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Physical therapy

Anna2012

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Anna2012    3

Anna2012
Posted

Has anyone else needed physical therapy after gastric bypass surgery to regain their strength. My mom had surgery 1 weeks ago. She went into the surgery with existing back problems and the pain Meds masked the back pain. Now that it’s worn off her back is starting to hurt. She says her legs are weak and she’s unable to put pressure on her legs and can only walk short distances. She mainly lays in the bed because it helps her back and stomach not to hurt. I Don’t know if the weakness is due to effects of surgery or her back problems. She needs to be able to walk to help her heal and get rid of gas and prevent blood clots. Think it would be a good idea to have PT come in the house to help her regain her strength? Thanks

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Creekimp13    5,838

Creekimp13
Posted (edited)

Your mom needs to work at getting her calories in. Takes time, but she'll get there. Starvation level calorie intake can exacerbate existing weakness. Encourage her to walk short distances frequently and rest as needed. Also encourage her to get her Protein Shakes in. Four ounces per hour, if you're awake 16 hours per day (8 hours sleep) allows you to get in up to 64 ounces of fluids per day. Encourage her to set a goal of drinking one little medicine cup full (of either clear liquid or Protein drink) ..an ounce...every 15 minutes. The more she drinks, the easier drinking will become for her.

She needs to walk frequently to prevent blood clots. My group recommends two small walks every hour (even just a small walk around the house, to the bathroom, etc).

While blood clots occur more frequently 2-10 days after surgery, you're at risk for them for up to three months and need to keep moving to prevent them.

Also, she should mention this weakness at her first post surgical check up. They might want to do a complete blood count, test her for anemia, and make sure the weakness isn't related to internal bleeding.

Take it seriously and follow up with the doctor. She shouldn't be significantly weaker than she was pre-surgically at this point.

Edited by Creekimp13
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BigAussieGirl    162

BigAussieGirl
Posted

Might be worth following up with her Doctor

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Go To Topic Listing POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

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    • Aunty Mamo

      Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
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    • BeanitoDiego

      BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
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    • BeanitoDiego

      BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
      · 0 replies
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    • ChunkCat

      ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
      · 0 replies
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    • BeanitoDiego

      BeanitoDiego

      Still purging all of the larger clothing. This morning, a shirt that I ADORED wearing ended up on top. Hard to let it go, but it was also hard to let go of those habits that also no longer serve my highest good. Onward and upward!
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