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So I have made a few posts on here regarding my surgery, which due to an emergancy I had last Thursday! My op went really well and I am now home.
My issue is that I physically cannot lie down to go to sleep, I currently have a back rest on my bed so I can sleep sitting up on some form of slant. It is driving me crazy because I am also struggling to sleep and my backache is horrendous!
I am just wondering if anyone else has had the same problem? And if so, how you dealt with it?
Sorry to hear you’re having a hard time sleeping, I think most of us who’ve had open heart surgery can relate to that. I also struggled for the first couple of weeks after I came home from hospital. I have one of those double bolster pillows which helped after a while by stopping me rolling ver too far, but initially it helped me by creating the effect of the slope I had with the hospital bed. Make sure you take painkillers before you go to bed and have some to hand if you need more during the night. Luckily I have a recliner so napped in that during the day as it was more comfortable.
It’s early days for you but I promise it does get better. I was sleeping on my side after two weeks but my shoulders were very painful for a while.
Wendy
I am so glad i'm not the only one!
I slept in my recliner on the first night home but just wanted to be in my bed, I just feel as though nothing is comfortable!
Thank you for your reply!
I trust the surgery went well. I empathise. I spent my first night sat in a chair as it was the only way I could get even remotely comfortable. I had the painkiller pump going all the time and most of it was to manage that back pain. It does get better and easier- a couple a days post op and it was much more tolerable and once you can get walking it gets better still. The nurses should be able to help arrange pillows to help, but in the short term I found I needed the pain meds.
Steven
Sorry to hear you are having problems sleeping, as Wendy says make sure you keep taking the pain killers.
I am wondering which valve you decided on in the end as you were not sure last time you posted.
Hope things improve over the next couple of weeks and you can get some sleep.
Best wishes
Annette
Hi Annette,
I went for the ross procedure in the end, after hours of research it seemed like the best option for me! The surgery was 9 hours in total and I've been told to expect a long recovery!
Thank you for asking 
Sorry to hear your problems sleeping .. I remember my husband having a problem like that. After about three months he got past the problem, so hang on in there, he had many short naps through the day
I think naps are the only thing keeping me going at the minute! I just seem to nod off all the time during the day but i physically cannot get comfy!
Im just so glad its not just me!
Thank you for your reply
He also had pain in his neck ( no not me !!!) and a feeling like he had been kicked in the bum ... it all cleared in a few months , but if he starts over doing things some of the pain returns .. that’s 26 years on !!!
Hope your recovery is swift
Oh bless you hahaa!!
Yeah my pain is all im my shoulders and upper back and my bum feels like it's not even there any more it's so numb!
Oh wow really?!
Thank you 😘
As most have said naps during the day to catch up on sleep, it will ease next few days weeks will get better
Hi glad to hear that your surgery went really well.
I too had great difficulty sleeping when I got home, I sleep on my side or front and found having to be part sat up was hard. My husband brought me 2 body pillow and a V pillow
They gave me brilliant support and my back didn’t ache ( plus he rubbed tiger balm on my back at night) he also but a rolled up duvet under the mattress at the bottom which raised my legs just enough to stop water retention, and that also gave me a better sleeping position . But the best thing I did was go to my GP and she gave me sleeping tablets I had the best sleeps ever and felt great in the mornings and more rested and less grumpy 😡 I only took them for 2 weeks and my sleeping pattern returned, I’m so glad I took them .
Hope this has been of some help. Hoping you get too sleep like a baby 👶 soonKaz 💖❤️💕
Hiya,
Thanks for that message I may have to try some of those!
My boyfriend has been religiously putting deep heat on me througout the day which is helping a bit with the pain killers. I have an adjustable back rest on the bed with a v shaped pillow but its just not comfy enough at all 
Fingers crossed i can sleep soon! Thank you so much and thank you for all your messages over the past few months you have been brilliant! Xxxxx
Honestly go to your GP and get the happy sleeping 💤 tablets
I had never taken any type of medication before this, and would of refused them in the past, I’m so glad I took them, helped so much with my recovery and mental well being 😂 took 2 1st week 1 2nd week then stoped, back to normal. I’m so glad my posts have been of some help.
Take care and I hope you 😴😴😴😴😴💤💤💤💤💤 soon
Kaz💖💕💗
It does get better. I am now 9 weeks and can now sleep comfortably on my side. I used four pillows arranged to keep me on a slope and support my shoulders and back.. Woke a lot in the night so took paracetamol and read until I dropped off again.
Thank god for that, I would normally always sleep on my side so it has been a nightmare having to sleep on my back if I could get comfy it wouldnt be so bad!
Glad you are doing well at 9 weeks! Thank you for getting back to me!
It is interesting to read about the shoulder pain I complained so much about it I eventually had an x-ray which showed fractured rib. That was after six weeks I also got pleurisy. So don't ignore it if it doesn't get better
Glad you are doing well. The first few weeks are the worst. Pillows under your legs in bed really helped me, they stop you moving down the bed for one! I used a wedge and lots of pillows in an armchair shape and cocodamol at night. You get used to only getting a few hours sleep at a time but it gets better every day! 6 months post OPH and I'm totally back to 'normal' - sleeping better than I ever did!
Wishing you a speedy recovery 😁
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