Been a while, so I thought I'd update this again, in case some other unfortunate in similar circumstances ever reads it for info.
It's about six and a half months since the procedure and I've been building up the mountain bike riding over the last three to the point that I'm now back to where I was with it pre-procedure.
Am really enjoying it too, though have spread my (increased) total weekly distance over more rides than before to achieve it.
An interesting side effect of the riding is my weight fluctuating.
In the 3 months of relative inactivity after procedure it went up half a kg, then dropped a kg from that over the initial 3 months of riding.
With increased distances and effort over the last month it has dropped a further kg.
So? That is to be expected is it not?
Maybe, but it caught me by surprise because I've always been active and my (healthy) weight was always pretty stable at a level heavier than time of the procedure.
The shock of the unexpected weight loss was bought home graphically to me by now being able to clearly see the contouring of the wiring beneath the skin holding my sternum together... Doc says nothing to worry about and people who have plates/screws fitted to broken shoulder blades, etc, also often show the contouring of same.
~> There goes my modeling career I guess!
Heh, heh, heh.
Anyway, with the contouring being a question mark in my mind, I bought forward the confirmation x-rays requested by Cardiologist re sternum healing for climbing purposes, from early next month to recently/late this month; and apart from the x-ray people being zealously diligent and taking heaps such that I likely glow in the dark now, I have been given the all clear to resume climbing, but with the caveat to build up into it slowly to avoid any soft tissue type injury.
It seems to me that health professionals are a conservative lot and my best guide is how I feel while being sensitive to not over-doing it and listening to my body for any feedback.
Their caveat won't be hard to adhere to, because I did a single chin up the other day to test feel how it'd go, and thought to myself at the time that one was enough(!), so yes, getting the upper body endurance back will take a little while.
There is probably more I could say as I've thought of things from time to time, but they escape me at the moment.
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