Wendy's Journal

Paras Arora  Thinking of you as you head into surgery tomorrow. I hope everything goes smoothly and brings you back to full health soon. Wishing you strength and a speedy recovery.

Corey Potter  Wishing you the very best in on your surgery and recovery.  You will do great!  Just keep the positive attitude and you will be up and walking before you know it!

Jyll Welte  I hope everything goes well for you tomorrow! We look forward to hearing from you after you feel well enough to share!

Daneen Douglas  All will be over in the blink of an eye and you will be loving the ice chips, pillow, and on the road to recovery! 

J Alexander Lassally  Great question. Do something fun for yourself now, with a little cushion before surgery as it gets busy beforehand.  Whatever you love... 

I went on a bike ride, had a great dinner out and explored Cleveland area (where I had surgery).. The point is - do something fun and just for you and reflect on points of strength as you get closer to the day for yourself. 

Business wise, have all bills and matters done and put away so you don't need to think about it... 

Rose Madura  Great advice by J Alexander Lassally.  If you feel like it, you may want to prep some meals and freeze them for when you get home.  As the hospital for a surgical bra if they don't automatically give you one.  Recliner is good.  I also found a travel pillow extremely helpful.  I had to check into the hospital the night before my surgery so on the way to the hospital, my husband and I went out to eat at a nice quiet restaurant.

Kate Watson  I would practice working on using your core and butt muscles to go from seated to standing without using your arms since you won't be able to do so for a bit after surgery (assuming this is an open heart procedure)?  You can look online for videos too to see how they'll have you getting up from a chair or from the bed. I also tried to focus my anxious energy on nice things to do for myself for after the recovery; the recliner was one, brought some of my own toiletries to the hospital, put some streaming apps on my ipad so I could watch favorite shows in the hospital, bought some button down shirts. I also took care of things beforehand that put my mind at ease- such as writing my wishes if anything were to go wrong with my surgery.  I just needed to get that off my mind at the time and let it go. Try to have some fun too like J Alexander suggested. 

Pamela Gregory  All good things listed! You should bring a comfortable pillow and warm blanket to the hospital too. Makes you a lot more comfortable. and a phone charger (long)

Corey Potter  Lots of great points here.  The one thing I would like to point out is how absolutely amazing the Cleveland Clinic team was in the operating room.  I, too, was a little anxious as all of these people were working around me.  There was a different level of professionalism and caring that I experienced and I hope you feel that at Duke.  These people are on a different level than most in medical care.  They really put me at ease and we all were actually laughing.  When I woke up, my anesthesiologist looked at me and said, "welcome to the family"!  Wishing you the best and I'm sure you are in great hands, Wendy!

susan harris  a while back, someone suggested moving your dishes down from upper kitchen cabinets. even if for one is taking care of you, you’ll feel more independent if you can get lunch for yourself. and can reach for the plates!

susan harris  pack for hospital. i always suggest a pad of paper and pen. you will think of questions for doc and when he comes, you forget to ask. write them down!  and a 6-10’ft phone charger. plugs are in weird places. in hospitals!

Kimberly Eisenhut  Rent it if you can, as I spent way too much purchasing mine, and I ended up not being able to sleep in it anyway. It does help a lot being a power recliner and having lumbar and head adjusting and I do love it, just not for sleeping or napping, at least not for me. I will say the wedge system for my bed I bought has been a lifesaver! I got it on Amazon and is well worth the money.  

Kimberly Eisenhut  The covers can zip off and be washed as well as being very sturdy and well made. I also like it is made of bamboo and does not make me sweat. I have a lot of neck problems and love the neck support. If you do try it and do not like it, you can vacuum pack it back up and do a return to Amazon, just make sure you have Prime returns. Or you may want to look for a cheaper version with just the wedge and not all the extras.

Marie Myers  I rented one for 4 weeks and it was great! Made sleeping and getting up myself much easier,  and I think it was less than $200 for the month. They delivered it (it looked brand new) and picked it back up after a month.  The wedge pillow was not useful for me at all.

Kimberly Eisenhut  It really is an individual thing I guess. I have heard people use both. I would for sure have both handy just in case :)  

Susan Lynn  Wendy- I didn't find the recliner to be comfortable,  but lots of people do.   I would just recommend options so you can find out what works for you.  In the end,  I used a bunch of pillows and slept in my own bed. 

Pamela Gregory  I bought one and it was the best $ I ever spent in my life. The chair saved me! I slept in it for a long time as this was where I was the most comfortable and it kept me on my back since I am a side sleeper.

J Alexander Lassally  Essential. I would have been a wreck without it as could not sleep in bed for several weeks/month. The recliner was a trusted friend, a safe spot to sleep, sit, or watch Netflix. Best 400 bucks I ever spent! 

Rose Madura  I slept in bed with a wedge for the first couple days but didn't like it although it did force me to sleep on my back. Then I'd sleep in bed with lots of pillows but sleep came only for a little while. Then I would go to the recliner for the rest of the night. I also highly recommend a travel pillow so you don't get a sore neck.

