Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

after surgery mattress ?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • after surgery mattress ?

    Happy New Year everyone!
    As I prepare for surgery, I was wondering what type of mattress, is the most beneficial, after your surgery? I have a very good mattress now...was wondering if the Memory foam mattress, or foam topper is the answer?
    My surgery has not been scheduled yet...as I was hoping to get it done, in the late summer/fall. But considering the pain I'm experiencing, it might have to be bumped forward. I will be talking to my surgeon in January.

    Also, I would be interested in hearing all of your helpful hints, when you went thru your recovery?

    Thanking you, in advance,
    Kootenaygal.

  • #2
    Hi...

    You might want to do a search on the word mattress, as there have been quite a few threads on the topic. In summary, my take on it is that it's different for every individual. I have a top-of-the-line SleepNumber bed, and like it a lot.

    I have a few pages on my website to help patients in preparing for and recovering from scoliosis surgery:
    http://www.scoliosislinks.com/PreparingforSurgery.htm
    http://www.scoliosislinks.com/PostSurgActivities.htm

    Regards,
    Linda
    Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
    Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

    Comment


    • #3
      I have a sleep number bed with a 4" memory foam topper on it. The foam topper was (is) key for me. I bought it for $99 on Overstock.com. If you buy one, buy up a size and cut it down. That way it's the full size of your bed rather than slightly smaller. I'm not sure why they don't cover the full bed but they don't.
      Female, age 38
      4 years of bracing, concluded at 42*upper/38*lower
      currently 64*upper/40*lower
      Fused T3-L4 on Feb 23 2011
      now 32*upper/18* lower

      Comment


      • #4
        Yes, the top of the line SleepNumber bed has a memory foam outer layer.
        Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
        ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
        Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

        Comment


        • #5
          A latex foam topper made all the difference for me. It took me 3 weeks on maximum medications to figure that one out. I was not the best at crossword puzzles during that period....and when Jeopardy comes on the television and the subject switches to Greek mythology, your going to get creamed every time, might as well just change the channel. (smiley face)

          If your bed is dead flat, you will be in good shape with the topper. If its hammocked, what happens is you have more force up by your shoulder and pelvis area, and less force or even a gap in your mid area and you will feel that with a full fusion. Before I realized that I needed the foam, I used another bed in my home which is hammocked and struggled sleeping in different positions. It was like sleeping on a hill.

          The foam is also more forgiving with the bandages. Since I had bandages on the front and back, and a broken right shoulder, that left only one position. I slept on my left side for a long time. After the scars heal some, you can roll on them, it takes a few months.

          Ed
          49 yr old male, now 63, the new 64...
          Pre surgery curves T70,L70
          ALIF/PSA T2-Pelvis 01/29/08, 01/31/08 7" pelvic anchors BMP
          Dr Brett Menmuir St Marys Hospital Reno,Nevada

          Bending and twisting pics after full fusion
          http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...on.&highlight=

          My x-rays
          http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...2&d=1228779214

          http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/attac...3&d=1228779258

          Comment


          • #6
            Unfortunately, there are no guarantees that one thing will be more comfortable than another. While I love my SleepNumber with foam topper a lot, I was unable to spend any amount of time in bed for 2 months following my revision surgery. Also, while some people have been comfortable with adjustable beds, I purchased one before my original surgery, but was never comfortable in bed with the head raised. That was in expensive mistake.

            If you're planning to spend some money getting the house ready, I would definitely invest in a foam topper, and potentially a recliner (though not an overly soft one), and/or a supportive type, cushioned armchair. The one thing that almost everyone experiences is that nothing is comfortable for too long.

            --Linda
            Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
            Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

            Comment


            • #7
              I also have a sleep number bed with a foam topper and find it is very good.

              To prepare your house, you might also consider a raised toilet seat. There are threads that list what to get to prepare your home.
              1996 x-rays (none read recently) 50 degrees thoracic, 40 degrees lumbar
              Never braced, found out I had scoliosis at age 28
              At time of surgery, multi-level disc spondylotic degeneration,
              advanced lumbar degeneration, stenosis
              65 years young and very active but no lengthy walks or standing without pain
              Now, 67. walking and standing as much as I want
              Surgery Dec. 7, 2010
              T10-S1 posterior
              Dr. Rand
              New England Baptist Hospital, Boston,
              http://s1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee369/itr1/

              Comment


              • #8
                I second the recliner - we rented an electric one from Rent a Center for $25 a week, and I'm glad we did - I slept in it for a good amount of time that first few weeks/first month. Then one day, I sat down and said, "I can't sit here anymore. It's too soft." We sent it back that week. Now my living room "home" is a traditional chair that reclines (made by lazboy) and is quite firm. Weird. For the longest time I needed a soft chair and somewhat firm bed, but now it's the exact opposite. Renting was definitely the best option for us, in the chair category.

                And my husband hates the foam topper, so we ended up cutting it in half. I sleep on what he calls "the upper level"!
                Female, age 38
                4 years of bracing, concluded at 42*upper/38*lower
                currently 64*upper/40*lower
                Fused T3-L4 on Feb 23 2011
                now 32*upper/18* lower

                Comment


                • #9
                  i have a form mattress
                  Kara
                  25
                  Brace 4-15-05-5-25-06
                  Posterior Spinal Fusion 3-10-10
                  T4-L2
                  Before 50T
                  After 20T

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    We bought the sleep number bed with 1.5 inches of memory foam and then I put a 2 inch memory foam topper on my side of the bed. I did get the fancy mattress that allows the top and bottom to go up and down and I loved it! Actually, I still love it as it is the comfortable thing to sit/lay on when my back starts to ache.

                    Definately search for the list on what you will need--it is very helpful.

                    The raised toilet seat is a must!
                    Discovered scoliosis when 15 years old.
                    Wore Milwaulkee Brace for 1.5 years.
                    Top curve 85 degrees, bottom curve 60 degrees

                    Surgery completed August 23, 2011 (during an earthquake, can you believe that?)
                    Dr. Charles Edwards, II
                    The Spine Center at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, MD
                    Before and after xrays:
                    http://www.valley-designs.com/myspine

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      After hearing that a scoliosis surgeon at Harvard recommended a memory foam mattress for someone's relative in the aftermath of surgery and learning that many people I know have them, I decided I would buy one. I researched on the internet, talking to people who had one, going to mattress stores, Consumer Reports. Then, it was all latex (the latest material), all memory foam, a combo and how firm. I purchased a Sleep Innovations Roma Sera (the most soft) from Costco on a modest sale and it is a combo latex/memory foam. I felt that if nothing else, it was a good starter because it was reasonable in price and had a good return policy if I did not like it or anything went wrong with the mattress. And one of the customer service representatives has the same mattress. One of the managers at the local store had another SI mattress but it was much too firm for me; however, he and his wife love it.

                      I have not been unhappy--in fact, I have slept better than I have in years even throughout the night for the first time in years.

                      One motivation for the purchase was this upcoming surgery--just in case I might be able to sleep, I wanted to be comfortable.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        re; mattress's

                        I just tried out the new latex mattress this weekend...Wow, I wanted to take it home immediately. Such wonderful support, and just the right softness! My painful ribs were so supported...no pain!! This mattress also has a 20 year warranty!! I think I prefer this over the all memory foam mattress. This one has memory foam, and latex!
                        I'm also considering surgery this year!
                        Sleep well...
                        Kootenaygal

                        Comment

                        Working...
                        X