Cardiac rehab / physical thrapy

[Dizzy Dame]

Hi all,

I started cardiac rehab / physical threapy about ten days ago. I go five days a week for one hour. I started going because I'd spent the past six months in bed and was getting to the point where I was too weak to wheel myself in my wheelchair, or open a bottle of gatorade.

I was skeptical at first. I assumed the thrapist was going to make me work to hard and tach out, but my first visit was suprisingly painless. Over the past seven visits, I've been able to excersize (spelling?) while keeping my heart rate down (we rest if it gets over 115). My therapsit has also taught me a bunch of excersizes (sp?) and stretches that I can do while lying down.

I'm getting a little stronger each time, and I've noticed I have a little more energy than before. I really feel physical therapy has been wonderful. I'm not cured by any stretch: I can only stand for about 1 min before collapsing, but we both think we can improve that through working my leg and abdominal muscles.

I was wondering if any of you have had similar experiences. What kind of "workout" do you do with your threapist? Are there any excersizes you've done to improve the "blood pooling effect"? Anyone had bad expierences?

[Guest Finrussak]

Fantastic...I have been cleared finally for rehab...I have spent much of the past 2 years bedbound and housebound and only in past 3 months have gotten strong enough around the house and regained my weight for the Drs to even ok this. May I ask what kind of rehab??? thru the cardiac dept??? etc. Unfortunately the 2 real cardiac rehabs are thru the hsopitals near here and require a cardiac health issue and RX to enroll...and ZERO experience with dysautonomias...and my own cardiologist wont push the issue and says I should try to walk more....plus I also need ROM and other types rehab due to the Lyme effects...I asked several physical therapists here and they either can do the Lyme rehab or the cardiac but still NO clue about dysauto and or the whole package!!! Right now all I have is a non specific prescritpiton from my Lyme Dr saying " cleared for general rehab to regain stamina and strength"...nothing about HOW which is why the several PT s Ive approached want nothing to do with me...Can you tell me about your orders? from whom? and where? thanks and again FANTASTIC....

[MightyMouse]

I'm doing great with Physical Therapy. --Nina

[DancingLight]

Lauren,

I would like to hear more about the exercises and stretches to do lying down!

I am wondering how you make it to and from and THROUGH an hour appt. five days a week? What do you do at your appts? Even an hour interacting with someone or talking on the phone for a few minutes WIPES me out!

I am glad the PT is helping you!

Emily

[Dizzy Dame]

Emily,

I take a handi-cab (cab with wheelchair room) to the appointment, which isn't far away so it's cheap. I can't walk more than about 50 yards without having to lay down (or collapsing), so the wheelchair has made me more mobile.

I start out by stretching. I stretch my legs by bringing my knees across my chest (hard to explain), and stretch my hamstrings while lying on my back using a rope (kind of like a stirrup). I rest alot too, usually for every five minutes of "excersize", I need one to two minutes of rest on my back with my legs elevated.

The excersizes I've done so far are ankle rotations, leg lifts, and "bench pressing" two pound weights-- all while lying on my back. I'm pretty weak, so even this excersize wipes me out. Today we wanted to try sitting excersizes, but my blood pressure dropped too low before we could even start!

I wear a pulse-ox probe on my finger while I'm working out, so we can keep track of my heart rate, as soon as it gets too high, we stop.

Don't get me wrong, I feel dizzy and pretty bad after therapy. I usually go straight to bed and need several hours to recover. However, I need to do this. Staying in bed all the time, I fear, will only make me more sick. Still, I can feel the difference it's made even in this past week. I have more energy...today I even cooked myself breakfast (in the microwave )

[DancingLight]

Lauren,

Thanks...I will add some of those to my current regimen of 1. walking to the mailbox and 2. drawing the alphabet with my feet throughout the day!

No really, thanks, I appreciate those tips. Some of the stretches sound similar to what I do for basic supine yoga poses when I can...

I hope the PT continues to be beneficial to you. Right now my PT consists simply of manual work and some massage.

Emily

p.s. you know those plums you mentioned that have a lot of salt???? what sort of asian food store would have them???? i would like to try them...but we have various markets here--thai, korean (i think), japanesea and chinese...so I wasn't sure which one to send my mom to!

[Guest Finrussak]

Emily

I think the plums are Japanese...I think but any asian market should have them I think its something like Mobushi/preserved plums ( or something like that ...My husband used to work for a Japanese Bank and since changing jobs its been a mental block...hard people to work for!!!

Dizzy:

Id still love to know if the rehab is thru the cardiac dept. I feel nuts trying to convince my cardiologist without precedent. If its not thru cardiac, then through which area or specialty? Id have to be monitored as well. thanks

[Dizzy Dame]

Finrussak,

The rehab is seperate from the hospital. It's just a physical therapy/cardiac rehab clinic run privately and owned by my therapist. I asked my doctor about cardiac rehab and he wrote me a perscrition for the place. I didn't have to do any begging or convincing, so I don't have any advice on what you should say to your doc.

best of luck,

Lauren