Longterm Effects of a Gunshot Wound

Fade · Jun 9, 2011

Here's the situation:

My MC gets shot in the shoulder in my WIP. Afterwards, he did not have full range of motion in his arm, and could not move his last two fingers.

The range of motion and not being able to move his fingers problems get fixed by a later treatment (um, it's future medicine, but I think the premise for this was stem cell treatment). The lasting effects in the story are that his right arm is weaker and harder to control (he does also have a physical therapist to work on this).

So, my question is, what are the longterm effects of a gunshot wound? Is what my MC experiences realistic? Knowing that the story takes place in the future, would you suggest changing the results? What are the (modern day) treatments for a gunshot wound?

shaldna · Jun 9, 2011

the problem with teh shoulder is that it's essentially a great big bag of nerves, and any long term damage is likely to be permenant.

aside from the physical scarring, there are likely to be loss of feeling, tremors, possibly long term pain, pretty much anything you would associate with nerve damage.

Guardian · Jun 9, 2011

My mom only got hit in the shoulder with a softball, and had to have lots and lots of physical therapy, and had quite a lot of pain. She became immune or allergic to most pain medicines now.

Royal Mercury · Jun 10, 2011

I don't think that there is one set of effects for a gunshot wound. I've read of people getting shot, the bullet lodging in their body and decades later, they die of the wound.

Here's one of a man who died 35 years later.

Chase · Jun 10, 2011

Talk about long term effects, I was hit over forty years ago. I must have already been down from other hits when a .30 round went through the sole of my boot, my foot, and out the top. I had no idea of the hit until 30-40 minutes later.

Fast forward to now. Can't see the entrance scar on the bottom of my foot. The upper three-cornered tear has shrunk considerably, and the center pit is a half-inch deep.

Toe bones were broken and fragments lost. VA docs tell me a "bunch block" of nerves was damaged to explain the three middle toes not having real feelings. I say real, as I still feel occasional sharp shoots of pain in one or more of those toes for no reason.

I hope some of these sensations can transfer to your character's shoulder.

Fade · Jun 10, 2011

Thanks for the responses, guys!

I hope some of these sensations can transfer to your character's shoulder.

And yes, thank you, I think I should be able to transfer some of that to my MC.

RobinF · Jun 10, 2011

My husband's scars are deep indentations. The scar from the drainage tube is 50% larger than the bullet wound.

Longterm Effects of a Gunshot Wound

Fade

The Captain of My Soul

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

Guardian

just the worst honestly

Royal Mercury

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Chase

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Fade

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RobinF

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