Originally Posted by nuttygrandma

I'm still new here and you are bringing out the nurse in me. I'm adaptive and always looking for work-a-rounds. I truly undestand your pain. Not sure what type of tubes you are referring to as there are all sorts if different types that can be place in or outside the body and many different body organs. By work arounds, I'm referring to thinking of how your body works and what happens when you don't use a certain part. Example is a broken bone gets cased for 6 weeks. Lots of muscle wasting when the cast is removed. Broke my ankle one winter, while working (I'm work in home care). Had winter boots on. Packed my ankle with bags of snow inside my boot since I thought it was just a bad sprain and finished my visits. Went to an emergent care center and they did x-ray and found a clean break but badly swollen. Once the swelling went down, they made the mistake of using a plaster cast. At the end of my 6 weeks, I had no muscle wasting and a distoryed case. I found a way to exercise the muscle, despite the cast.

Your situation is different. If I was restricted and worried about leg muscles, I would just get out my spinning wheel and pedal. It's gentle but still exercises the muscles. If I was restricted to avoiding extreme stress like aerobic exercise, I might think about going to a fitness center and riding bike. It's low-impact and most fitness centers do have recumbant bikes. 5 minutes does more than no minutes. If it's cardiac, I would check with my doctor first. In fact, check with your doctor before any type of exercise. Let them know exactly what you want to do and you maybe surprised as to what the solution is. If you're carting a drainage bad connected to any type of tube, PM me and let me know exactly what type of tube you are referring to. I'm creative and think outside the box. When healthcare is adaptive, people actually take better care of themselves but sometimes, healthcare providers need to think outside the box. I've been doing that sorta thinking for almost 30 years.