Kimberly Eisenhut  Ha ha Richard, I would gladly give it to you, but I do use it during the day a lot! Just couldn't get comfortable enough in it to sleep. The wedge system I have supports my messed up neck better, maybe that's why. A teenager rear ended my car when traffic was at a standstill when I was in my mid 30s going 30 miles an hour and I braced myself because I saw it coming. My airbag didn't go off, but I did, when I got out of my wrecked car! He, of course, was driving moms fancy SUV with a few friends in it on the way to the high school in Barrington where I lived back then. He was not looking at all, I saw him coming up behind me and he wasn't even looking ahead of him, just goofing off with his friends . That split second had me tightening my grip on the steering wheel to brace myself to get hit hard, which probably just made impact worse for me. I, unfortunately, did not call ambulance or go get checked at hospital because I was too worked up about my wrecked car and getting it towed and fixed. His mother's insurance company gave me a couple hundred extra, but when I think about it now I realize how dumb that was. Now I have to deal with this pain on and off and crippling headaches when it flares up for months sometimes. Should have gone to hospital and got a lawyer. Not to be a jerk but to honestly protect myself and be compensated for what has been a lot of pain later on in my life. Lesson learned a little too late. I was just too forgiving and when his mother called apologizing and sounding so nervous , I just felt bad for her, but forgot about myself😒 
Guess I felt like telling a story tonight. Lol

Dan Fouratt  Wendy,  I cannot answer the recliner question but I had a mini with Dr. Gaca at Duke.  Great surgeon.  One advice for Duke stay is bring some snacks you like the food was awful.  If you want to know any more about the Duke journey email me at Dan4att@gmail.com.  Aside from the food the experience was great for an OHS event.  I was releaesed in 4 days.

Adam Pick  Hi Wendy, Great question. And, really good feedback here. I did not use one. But, looking back on it, I wish I had.  If you would like more patient feedback on this topic, here is a post with 95 more patient comments - https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2009/09/19/recliners-beds-after-heart-valve-surgery/

Maureen Hoganson  Hi Wendy -- So after having two open heart surgeries (first in 2013 to replace my BAV with a bovine valve; second one in June via a successful Ross Procedure to replace the prosthetic aortic valve that wore out) -- I found having an adustable bed was a game changer for me vs. the recliner. We ordered a full/queen size adjustable bed and mattress (and put an allergy cover over it) that we intended to put in a guest room at a later date following my surgery. For me, the adjustable bed was so much better because I could adjust my position for both my upper body, as well as my legs/feet more easily. The recliner I used in 2013 just didn't seem supportive enough -- and the adjustable bed made it easier to adjust on a daily basis.  During the day, I mostly propped up on our couch or loveseat in the living room and used the adjustable bed for night time. I guess it may depend on the recliner that you are considering, but that sums up my experience! Hope all goes well with your surgery!!! Prayers for you!

JULIA LAFEAR  100% I found an inexpensive one at Homesense and was the best. I slept there for 6 weeks after surgery and still love sitting it it was the best thing and helped me sleep during those hard nights

Kevin Cammack  Valve and ascending replaced in August.  I "slept" one night in recliner.  It didn't work for me.  The wedge for the bed worked better.  As a side sleeper though, it wasn't until I could comfortably get a few hours on my side (week 5 or 6) that I felt totally rested.  Even more of a reason to nap during the day!!

Carmen P  I've been through two surgeries and three if you count the one five days later after the second one in August 2024.  I have a sofa with removal back cushions.  Twin sheets fit it when you remove the back cushions.  I could lay flat or on my side, wedged against the back.  Using the heart pillow and hugging it firmly against my chest when sitting up, standing, coughing, sneezing, etc.  I was able to use my couch as Recovery Central.   

Larry Peterson  Hi Wendy - I bought the best power-adjustable recliner that I could find.  It got me through the first three months after sternotomy and aortic valve replacement, and I still sleep in it two years later when the bed doesn't agree with me due to back pain.  

Richard Puckett  It has been almost ten years since my surgery, and I still use my electric recliner.  I slept in it for the first six weeks until I could get in and out of bed easily.  I still use it because it is easy to adjust.  

Scott Mills  I did not use a recliner. Actually in the hospital I set the bed to 10 degrees which is really close to flat. I found the upright position to be equally uncomfortable, and wanted to get back to normal habits as quickly as I could. When I got home I slept in my bed with one pillow under my head. I had a wedge on my couch on the main floor which was comfortable using the day and I did sleep then. The way I experienced it, understanding it is different for all, is that the sleep is going to be tough to begin with no matter how you do it, so I went for a return to normal as quick as I could. 

Jeff Pheffer  Hi there. I suggest more than just a recliner. I got a massage chair from Human Touch. we even got a Fung Shui guy to help place it in the best spot facing the best direction. All the best. I have 2 chairs now and use them all the time. 

Katheryn Applegate  I found it very helpful renting a lift chair for the month following surgery.  No help needed to get up and no need to put pressure on the upper body/incision.  I would do it again for sure!

John Cook  I’m not going to tell you not to get one. I would have used one if I had it or bought one if I had space in a room that I’d want to sleep in.

Instead I bought a 6 piece wedge  pillow set.  I ended up only using 4 of them.

Wendy Hanavan  Thank you all for your great feedback! I am going to go ahead and rent one for a month. I hadn’t thought of a wedge pillow system; will look into that too as a back-up!

Louise Moore  Wendy, it seems you have it all worked out so great!  In my case, I took no chances and got one of the recliner/lift chairs and never needed it!  My bed was a four poster, high off the floor bed so that might have helped since I just had to swing my legs off the bed and was already in a half standing up position.  One thing that did help was that before surgery I did leg lifts to strengthen the torso and I believe that really helped the effort to lift my upper body off the bed.  I also did make a T shape of pillows to rest on that was softer than a wedge pillow ( which I also had - totally over prepared!)  A king sized pillow from head down the spine and a normal head pillow across the top.  It just gave the comfort and extra ummph making it easier to kind of roll up out of bed.   I slept in my own bed right away!  Best of luck to you, you'll be fine!

Sandra Weathers  My legs were weak before surgery, so I bought a lift recliner to help me get up since you can’t use your arms or elbows for standing assistance.  Also helped with finding a comfortable sitting position.

Allen Barrilleaux  My wife went a bought a recliner while I was still in the hospital. It was a lifesaver for me. I was in it day and night for six weeks.