Hi there
Has anyone experience of riding after LD recon? How long? Any problems or limmitations?
I am 4 weeks post op and I am staying away from my horse at the moment.
Keen to hear from others.
Thanks.
Jackie.
Good luck Jackie, I’m having mast and immed recon from tummy next week and have made a huge fuss about needing to lift bales and buckets! I hope you’ll be riding soon, let us know how you get on. Mine aren’t big beasts but I’m guessing the hardest part will be dismounting? At home we have a stile the right height to be able to mount without using stirrups and should be able to dismount the same way, but anywhere else could be a bit of a challenge!xx
Which side did you have your LD surgery? Did the surgeon say anything specific about riding?
x
Hi
Thanks for your reply.
I have had my LD on the left side and I am going back in for the other side soon (prophylactic). I havn’t asked my surgeon about riding specifically, whenever I ask about any kind of activity I am usually told to do whatever I feel comfortable with. Yesterday I got caught out crossing the road and gently ran the last few steps. I was shocked how painful it was and it felt like the implant must weigh as much as a sack of potatoes, although mine are not very big either.
I hadn’t actually thought of dismounting and my mare is 16hh so it seems a long way down now! After trying to run yesterday I can now see trotting is going to be the most difficult. I think I will leave it much longer than I hoped and let my daughter do the exercising.
Good luck with your op next week and do not rush to do the lifting round the yard. I havn’t even picked up a broom in 4 weeks!
Jackie x.
Hi Jackie
I walked the old boy out today for the first time since SLN biopsy on Weds and didn’t feel like going any faster, and this is before the big op so he is going to have a very lazy spring - I’m glad I didn’t clip him again at Christmas. I must do some longer rides this week or I’ll kick myself. He’s only 14.2 and it’s still a long way down if I’m stiff - though usually it’s my knees that are sore!
Do you have reasonable movement in your arm, and was the pain on running very specific or generally around the whole area? I suppose even leading is going to be tricky for a while. It may be worth asking your surgeon specifically about riding. It’s hard to think of a way of making it any easier!
Lyn xx
I have a horse. Had breast cancer 5 years ago with reconstruction from my back. Rode a month after surgery. Mounted okay. Dismounting had to do it cowboy style. Leg over neck and slide down. Pulled a bit carrying buckets of water. Was okay with sacks of feed and bales. Was dx with cancer again in other breast last November. Had surgery with recon from back again on other side in Jan this year. 7 weeks post surgery and I can groom, muck out, carry buckets of water a lot easier this time and with no where near as much pulling. Easily lift 5kg nets. Not tried sacks of feed or bales yet. Can’t ride my horse as she is only 2. Rising 3 in April and backing this year. So that should be fun!!! Good luck.
Hi Lyn & Mandy.
Glad you managed to get out for a walk Lyn. You must make going out for some rides this week a priority, especially if this nice spring weather continues.
Over the last week the movement in my arm has improved drastically (week 4) I have had surgery on my left side and I am wondering if movement will be quicker next time due to being right handed. Mandy may be able to relate to this having had both sides now recon’d. When I first read your experience I felt like I must be a little too cautious, but if I continue to improve at this rate, then by week 7 I hope I will be doing all the jobs you are now managing. Trouble is, as soon as that happens I will be going back in for other side.
Running was painful only at the front, I immagine it was due to movement of the implant. I had a very heavy, dragging sensation. It probably didnt help falling down the stairs 2 weeks after my op!
All the best for your op this week Lynn. Let us know how you get on. Mandy, I hope the backing goes well this year, I would love to bring on a youngster but I don’t think I have the patience.
Bye for now.
Jackie x.
jacqu. I have found this times reconstruction a lot easier to manage previous “normal” jobs with. As I said there is no pulling at all lifting haynets, buckets of water and am only now (7 weeks post surgery and back to work full time and driving). Still careful ie if the horse pratted about i would let go as don’t want to damage myself. At first mucking out was ok, but tossing the muck in the barrow hurt, but now no probs. Luckily the daughter will be the one getting on the horse not me. Been there done that. Lost my old pony last year after 27 years of ownership and I broke her in. And also lost last year my pony who was aged 40. So remind me why I bought a 9 month old horse (now nearly 3) again please!!! But will be worth it in the end. I hope.
