Yup, This happened to me a while back and I posted exactly the same question.
It was an Ash flatbow. It was fine, I'd shot it for a few weeks and I just put it up on the tiller to check the weight before signing it with weight and length.
I felt physically sick, the lower limb had lost about 10# and was bent double (slight exageration).
It looked like a real beginers bow.
If someone had showed me the bow I'd have said it had been overdrawn or trodden on!
I lost about 15-20# re-tillering it, then I heat treated it and got most of it back.
It started at 40# and ended at about 36#.
Not my favourite bow
but it taught me a bit... especially that pride comes before a fall.
Del