Re: Riding after TRAM flap?

Ruth Baltopoulos wrote:
Callen Molenda wrote:

<snips fore and aft>


I don't have experience with this myself but having worked in Oncology for a
number of years I've seen a lot of women who've had the TRAM surgery, for a
variety of reasons. I would definitely caution you to put your riding plans
on hold until you get an absolutely clean bill of health from your MD - I
know it will be hard but if you give yourself time to heal properly you'll
be so much better off.

Completely concur. As I mentioned in my other post, it is a big surgery and you really need to heal. Your core is always involved during riding, and that is the area most impacted by this surgery. I forget how long it was before I was given the green light on riding and other sports, but it seems as though it was at least several months.

It was interesting, because I really, really stressed to my plastic surgeon that I was very active and athletic, and he would respond that unless I was a professional athlete, the surgery shouldn't have a great negative impact. After how ever many weeks it was (truly can't remember), I was told that it was fine to resume normal activities. Weeeeeell, my version of normal activity and most anyone else's seem to be quite different, which is how I ended up needing a surgical repair on my abs, so do be careful with sweeping generalizations such as that if you are a wild woman :) The same thing happened after another procedure I had and was given the go-ahead. You would think one would learn...

This is a very interesting reconstructive surgery, with each step done in phases. I had read quite a bit about it, but was still quite amazed by the process. First they make the breast using abdominal tissue that is tunneled up beneath the skin of your torso, while remaining attached to one side of your six-pack muscles, all of which makes the trip together to keep the blood supply intact. After that is healed, they create an aureole using tissue from either your inner thigh, or wherever y'all decide is appropriate. This is attached to the breast using a lifesaver of foam, allowing tissue to heal in the middle which recreates the nipple. I had *no idea* what the process was with that, and was shocked when they removed the bandage to check the healing process! After that is completely healed, the aureole and nipple are tattooed to match the other side. Fascinating, really....

Oh, yeah, and another one of my "what the hell is that!!" moments was upon seeing abdomen during the initial bandage change after the first phase of the surgery. It had just never occurred to me (doh!) that while stealing a large part of abdominal tissue to reconstruct the breast, it would include my belly button, which they would have to remove from the tissue, and then reposition on the stomach once they had sewn everything up and determined where it would belong. It looked like a big spider sitting on my belly surrounded by black sutures = : O

Anyway, I woke up looking basically the same as I had going in, and amazed the nurses by sleeping with my affected arm behind my head. You will do super and everything will be back to normal before you know it. Just don't push things, take the time to heal properly, and make sure your Dr.s are aware of what your level of 'normal activity' is before you go and fark something up as I am wont to do :)
--
Ruth B


I didn't opt for big surgery with my breast cancer.. I had a lumpectomy and axillary dissection... Ouch anyway. Be extra careful of that arm on the side you are reconstructing as Ruth said.. I was one of the 25% or so that wound up with lymphedema.. The arm is roughly half again the size of the opposite one. It is heavy and has shooting pain and loss of sensation along the back of the upper arm. It's like carrying a two liter bottle of pop around with you all the time and never being able to set it down. I still ride and take care of my animals though and you will too once you have healed up. Best wishes and good luck for a speedy recovery.
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