I’m finding mucking out is slower this week with the sore bit after SLN last Weds, and we’re on hemp bedding which is usually really quick. Trying to persuade my daughters to leave the ponies out so nobody has to lug bales of bedding around, but there is a lot of mud and not much grass yet, so they don’t want to. At least the days are getting longer so it’s easier for the elder to do her pony before going to work, and the younger to do hers after school. Mine can stay out even if the mares don’t. Mandy, my geldings are 32 and 26, the mares are 17 and 16. We have always tended to collect cast-offs and there’s something very special about oldies, isn’t there? Good luck with your youngster, what an exciting project. What type is she, and how big will she be?
Hi,
I’d be interested to hear what peoples experiences are with riding. My surgeon said the problem would be a horse suddenly pulling, like yanking, he said this is something to be REALLY careful, because of tearing! This has left me worried, I’m doing everything else, like riding a motorbike now and again, yanking tree/bushes when chopping them down etc. But I am concerned about the ‘yanking’ because you can ever know when a horse is going to pull suddenly. I think yes if you’re holding them and they mess about, let go, but you need to be in control on top!
If any of you out there are happily riding, particularly on strong horses it’d be good to hear.
thanks x
Hi Yessie,
I had a lumpectomy in Feb 2007 and carried on riding my gelding and even competed him at dressage. Last July for some strange reason i bought a 2 year old coloured gelding. When they came in at nights (lived out all summer ) i was leading both of them together to turn out & the older horse was marching forward while the youngster was dragging behind. What i am trying to say is i now have a pain in my boob now & under the arm because i have been ‘yanked’. I am seeing onc on friday so will see what they say. But am panicking now!!
Best wishes
Jane
Hmm, I have one that dances and spooks on the end of the lead rope, and one that lags back, trying to snatch mouthfuls of the MUCH better grass this side of the gate! Then one that leads perfectly (and one that stays out all year). I’ll have to do them one at a time and only lead with the good arm! At least the field is close to the stables. Haven’t tried doing rugs with one hand…
Jane, good luck with the onc on Friday, let us know how you get on. How soon after your op did you ride again?
If you think they are going to yank leading to a field, just wrap the lead rope round the nose then if they pull you have move leverage. My youngster is 16hh and is 3 in April thi syear. She is a bay tobiano coloured sports horse. Can trace her history back to 1635 and related to Godolphin Arabian etc. There is also a shetland pony in there somewhere too!!! Hope to have general fun on her, local shows, bit of dressage and some jumping (great grandad was a jumper horses not mine!!!) Think the horses keep you having some sanity about this whole breast cancer journey.
I agree wholeheartedly, I am new on this journey but in times of stress over the years I have often felt that my old boy is the reason I wake up each day.
Your mare sounds a lovely type and this will be a fun summer. It’s interesting to trace their breeding back - we had a 13.2 TB eventing pony who traced back through his show pony sire to the Darley Arabian, with plenty of Welsh and Arab, and even a Hackney on the dam’s side! The Irish boy is of unknown breeding (though behaviourally the best by far, unlike the Welshies!!) Mine are under 15hh but when I worked in event yards I used to put a chifney on to lead tall TBs that wouldn’t keep four legs on the ground. After this surgery I don’t think I’d even get a headcollar on a big one! Daughters will just have to do it all
You will get there. Of course you will. i got a lot of cording over the last few weeks and had physio. But as i went back to work was difficult to get the time off to attend appointments. As I was at the computer i did stretches waiting for pages to load. lifting my arm up and stretching it until it just hurt a little and I kept doing this time and time again. Then the same out to the side etc. I now 2 weeks later have more or less full use. Just a few little pulls in my back but i am working on these now. Keep up the good work and will speak to you soon. I start my chemo on Monday. Uggggggggggggggggg
Hi Palomin098 & horsey girls,
Went to see onc last friday and said i had been pulled about by the horses, you could actually see swelling near my armpit. She said all felt perfectly ok & it could take a year after the end of radiotherapy (finished Nov 07) for all the tissues etc to settle down, even though I only had a lumpectomy (March 07) she said that although the scar is small alot of work went on inside. She then asked if I’d had my first mammogram after all the treatment, i said no, she said go and have one now & i will give you the results straight away (private medical with work, thank god). Anyway she said all looks ok and mammo looks clear. So not quite panicking so much (well just a bit).
Am now leading them separately, and have put the little one in a controller headcoller that you can give a quick tug & puts a little pressure to the poll, also take a carrot with me!!
I agree having horses definately keeps you sane (and broke!!).
