What items should I have?

[summer]

Hi
OK.........besides being a little anxious about my upcoming surgery, I'm also confused. I met with one of the PT/OT this morning for a pre-surgery class. She says they don't recommend getting a hospital bed or a raised toilet seat. She'll train me on rolling in and out of bed. Their approach is that they don't want patients dependent on aides like these. So, if you've had surgery, what do you think? Should I request a hospital bed, raised toilet seat, etc....???
thanks

[JoAnn5]

I didn't have a Hospital bed and managed fine... they do teach you how to log roll to get up and down. Probably the more you can do on your own the better you will be. I had a raised toilet seat but shortly quit using it simply because of the inconvenience of it. (Plus i live in a house full of men.. and you know how they are with toilet seats... sorry, any guys reading this...lol) There were days that i needed somebody or someTHING to help me just to stand from my chair or toilet.... I kept a walker in the bathroom just for that purpose.. and another one in the den near my chair... we just happened to have 2, i certainly didn't buy 2 of them... Make certain that the chair you plan to live in most during your recouperation is not too low, or you will be stuck there until you can hoist yourself out of it or find someone who can help you... Some of the worst times i can remember of my recovery is from finding myself unable to get up and needing to depend on the arms of my husband or sons.
One of the best things i discovered and after i bought it wished i had bought it much sooner was a 3 piece foam Bed Wedge...The 3 pieces can zip together and form a very comfortable reclining angle... or can be used separately for the back, knees, and feet. I will try to find a link for you on that.
Also... use sleepwear that is silky or satiny to facilitate turning over in bed... I thought the cotton ones would be so comfy, but it's like trying to turn over in VELCRO with them... I'd just flop around like a fish out of water sometimes....hahahaha. I'll keep thinking and will post more as i remember them... Good luck to you hon...

JoAnn

[sweetness514]

I agree that at your age, you should try to use less tools possible, if you feel ok about it. I just had my third surgery and I'm 35, and didn't use any all times except for the grabber, get one at least, even if you can bend at the knees. Picking up things from the floor is hard. I also recommend getting a recliner and/or a good, slightly padded office chair where you can put a pillow for lumbar/back support. I didn't lie down as much after this last surgery, b/c of the support of this chair and I wished I would have thought about getting one for my first surgery, as it helped me sit for long periods of time.

[Suzy]

Hi Summer, I didn't get a hospital bed, I felt better laying flat. I think in hind site that was because I'm fused down to L4 and couldn't stand any pressure from an incline due to the swelling. (I kept the bed flat at the hospital and layed on my side) I was able to prop myself at the correct angle with pillows as time went on. I also didn't get a raised toilet seat because I have a narrow room where it is and I could put a hand on each wall to lower myself. You will know right away post-op if you will need one if your hospital room doesn't have one (raised seat) like mine didn't. How strong are your legs? If they are strong you won't need a raised seat. (my legs have never looked better from all the use!) As for the grabber,I have monkey toes and could grab almost anything off the floor. Up high items family gets for me. I Totally agree about P.J.s you can roll over in. I got stuck occasionally trying to roll over. Someone told me satin was too slippery especially when you try to ease off the bed to stand, but I would rather be able to roll over. I wished I had some. Now if you have satin sheets you should be fine. One other thing, I was always cold so I loved my electric blanket more then ever! When I finally sat at my desk at home a pillow to support my back and my heating pad made it very comfortable. Best wishes! Suzy

[LindaRacine]

Hi...

I have a list of things scoliosis surgery patients have put together here:

http://www.scoliosislinks.com/PreparingforSurgery.htm

Regards,
Linda

[Marcia]

JoAnn5.....The 3-piece bed wedge sounds interesting. I searched a little and didn't find anything on the internet...hope you can find a link.

[HGD24]

Summer,
I was 30 when I had my surgery. I had a bed rail that I used to help me roll over and I have to say that I became very attached to it....too attached actually. I used it for 4 months until I started going to PT for low back stiffness...my PT told me to go home and put the darn thing away! It took me a couple more days, but I did take it off of the bed and once I stopped using it, I realized that I didn't really need to use it as long as I had. It had become a security blanket of sorts.

I did use a raised toilet seat but only for a few weeks. My hubby bought a foam bed wedge too (not the zipper type Joann describes), but it was too uncomfortable, so we returned it. I was much more comfortable lying flat.

I think that it's good to have on hand the things you think will help make you feel most comfortable and then use them or not as you feel the need. Good Luck!

[lelc2002@yahoo]

where do you get the bed rail?

Heidi----where do you get the bed rail--hospital supply store?? I have an old safety rail that was on my son's bed but I bet that's not too heavy duty for my support.....thks---Lynne

[Theresa]

Marcia, I sent you a private message. Look at the upper right side of your screen. Under where it says Welcome, in blue print it says private messages. Click there.

[Marcia]

Thanks Theresa! I answered my "private mail".....didn't even know about that! I would love to talk to you!

[blairf83]

After I had my surgery, the only real tool I required to get along was cups with bendy straws and I borrowed a lovely metal chair from my grandparent's patio because it had a really hard straight back and a head rest and it felt so much better to me than cushy things following my op (I loved a firm bed. I slept on a hide a bed with a thinnish mattress, a thin egg crate pad, and a sheet of plywood underneath it)
When my best friend's SIL had her surgery, they got her all the bells and whistles to help her recovery and she became VERY dependent on them and it really seemed to hold her back. She couldn't get in and out of bed without raising the head all the way up to a sitting position for five months, for example....

[JoAnn5]

Here is the link for the zippered wedges i was talking about

http://www.sitincomfort.com/zegrbosupisy.html

Hope i did it correctly and you can click on it... I like these because i can move them from the bed to the couch to watch tv, read in bed, just use one part of them, or whatever. I especially use the small one in between my knees at night when i sleep on my side. Makes things so much more comfortable for me... Hope it helps someone else

[HGD24]

Lynne ~ I did get the bed rail from the medical supply store. It was tough to find. Of course, we didn't look for it until after I was already home from the hospital and preparing the house for when my husband was going back to work. I was pretty weak and could not roll over on my own. It wasn't until then that we realized that I needed the leverage of a rail to help me roll over. If you decide to get one, try to buy it a week or so before your surgery, that way if you decide not to use it and need to return it, you'll still be within the 30-day return period.

[scoliXsurvivor5]

pillows

use millions of pillows! I used so so so so so so many! i had blankets, pillows and stuffed animals. It may seem like your too old for them, and even though i was 13,(2 weeks from being 14) it still comforted me greatly.
good luck hope i helped.

[Pips]

Lynne
I am still using the bed rail thing (12 weeks post op today!) but it would have been useful to me before surgery too because of my leg function. (You should be able to log roll just by using a crossed leg technique that they will teach you in the hospital but I don't have enough feeling in my legs to do this). The best thing to do is to wait until you've had the op and in the time you are in hospital after, see if you need one. You'll soon be able to tell. Mine was actually supplied through the hospital so that made it easy. The type I have is listed in the links page attached to my blog - I know its UK based but at least you know what it looks like. In the UK you get assessed in hospital to see what's appropriate when you go home. I had a toilet seat surround (with rails), but no raiser.

I too had a stuffed dog I took into hospital with me and slept with every night I know it seems daft in your 40's, but I found it really nice. Oh yes and get a grabber - in fact, get two!