I did not want to hijack the bleeding PEG thread anymore than I already had. I appreciate Christine's concern about weight lifting and wanted to clarify the issue. My understanding is that for the first two weeks after getting a PEG, there should be no lifting more than 15 pounds for adults or 5 pounds for children. However, once the initial stoma heals, then normal activities can and should resume.
I did explicitly check about my weight lifting with the doctors who put in my PEG tube. [So far that has been six different doctors -their division does not offer an appt by doctor and actually I like talking to a different one each time plus they all have a slightly different technique]. Every one of them indicated it was fine. We even joke that I am lifting heavier weights then they are at the gym
It's been over two years now and "heavy" lifting (25 to 150 lbs) hasn't caused any issues with the Peg tube. I know we have several knowledgeable SLPs on the board, maybe they will chime in with their experiences.
I think the confusion comes from the total lack of organized follow up on PEG tubes. There was a great article on this reprinted at NIH Who follows up patients after PEG tube insertion? Plus most people have PEGs for a short time when they probably don't feel up to lifting weights anyway. I certainly did not the month after surgery.
Charm