Kevin's Journal

Richard Munson  I never used one and i was 79. Maybe should have in hindsight. I rigged a hoist by hitching 2 belts together attached to the end of the bed to assist me. Crude yes, but it worked. Slept mostly on my back the first couple of weeks. I never went to rehab during covid. Used my in house treadmill. Perfect no, but did it work, yes.

Richard Munson  To keep me on my back during sleeping i used some pillows and a 120 pound malamute next to me. When i suggested the dog on the bed at night my wife said no, i said yes, she said no. I won that battle but i usually lose. I had minimally invasive and side sleeping was painful. I can’t tell you how therapeutic that dog was for me. Bedroom second floor, treadmill first floor. She would accompany me down the stairs for support along with a railing. 

Richard Munson  Actually it was cassie before shadow arrived on the scene. He is my new heart surgery boy. She died a year later and will remain in my heart forever. If you notice she is in my heart valve picture on my bed the day i came home from heart surgery. She knew what i needed and provided it. 

Richard Munson  You might think i am kidding but we all know about the first cough after surgery and how the pillow helps ease the pain. Cassie would add the weight of her head to the pillow during a cough. How she knew is anyones guess. 

Grace Mason   I was ready to buy a new mattress so invested in an adjustable bed. Worked great! Still very useful. Many people use recliners, or wedge pillows or just lots of pillows (a pillow fort) to prop themselves up.

Sue Maize  Awww, Richard—animals are amazing! Especially dogs…my cats are super snuggly but I’m not sure they have those same kind of instincts to help in an emergency. 😬

Sue Maize  That makes so much sense Grace and I wonder about how I’ll do with my new recliner…nice and comfy for a couple of hours watching a movie, but not sure I’m going to enjoy it as much as a substitute for my bed, like you Susan. 🤔

Grace Mason   That was my feeling Sue. I knew sleeping in a recliner was not going to cut it for me. I couldn't sleep in a recliner before surgery, so I knew that was not going to be my first choice for after surgery. I did the pillow fort at the hotel, after discharge, until I was cleared to fly home, and that was ok, too.
Kevin you could check out Deena Elani's pillow fort pic in her journal if you want to.

Yumiko Ishida  Kevin, I think it depends on how you prefer to sleep and how strong your core is. I bought mine when I had knee issues several year ago and couldn’t get to my bedroom on the third floor. It was more critical then than it was after heart surgery, but in the early weeks post OHS I definitely preferred the recliner over my bed. I tried to work out before the surgery, but my core muscles have never been strong, so I found it is much easier on the power assisted recliner. I bought a wedge pillow to try on my bed for a couple of nights, but kept sliding down and it bothered my lower back. Someone on this site mentioned being a side sleeper and able to sleep better on a bed despite the pain, but I think he is a minority. I am a side sleeper, too, but was afraid to even try to sleep on my side for several weeks. It is my understanding that you can rent a recliner, so if you’re not sure or don’t have the space for it as a permanent fixture in your home, you may want to rent one.

Robert Miller  I slept outside on our couch with motorize reclining quite a bit after both surgeries. So that's one option. Another option would be to change the bed to one that has a motorized "prop up" function. Both of those would not add space and just replace what you already have. Obviously, there is cost involved with that. I also used one of those triangle wedges to sleep in our bed. It made it easier to get out of the bed but sleeping was uncomfortable. In either case, pillows are your friend. I used them on our couch and our bed. 

J Alexander Lassally  To chime in for you, I'd heavily advise to have a recliner in position @ home for sleep when you get home. I'm passing along this excellent insight I learned here on HVS. It was an essential part of my recovery. You can rent one at a med supply store for a month. Or buy. Make sure it is power and adjustable... You won't be able to use the traditional crank at first...  Good luck ! 

Grace Mason   Kevin, I would take either athletic or elastic pants that are comfortablely roomy. Fluid retention is common post surgery.  Button front or zip front shirt is easier post surgery to put on then over the head. 
The hospital will probably provide most things you need but ear buds are nice because it can be noisy. Comfort items are nice too. Your own blanket or pillow. Slip on shoes and an extra long charging cord are also good ideas.
Wishing you well ❤️‍🩹

Dan Fouratt  Kevin, I invested in two sets of sweets (cheapest at Marshalls) and three short sleeve button shirts (same place).  the sweets made it a way to get on pants with no belt,, no zipper and a flexibility in the waist for weight changes. the shirts were easy to get on without raising and arm to get in a tee shirt.  Started wearing in the hospital and continued for the first several weeks at home. I could walk in them, sleep in them, and they did not need changing everyday. I went comfortable, no fashion statement.  Wore it as late as last week.

Yumiko Ishida  I pretty much learned everything about recovery here. Cardiologist and surgeon just told me 6 to 10 weeks. Very little info from my hospital. If you search online, some hospitals have detailed guides posted and you can download them regardless of your affiliation. I second what everyone has mention above - recliner, etc. Daneen, whose surgery was today, put together a helpful checklist: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Oj-hqPjPRF7rhZEl9HE7Aa7xI9x3pz1PWCj_Lz2leuE/edit#heading=h.x4g62sxavx9g

Robert Miller  No need for bigger pants. Just get some lose sweat pants. Don't bring a tight t-shirt. Either a lose t-shirt or just a casual bottom-up shirt because it will be harder to lift your arms up to get into a tight t-shirt. But that is really the least of your worries. You have to be prepared from home. You can't sleep on your side or your stomach. And it's harder to get out of the bed. So you need pillows to support you. If you have or can get a recliner or a bed that can prop up, that is great. And you can't lift much. There isn't much you can do about it. So if you don't have a significant other, see if someone else can help you.