Best wishes to you all
Jane
Horses and life at the farm definitely help keep you sane. And agree with the broke bit. i used to have 3 up until 2 years ago. Lost them all sadly within 1 year of each other. Only have the 1 now and am no better off!!!
Its lovely to be able to talk to other horse crazy ladies wanting or have had a new boob or 2.
I am considering going down the recon route myself using the muscle from my back and an implant but am so scared on how it may effect my time with my horses etc, I have 2 horses 16 h gelding and a little 11h mare. The chemo seemed to have stolen my confidence in wheel barrow loads and I find myslef starting riding from the beginging almost again so I really dont want a big break away form riding, I never used to be a nervous at all around them or on them but now I find I am nervous about everything.
I wonder how it will effect my strength and movement, how it will look, how painful might it be, how long will it take me to recover, how long it will be before I can take my own riding boots off the list goes on and on !!!
I really want a new boob and my confidence back please!!!
Happy riding xx
Hi I’m another horsey LD recon lady. I had mine done 4 years ago and would have really appreciated a good natter with like minded folk at the time! I have not had any problems with handling the horses or riding but I did knock some fencing stakes in at christmas! Unfortunately I think I might have done myself a bit of damage lfting the sledge hammer above shoulder height!!!
I have more problems with lifting the 4pt milk container now!
Good luck Neenie I am sure your confidence will come back in time.
Jacks
Hi Neenie
I am 6 weeks post op now (mast & back muscle recon with implant), I havn’t ridden yet since my op but I am feeling more and more able to do stuff round the yard. I have found the last couple of weeks a real improvement and I feel I could ride now if I wanted to. I am chosing not to out of pure lazziness. My daughter exercises our mare and I am quite happy to let her do it all. I know what you mean about confidence fading and I think it just takes time. I am being very ‘kind’ to myself and not pressuring myself in anyway and just waiting for the time to feel right before I do anything. I am dreading going back to work for exactly the same reason, and worry that I will never feel ready to go back.
As for all the other questions on your list, speaking from my own experience, I do not think you need to worry about strength and movement. Just reading what Mandy has written above proves it. As for how painful or uncomfortable it is, you soon forget. I am waiting to go in for my right side mast and recon and I have forgotten already what it was like.
How long ago did you finish your chemo?
The new boob is easy and the confidence you just need to give time and be easy on yourself.
Good luck.
Jackie x
Hi Jacqc and Jacks and to all the other horsey ladies.
Jacqc I finished my chemo in the end of 05 or was it the begining of 06 mmmmm (would have to ask my Mum what date exactly as she has it written down along with all the other relevant dates LOL, I am sure I probablly should remember myself but the dates just dont seem to stick at all with me except the mastectomy one which was 22nd April 05)
I went to see my Breast care nurse today for my new prosthesis, I got a stick on one this time thinking it may be the answer to all my dilemma’s without resorting to recon. Came home and had to hold back a tear or two or 3. I hate those appointments, I suppose it makes me face the fact that I am 32DD on one side and totally flat on the other. The 32 part makes it so hard to get anything to fit, Bras, swimsuits anything really. Most things are made from 34 upwards gggrrrrrrrrr. If they had said there and then we can fit you in now for your recon I would have said yes I don’t care about pain or time out from horses just do it. I was actually supposed to have had the recon by now as I was due to have it August 07 but I bottled out and besides I had just moved to Ireland in May 07 so things were kind of up in the air.
I don’t want the op done here in Ireland at all (won’t go into that) I am just hoping that if I do decide to go for it that my old Surgeon Mr Juma from the Wirral in England will be able to do it as he said before I left that he would If I wanted him too. I don’t think he thought I would put it off for this long though oop’s!!
Maybe its just my experience with all this, but why is there so little help and advice out there with the whole recon thing. How do I know that my surgeon will do a good job and that his last job wasn’t being a foot doctor or something LOL… I did ask to see pics of previous patients of his but he said he doesn’t show people as it may give them a higher expectation for themselves, what did he mean by that, of course we have high expectations its our body and we have to look at it everyday.
Sorry I am really on one today after seeing the breast nurse I will give my keyboard a well earned rest.
Maybe I should throw myself at a few jumps while I am in such a stroppy mood, maybe that would help with the whole learning to jump all over again thing LOL.
Hugs and happy riding to you all and sorry for the rather large post !! Its just one of those days.
Neenie x