, I was able to do almost anything I needed to within about 2-3 weeks after the injuries, when I was hanging sheet rock up in my garage and able to fire a weapon again well. The photo above is what the exit wound looks like now- it happened in '06. It was a almost 2" diameter hole when it was new. I was also able to return to duty after 45 days from the injury and redeploy as a team member 120 days after being shot (I was actually injured worse from frag and blast effects of a RPG that happened in the same incident less than a minute after the GSW). In the long term, there are still things that can be difficult now- like opening really tight jars or holding a bow string at full draw. Lucky for me I have a disabled hunting permit for a crossbow. All GSW's are different, and every individual's recovery time will be different. At the time I was a very fit and spy 39 year old.
 
FL-NC said:
View attachment 1109756
In the short term, I was able to do almost anything I needed to within about 2-3 weeks after the injuries, when I was hanging sheet rock up in my garage and able to fire a weapon again well. The photo above is what the exit wound looks like now- it happened in '06. It was a almost 2" diameter hole when it was new. I was also able to return to duty after 45 days from the injury and redeploy as a team member 120 days after being shot (I was actually injured worse from frag and blast effects of a RPG that happened in the same incident less than a minute after the GSW). In the long term, there are still things that can be difficult now- like opening really tight jars or holding a bow string at full draw. Lucky for me I have a disabled hunting permit for a crossbow. All GSW's are different, and every individual's recovery time will be different. At the time I was a very fit and spy 39 year old.
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Thank you for your service. My brother was in Iraq as 2nd Anglico thankfully he too came home. I saw the effects it had on him. Even though he tries to hide it.
 
I pray that you heal well. As far as a direct answer for how long it will take, you will never get. Too many variables and without x-ray, cat scan images, and/or MRI images it is difficult to say how much damage the round caused and don't know if parts of the hip bones were involve or nerves, or muscle tissue, tendons and ligaments.
Muscle, tendons and ligaments require a lot of time to heal, from months to over a year because of the lack of blood to that tissue. As you stated that you were "gimping" around that in itself may cause a Domino effect in your skeletal system that will affect your walking because your hips and knees may begin to hurt, and you will compensate your natural stride which in turn will affect your spine.

My 38 years in the medical field in the military and listening and talking to patients, depending on the individual's Medical history , it could take as long as 6 months to 18 months. Your saving grace to a good recovery will be a positive attitude . Prepare yourself emotionally for the worst, and if it happens, you were expecting it. If it doesn't happen great for you. BTW I AM NOT A DOCTOR .
 
ms6852 said:
I pray that you heal well. As far as a direct answer for how long it will take, you will never get. Too many variables and without x-ray, cat scan images, and/or MRI images it is difficult to say how much damage the round caused and don't know if parts of the hip bones were involve or nerves, or muscle tissue, tendons and ligaments.
Muscle, tendons and ligaments require a lot of time to heal, from months to over a year because of the lack of blood to that tissue. As you stated that you were "gimping" around that in itself may cause a Domino effect in your skeletal system that will affect your walking because your hips and knees may begin to hurt, and you will compensate your natural stride which in turn will affect your spine.

My 38 years in the medical field in the military and listening and talking to patients, depending on the individual's Medical history , it could take as long as 6 months to 18 months. Your saving grace to a good recovery will be a positive attitude . Prepare yourself emotionally for the worst, and if it happens, you were expecting it. If it doesn't happen great for you. BTW I AM NOT A DOCTOR .
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My version of gimping is moving at the speed I can using crutches to facilitate proper movement. I walked up stairs forcing the damaged leg to lead the way yesterday. It hurt. But the hard spots in the quad and ham are almost completely broken up today.
I am waiting to rehab the lateral muscles till all the Staples are out.
 
You need to learn to be patient. Do not rush the healing process. Pain is to be expected but pain caused by exerting oneself by rushing the process of healing, only works to exacerbate more pain and possibly more injury, leading to a longer recovery time and even worse permanent damage that could have been avoided.

I do not know how old you are, but being patient and smart, a year and a half of recovery time is a drop in a bucket of water to live a healthy life for the next 50 years without you being handicapped. I've seen injuries like yours become septic months after the incident . Proper nutrient will also help in your recovery
 
Never got shot shot, but I did get shot in the back on MSR Irish doing security while EOD went to check out the EID we spotted earlier. Some of them took potshots at us and the SAPI plate ate it but all five L's became permanently nerve damaged because of it. This wasn't known until after we all redeployed back from our forced extension (thanks 1st Cav) when I started to really struggle with PT and was told to make an appointment to go find out why by Top.

Also from the same deployment I took a face full of of shards from what was the M923's driver's side mirrors when a 60mm landed between my truck and a passing by M923 tool van from 4th ID in Mortaritaville. I can't really smile anymore it as the left side of my face got paralyzed from it. Spent five weeks in Landstuhl getting it all removed. Because of my MOS and the fact that I raised hell about Rear D wanting to keep me there with them, got sent back to Iraq and wasn't allowed to leave Anaconda ever again. My favorite thing to do before that nonsense was to fill up on things the PX had for creature comforts and drop it off at the COP's we were supplying, what a drag I wasn't allowed to see my friends again until the deployment was over. Anyway I finished healing over there, lol the first night back we got hit with mortars nearby but only the USAF village next to us had casualties.

So I'd say the worst thing is the bed sores but when allowed to do be mobile and try to find some form of routine to get the mind off of things. Sorry what happened to you.
 
Got a round through my lower leg back in 1987...missed the big bone but shattered the little one. I was in a cast for 8 or 9 weeks and had a good limp for about a year. Now almost 40 years later it still bothers me when I sit wrong, lean on it wrong, the weather changes, or I try to run faster than a jog. Some things stay with you forever...some heal and disappear quickly. I wish you the latter.
 
ms6852 said:
You need to learn to be patient. Do not rush the healing process. Pain is to be expected but pain caused by exerting oneself by rushing the process of healing, only works to exacerbate more pain and possibly more injury, leading to a longer recovery time and even worse permanent damage that could have been avoided.

I do not know how old you are, but being patient and smart, a year and a half of recovery time is a drop in a bucket of water to live a healthy life for the next 50 years without you being handicapped. I've seen injuries like yours become septic months after the incident . Proper nutrient will also help in your recovery
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That's some good advice. I will take heed. I turn 35 next month. Eat mostly home food and logged for a living. So my strength and fitness level is above average. But not super athlete level.
 
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