Not posted for a few day so here goes. Arrived home on Sunday night obviously feeling rough. I can’t rememember if I have mentioned my room for the last3 days I was in,the air con was broken and the temp remained at 25.5 for the time I was in. There was nothing the staff could do as all the rooms were full,but terrible management for not taking action. On Monday I felt unwell with nose,throat and top of the chest problems,turns out I picked up a viral infection due to being so dried out. Hopefully I am getting on top of it now but that has stopped me doing what I wanted,the walks etc. Due to breathing problems. I was expecting too much when I got home as far as having some serious sleep,I have had terrible nights but I feel relaxed. What I do is sleep for an hour or so then sit by my bedroom window and do some breathing for 10 minutes. Then I rearrange my bed as it’s the uncomfortable positions I wake up with which wakes me up. Appetite is back to normal so I will be benefiting from that,it’s just the tablets you have to take alongside the food which takes a little of the joy away. Pain wise I am doing great in my mind,I am just having a couple of paracetamols at night,the only real pain is when I cough or move in away my chest objects. Which can’t be bad as tho op was only a week ago. HAS ANYONE GOT ANY SUGGESTIONS AS FAR AS SLEEP POSITION IS CONCERNED.
Doing Ok: Not posted for a few day so... - British Heart Fou...
Doing Ok
Sleep is a big issue. I found fir the first two weeks was to try and sleep almost sitting up. Three pillows one straight and one too each side like a chair. The other thing you mentioned in your post is the tablets spoil your food ? I suggest you take ten minutes after food and as I did split after breakfast and after supper. This was on the advice of cardiologist.
Good luck and take care
Gil.
I bought quite a big foam wedge & put it at the top of my bed, & added some pillows on top of it.. Honestly for the first month post op, I could only sleep propped up, on my back, at about a 45 degree angle.
Hi,
The rolled up blanket/ towel that you have to hold against your chest when you are doing your breathing exercises or when you cough or sneeze, well I found that if I slept with my arms wrapped around it I was more comfortable. Think I felt more secure, I am a side sleeper and that first time on my side was sheer bliss 😂 the best nights sleep I have ever had, though still with my arms wrapped around my rolled up blanket 😂 still lives on my bed a little reminder.
You are doing so well, remember baby steps. Once you can find a good sleeping position for you you will feel even better.
Best wishes Pauline
Big foam wedge definitely helps. Easily available from places like Amazon and not pricey
Hi , good to hear from you . I did message you as had not seen any posts recently. Good to hear your not in to much pain and only taking paracetamol at night. Hopefully you will soon find a good sleeping position.I'm hoping when I have my surgery in 2 weeks tine that when I'm home my parents electric bed I inherited will come in handy.
Hopefully you will be out walking soon and enjoying being in the fresh air.
Can I ask what you mean about taking the tablets taking the joy away from food ? .
Best wishes
😃
HiGood to hear you are feeling better. Sounds like a nightmare to be constantly that hot. Can’t have helped picking something up either.
As others have said, a foam wedge. Cheap and easy to find on the internet. I then use two pillows across. One for your back and one for your head and shoulders. The sitting upright will give you a numb bum and after a while sore heels . My way of getting over that was putting another pillow under your knees to stop you slipping down the bed. It helps in the bum department and also the sore heels from sliding down the bed. I didn’t lie flat for weeks. For one thing if I did I felt I was suffocating and needed help to get up.
My nurse - sorry, husband 🤣 - had to help me for a few weeks to get into the right position for a good sleep. If I managed 4 hours I was very happy. I had my OHS in January so it was nice and cold for masses of pillows and duvets. In hotter weather it might be more difficult to rest.
It hurts to cough but it’s necessary to clear the tubes. Don’t hold back!! My OT in ICU gave me a puffer - sorry not sure what to call them. A tube you breathe into 5 times blowing steadily and not too hard until you empty your lungs. Breathe in again through your nose and hold for 2 secs. When you think your lungs a full sniff once to get that extra bit in. 5 times in all - then you are ready to cough.
I found it worked well.
Pauline mentioned the rolled up towel is your best friend. She’s right of course.
Sleep when you can. Maybe at night it’s a bit of a battle so nap during the day.
All the best
❤️Maisie❤️
Meant to say. Your name intrigues me. This is the name of a village close to where I grew up in Lanarkshire?
Now I have put the name with the place, I live not too far away. Completely missed the connection.
Pauline
Hi it’s good to hear from you , I’ve not went through what you have obviously but I have had a ton of operations on my stomach and broken my ribs three times , so for sleeping , first off , take an antihistamine if you can one of the old style ones , this won’t make you fall asleep but it will guide you to staying asleep if that makes sense ,, pillows , two at your head make sure your neck is supported, one at your back if you sleep on your side , and one in between your knees, this helps relax the muscles in the stomach and rib area , also cuddle something, a small fancy pillow I’m sure your wife had laying around or a rolled up hand towel , helps your rib area , when coughing gently hold a pillow to your stomach . When you are rising from the bed , roll onto your side , move your legs out first and slowly gently rise up with the arms , also try keep the pillow you were cuddling against your stomach when doing that , then sit for a min until ready to stand . It’s not much but hopefully some might help .
Thanks
Hi Ian Pleased to hear from you and hoping that the problems you encountered are getting 'sorted'. A friend of mine who went through OHS swore by a pregnancy bolster/pillow that she used to shape into position as needed. I have bought one in readiness for my op. She also said she slept propped up for several weeks until her chest repaired. Lots of similar comments so must be something in it. 👍😀 Hope the football tonight wasn't too stressful !! Those of us with dodgy tickers might have to hide on Sunday.....
