Spirometer Usage

[TomD]

I assume most of you used one of these Voldyne 5000 spirometers in the hospital and took it with you for home use. I am wondering how long and how often one needs to use this. My dear wife is handing it to me every 15 min and it gets to be a pain after awhile. I seem to be stuck at about 1500-1750. Judith can easily do 3000 so I know that I probably have 1/2 the volume capacity I had before surgery. I am now 4 weeks out so should probably be doing better each week. At all my doctor checkups my lungs are very clear and there appear to be no signs of trouble.

Question is: How often are others doing it, are you making progress each week, and what is your typical volume at the 4 weeks level (if you can remember).

 

[hensylee]

pain in the neck, isn't it? I used mine for I don't recall how long - until I got tired of it, I guess. I never got all the way up. But I kept that thing for years and would wash it out and try it from time to time. It seemed to have disappeared somewhere along the line. I think this might be what happens with most of us and will to you, too. Blessins...........

 

[thenewmarket]

Tom,

My husband is approaching six months post surgery. We unearthed his spirometer this past week abandoned in a drawer. He laughed and told me he used to get so tired of my constant insistence that he use this "gizmo". He did have fluid after surgery, and I was diligent about making him exercise his lungs! In retrospect, he is grateful that I spent so much time focusing on this aspect of recovery. He acknowledges that it kept him advancing forward.

When your wife hands you the spirometer..........use it!!! You will thank her later.

 

[Karlynn]

I don't remember, it's been too long. I wish I still had mine because for a year or so after surgery, if I got a cold I'd use it to keep my lungs as clear as possible.

 

[CHDDoug]

Spirometer...

Spirometer...

I was at 4000ml before surgery. When I left the hospital, I was at around 2500ml. I continued using mine for another 2 weeks at home...until I got to around 3000ml or 3200ml. Do you remember where you were pre-surgery? If you think you are roughly 1/2 of where you were, I personally would continue to use it until I got to about 3/4 of where I was (that was my personal goal). It couldn't hurt. As far as how often, I used it probably every 2-4 hours after I got home. This gives you my perspective anyway.

Take care.

 

[marie]

I used it less and less everyday. I am seven plus weeks post op and I have not used it at all in the last couple of days and don't plan to use it anymore. Sure hope I'm doing the right thing.
Earline

 

[Lotti]

Huh??

Huh??

I haven't a clue what you're all talking about.

But I'm from England so what do you expect!

Lotti

 

[Phyllis]

Dick never received a sprirometer to use at Brigham?? Not sure if this is normal procedure at Brigham or that for some reason, they didn't feel he needed one???

 

[Susan BAV]

I was supposed to do ten exercises an hour and that's what I did, pretty nearly each waking hour.

I noticed that each day I was better at the end of the day than I had been in the morning. I don't recall exactly how long I did it for but I do recall asking the cardio during one followup visit how long I should continue with the exercises and I thought that he seemed surprised I was still at it and he asked how well I could do (I don't recall now how high the thing went but he thought it was good) and he indicated I didn't need to do it anymore.

So, long story short (I could have said that first, huh ?), check with your doctor to be sure.

And it's a good exercise though and it surely can't hurt, right?

 

[ALCapshaw2]

My surgeon's assistant told me to use it for 10 minutes every 2 hours. I had some fluid between my lungs and chest wall and would "push" until I could actually feel the fluid being squeezed out. I did that for about 4 weeks.

I became concerned about the possibility of bacteria building up inside the device. In retrospect, I should have washed it out with soap and water, or even listerine, to be sure it was 'safe and clean'.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Cooker]

I haven't a clue what you're all talking about.

But I'm from England so what do you expect!

Lotti

Lotti....this is a device that exercises your lungs an helps clear them from the effect of the drugs that are used to knock you out....Kind of a tube type thing that you blow into.....I thought it kind of resembled a bong ....It is cylinder shaped with a hose that you blow in instead of suck on.

 

[Bina]

I haven't a clue what you're all talking about.

But I'm from England so what do you expect!

Lotti

Lotti, here you go!

 

[WayneGM]

I was told 10 breadths per hour for at least the first 2 - 3 weeks post-op, and then whenever I thought I needed it to supplement the other exercises (walking, breathing, stretching, etc). As far volume, mine was a Portex Inc spirometer and the scale apparently is different from yours (1 - 12). As I recall, I was around 8 pre-op, down to about 2 post-up and at 10 today, although I think when I stopped using it regularly I was hitting anywhere between 6 - 8, depending on how I was feeling. To be honest, once I started walking regularly, and doing deep breathing exercises while walking, I forgot all about using the spirometer.

 

[Alex]

Tom,

I had the same device. I used to do every two hours. I Pushed it a bit until I felt feel light pain ( not too much). It is better with an empty stomach and after a walked since your body will be warmer...it will expand more. When I got our of surgery i could do more than 1000 ml, the following week i was at about 2000...it gets better faster the more you exercise, now I am at 5000 ( 9 weeks post op) so I have stopped using it...personally I could only use it for a few breaths as I would get dizzy if I take deep breaths for too long...

It gets better slowin..somedays you go back but suddenly you get big improvements...it also depends how tense your body is that day...

 

[Debbie]

tom

tom

Dear Tom, this is my first post to you "Hi" I'm 7 weeks post-op today and feeling pretty good. I have'nt blowen into my breather for a few days and decided to see where I'm at now. I hit 2200 and was very happy! Before surgery I hit 2500 and for several weeks post-op i was at 1500. About 2 weeks ago I was at 1800. I have been able to walk alot more these past 2 weeks and so I think that's what brought it up. I stopped breathing into it alot about at 4 weeks because my lungs were clear maybe 3 times a day. Now I just check it once everyother day to see progress. Now your at 4 weeks start walking more, that will get you going also. My walking is at 1.8 miles per day now, but a 4 weeks I was only at 1/2 mile and had to stop to rest. You will get stronger and feel better each week, i really felt a differance these past 2 weeks. Good luck Debbie P.S. I also started driving at 4 weeks.