Pulmonary Embolism Support Group

Jane,
I did have PT after my PE/DVT but it was more for rehabing my reconstructed ankle than directed at my lungs. Just out of curiosity is your PT a cardio type workout?

My last formal PT session is tonight as my ankle has healed but I really think it helped my lungs too. When I started back in July I couldn't ride a stationary bike for 5 minutes on level 0 and now do 20 minutes on level 9 to warm up for the rest of the therapy. The pain and SOB have gone away from my lungs (except for an occasional twinge) I really am in the camp of believing that the PT has helped me. Hope it does for you as well! If anything else, your are spot on in your assessment that PT empowers you to feel like you control something in this abyss of symptoms, treatments and recommendations :) -P

My physical therapy is a progression of lung / breathing exercises. It is based on a program that was developed for athletes to enhance their breathing. I started with only stretching exercises, then progressed to adding some isometric self resistant exercises. Then some light cardio while on a table (lifting legs and arms one at a time for 30 reps each). Now I have added extreme breathing exercises where I raise my right arm to stretch my right lung (site of the PE), place my hand on my belly and inhale thorough my nose pushing my stomach up to the ceiling and hold for 3 then breath out my mouth.(That one is pretty darn hard).

I can really feel my lungs moving more freely after PT. I think most doctors just say "see ya - go home and heal" after being released from the hospital - which made me feel not only "out of control", but quite abandoned. I was afraid to start exercising alone at home after the PE - so having someone monitor your heart rate, etc while working your lungs has been fantastic.

Hope things go well for you and others comment on this post.

I just got out of the hospital yesterday and I was not offered therapy. I feel ok just have a little pain when I breathe or over work myself. My doctor has me coming in every week for blood test. Over all I feel ok but I can tell that my lung is weaker then before.

My doctor ordered PT but as I have no insurance and my hosp bill is now $89,000, they declined to do it for free. I have been increasing my walking and activity. When I left the hosp, my oxygen stat was 71% but now I believe I am in the 90's. Haven't had it checked this week, but will go back for 30 day followup next week. It will be checked then.

I never went to physical therapy however I did go back to teaching therapeutic water exercises soon after my PE's. It helped me a lot by getting me back on track. I did the same after my knee replacement surgery once I got my stitches out.

I already did a lot of outdoor workouts before getting hit with PE. Walking resumed the first week out of the hospital, running (slowly) the second week. It was more a matter of having missed the outdoors than any deliberate intention to regain anything.
Most tasks were not distinguishingly different after a month's recovery in spite of the extent of the damage, with one exception. I still get winded climing stairs and do not bound up them two or three at a time like before.