I found the most comfortable position for me was to have pillows under 1 shoulder so I was tipped over slightly to 1 side. Think it’s because I am a side sleeper generally so that felt more normal & after a few days sleep was easier. Good luck
I , too am one week post op .Had major problems getting a comfy sleeping position first 2/3 nights
Tried different beds, settees,chairs , number and position of pillows and cushions etc After trial and error my husband put a box at the bottom of the bed under the sheets so I can push up against it and stop falling down the bed and slipping off the pillows. Best sleep so far was last night 😄
Hi Birdy, What are you doing so far with exercise. Brilliant idea with box.
At the moment I’m concentrating on getting the pain under control enough for me to move about the house , get showered, dressed , get on and off a chair by myself , make a cup of tea and a snack on my own etc.My pain is not nearly as bad as I’d thought it was going to be but is just at an annoying level . I’ve not been out the house for a walk yet , but walking about plenty about the house and garden and going upstairs and down as much as I can. Also have lips covered in cold sores probably caused by the shock to the body of the oha but have to admit that these buggers are getting to me more than anything else 😩😂
I spent the first few nights sleeping in my recliner chair. It was possible to get it in a really comfortable position. Then onwards and upwards! Good luck.
Firstly, you’re coping really well, regardless of what you might be thinking. It sounds like you’re being creative about your sleeping and getting up to sit by the window -‘giving those breathing exercises priority is key I think. I can remember counting down the SIX weeks after my AVR so I could start sleeping on my side - my favourite place. However, until then I used time later in the day to catch up on my bad sleep patterns by snoozing in the chair midday. It’s not ideal but it did help me feel a bit like I wasn’t loosing out altogether on my sleep. I’ve done a lot of meditation and used body relaxation techniques to get myself rested at night that would help me drift off. There is a free app called Insight Timer I use that can be helpful - might be worth a try. Keep at it, you’re doing great and best of all at home now so no more hospital infections to hold up your progress. Sue 🙏
I had my OHS 7 months ago, I'm back working 3 days a week as a landscape gardener. I purchased a V shaped pillow from Dunelm, it's about £12. I'm still using it at night and for sitting in a chair. Gives great support for your neck and around your sides, can highly recommend it. Good luck with your recovery.
Hi Carluke, I can't add any more to the advice from all these good people here. Just to say well done, hope you have a speedy recovery and remember little by little. Take care.
Ruth
I really sympathise about the heat in hospital - the air con was broken when I was in hospital too. Combined with windows that hardly opened and the smell of the hospital food, it really wasn’t a nice atmosphere! Re: sleeping, it is a struggle. As others have said, a semi upright position with a pillow under the knees seems to help for me too. I create the semi upright position with one large firm cushion and then 2-3 pillows layered at angles on too of that.
For naps in the daytime I am using a zero gravity garden chair which reclines nicely with slightly raised knees and feet.
And when I wake up the in the night, I put a podcast on very low to help me doze off - it helps to drown out the sound of my ticking valve (mechanical) although I mind the sound of that less now, 4 weeks on - I’m now finding the regularity of it reassuring compared to the numerous ectopic beats I had before surgery (even though the regularity does put Staying Alive in my head for hours on end which I’m a little bored with now!). I am gradually sleeping longer stretches which is such a relief.
It will get better.
Hi my lovely nurses made me what I called a nest, one pillow at the top, where it should be, one at the right side that I could put my arm on and snuggle in and one at the back to stop me rolling over 🙄I slept like a log or mabe that was the pills! At first they had to do it for me but after a couple of days I got it all arranged myself before bedding down for the night, disturbed sleep is awful I hope you get comfy soon take care char
So sorry about the hospital discomfort and the virus!!! I always found you came out of hospital or the GP waiting room with something new!!
Suggestions on this forum are brilliant. I can only speak for me and my husband. After his quad bypass, he slept with a V shaped pillow behind him so he was sitting up to sleep. A rolled up duvet was by his side of the bed and another rolled up between us in the middle of the bed. He said he didn't need them but during the night he rolled over on his side and woke up in pain!!!
He used to catch up on sleep during the day with little cat naps.
Tablets were taken after breakfast as the surgeon and our GP said they could be taken in one go.
The statin was taken just before he went to bed.
Hold a pillow next to your chest when you cough or sneeze. Always have one very close by!!
Keep us posted.
Love and virtual hugs are heading your way. Jan xxxx
Yes, yes, yes, I'm pleased you're home and sorry you got an infection and had an uncomfortable time in hospital because of the heat. Plenty of good advice about pillows above which I hope are helpful.
But the pressing questions are: how were the contents of the fridge? Are you having a chicken casserole because the chicken was out of date? Did the milk go off? Had the blue cheese expanded and coated every single surface? All very important. 
(Seriously, glad you're basically ok, although the infection won't have helped your recovery)
I must say that at only 1 week post OHS i think youre doing amazing ! For the first few nights in hospital i slept in a recliner then at home i had a V pillow on top of an “ armchair” of pillows so that i was Sleeping sitting up. I did find my bum went numb though ! had a pillow under my knees to help relieve that. Get some rest during the day and relax,Give yourself some time to heal . Best of luck x
Hi there, I bought the (what I call, cheese wedge) pillow from Amazon, it was brilliant! It's the Premium Bed Wedge Pillow and it really helped me as I didn't like lying in my normal pre op position pre op. On the plus side, you can use it when sitting up in bed reading etc, so it's more adaptable than you think - good investment.
😀
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