I'm five weeks out of my bilateral DIEP reconstruction. Before surgery, my plastic surgeon told me to forget about riding for four monthsa after surgery, when i seemed to be healing like a rockstar, I bargained him down to 10 weeks. I've just had a small setback with a chest abscess (had a quick incision and drainage surgery on Friday) that I have to manage little carefully. Even so, I don't think it will put me far off my 10 week return to riding. I'm in (or was, before my Ca dx) the process of shopping for a horse so am a little less enthusiastic about getting on unknown horses right off this surgery. I'll ride a friend's horse to get my "sea legs" back. I am chomping at the bit to get back to it!
Congrats on finishing your chemo, eventing vet! You eventers are built of crazy strong stuff---I expect that, barring complications, you could be back in the saddle in 10 weeks. No matter what, though, follow your doc's instructions for you. The horses will wait for you and it's not worth jeopardizing the great results. I haven't regretted by DIEP one time, even though it's seems like a long slog...
I found this thread by Googling DIEP and horse riding. If I turn out to be BrCA+, I will get bilateral mx and reconstruction. I hope I'm a candidate for DIEP mostly because, like you Erin, I am a rider and cannot bear to be out of the saddle for six or ten more months. Can you tell how long before you were riding again?
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Congrats on finishing your chemo, eventing vet! You eventers are built of crazy strong stuff---I expect that, barring complications, you could be back in the saddle in 10 weeks. No matter what, though, follow your doc's instructions for you. The horses will wait for you and it's not worth jeopardizing the great results. I haven't regretted by DIEP one time, even though it's seems like a long slog...
Good luck with everything.