Recovery from prolonged bed "rest"

[Coach Gostnell]

My family member has essentially spent the last six weeks on her back or left side, suffering from uncontrollable muscles spasms after back surgery, cmplications with post-op infection, and now the healing process itself is triggering some of them.

We hope this week to begin the process of having her sit up and eventually get to her feet. Although she's was healthy & fit before, her nutrition has been poor for a while now, she's lost a lot of muscle (& about any fat she had).

Per Dr. Kathryn's suggestion, we've started her on Omega 3 and a better full-nutrition drink than the hospital provides. We've worked in a very limited fashion so far - because of the spasms - with foot & ankle mobility.

Many of the hospital staff have been great, but some not so much, so we don't have total confidence in what might happen when it's time for her to get up. Specifically, I'm concerned about how best to prepare her for that first time she sits up, and the process from there to get her on her feet. She's familiar with Warrior Wellness, & will work with me on that, but if someone with experience in this field has additional ideas - even more basic or ? - I'll check back with the forum when I can.

Thanks for any help.

[Vbrown]

Ask the staff for signs/symptoms of pulmonary embolism and watch her like a hawk until they say she's in the clear.

Omega 3's will lessen the chances of a clot forming, but get clear on if there are other measures your doctor or attending nurses might suggest.

I'm going to defer to more experienced folks beyond my $.02.

My best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[Coach Gostnell]

Thanks, Vince. She is on a blood thinner because of the prolonged inactivity. Moving a little more all the time without triggering spasms....we were gently working ROM from the extremities in, as Coach Sonnon described in his experience a year or so ago.

[Kathryn Woodall]

Jeanne,
Glad to hear that Ang is doing better. Remember that she can be visualizing motion in the parts which she can't move as long as that doesn't increase the spasms. Dr. Maxwell Maltz, MD stated (paraphrasing) that the mind can't tell the difference between something real and something vividly imagined. I've used that technique in working with people with paraplegia as well as injured athletes. "Vividly" is important but some people find it to be quite fun once they get into it.

I'm sure that if you spoke with her healthcare team there that they could give you an idea of what to expect the first time she sits up as well as going from there to standing. It will definitely be a change for her but it is likely that they will take it slow and talk her through it, especially if she tells them she would like to know ahead of time so that she can mentally prepare to help them out.

Take care and keep us posted!

[Coach Gostnell]

Yes, Kathryn - it's a relief for everyone that there seems to have been a turning point. We've talked about her moving extremities & I'll also mention to her about the visualizations - she dreamed the other morning she picked up a bottle from under her truck so she wouldn't run over it, and just dreaming it caused a back spasm so she may be a believer already!

The latest is she's not to ty to sit up because the infection is in the disc itself & the "Big Dog" (as we refer to the top doc, ahem) says to wait. Yessir, whatever you say, sir.

Thanks.