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Question about physical therapy


Patty

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Hi All,

In reading lots of posts on this board, I see where some people have gotten physical therapy for their lung surgeries. Although, I have asked my surgeon and onc if therapy would help me and they both said it was not necessary. I am wondering why not, and what exactly would the therapy be and if anyone has had it, has it helped? Also, I was in the hospital for my lung surgery for 7 days. They did not get me up walking until the day before I went home. I could hardly walk at all and needed help walking at least for a week once I got home. To this day my legs still get so stiff & hurt after I have been still for even a short while and I still have so much physical trouble squatting, getting up and down etc. Have a lot of muscle & joint pain etc. Just doesn't seem to be improving and my surgery was 1/10/05 and finished chemo the following May.

Thanks for any answers, advice, opinions, Patty

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Wow Patty, I read your history...what a wild ride. I got zero PT too, but started taking Hatha Yoga about 3 months after surgery at the local community college. Lots of arm and shoulder stretches. Eventually I was able to touch my hands behind my back, which was a major milestone. Also I got a hold of a paper on breathing exercises for people recovering from LC surgery. I'll do a web search and see if I can find it again. Barb

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I didn't have any physical therapy after my surgery either, but I had a lot of aches and pains develop. Despite being in pretty good shape, they persisted even when I got back to a pretty structured exercise program.

Lo and behold, we found the cause eventually--a hypoactive thyroid. They say it isn't related any cancer treatment I've received--not chemo and not radiation to my chest for the breast cancer, but once that thyroid medication started to take effect, those aches and pains went away.

It's a very common condition for women in their 40's and 50's. Might not hurt to get it checked...it's just a blood test.

Cindy

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Hi Patty, I agree that PT would be the best way. I searched and searched and finally found the article I was looking for. It is by Mort Leibling, a lc survivor, and can be found at http://www.cancernetwork.com/journals/p ... p0011i.htm

You may have to register and log in first, it's free. It is called "Exercises for the Lung Cancer Patient". I used the breathing exercises most.

It took me about 2 years to feel normal again, but I tried to keep my shoulder as flexible as possible starting 3 months after surgery with yoga and stretches. After 5+ years I still have occational twitch in shoulder, but little or no pain or stiffness. Barb

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My Pulmonary Specialist did give me an exercise to do after surgery. He told me to stand fairly close to a wall, facing it and 'walk' my fingers up the wall and down as far as I could make them go. This was all he suggested, but he said that it would improve my range quite a bit.

I did do it a bit, but being the self-disciplined :shock: person that I am, it was a bit sporadic.

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I had pt after my first surery but not after my second surgery. I really needed it after my first surgery because I had a rotator cuff going into the surgery. The pt gave me back my range of motion. early on in the therapy, they would massage my scar tissue with some ointment. The therepist said it would help reduce the amount of collagen that builds up in the scar tissue.

I did chemo after my second surgery instead of pt. It appears I did not need it the second time because my range of motion is just fine and I have no residual aches or pains.

Don M

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