Heart Hugger?

shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
Valve Replacement Forums

Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
T

terry_scott

Hi:

In another thread I saw mention of a "heart hugger." Can someone please explain what this is and how it helps with pain management?

Thanks,
Terry Scott
 
Hi Terry,
While I was in the hospital, they gave me (to keep) a rather large heart shape pillow they called a "heart hugger" to hold against my chest when I walked down the hallway. I was to keep it close by in case I sneezed or coughed. I can honestly say, that I never coughed or sneezed until I was about 5 weeks into my recovery.
As for pain management, I can only say that the little bit of pressure one can apply to the chest with this pillow helps a little with the discomfort.
I doubt that this helps.
 
At the Montreal Heart Institute they used rolled up towels for us to use as pillows. They called it our "baby". When I got home, my husband rigged up the same thing with towels and some elastic so I could hang it around my neck. It does help with coughing and sneezing, although sneezing is still pretty bad!:eek: I guess putting pressure on the chest going inwards sort of counterbalances the pressure going outwards.
 
My Pillow

My Pillow

I too was given a heart shaped pillow to hold against your chest if a cough or sneeze comes on. It worked great for coughs....never sneezed. We were also told to put it between the seat belt and our chest in the car until the surgeon released us.
I also had family autograph it! I made a wine label with a picure of the pillow!
 
I can't imagine what kind of pain a sneeze would bring a few weeks after op, I was very careful to plug my nose when the itch started happening. It was nice to have the pillow to my chest during coughing fits though, if not just the psychological benefit alone of a little bit of comfort.
 
I don't think I would like that heart hugger harness thing.....
My hospital gave out a red heart shaped pillow but I found it too thick and cumbersome, so at home I used a smaller version.....very important for coughing; and it is really necessary to put some kind of pillow behind a seatbelt in the car.
 
Ain't nobody putting me in a harness!!!:eek: :eek: :eek: I had the heart shaped pillow too. It had a marker on it for people to sign like a cast. Visitors, nurses etc signed it. It is kind of neat to read it from time to time.
 
There are folks who swear by the heart hugger harness. I got one -- and only swore at it. :D I couldn't use it comfortably.

But a member of Mended Hearts came by my hospital room and gave me a heart pillow to hold and to keep. It was a Godsend. More than 2 1/2 years later, I STILL sleep with it. Guess it has become my security blanket. :)
 
some swear by the heart hugger. In fact, one member passed his/hers on to another member after he/she was finished with it. These you have to buy from somewhere.

I was given a small pillow and told to take it everywhere. I did, including the bathroom - I remember that first sneeze after I got home. Thought I was just going to die on the spot. Stop all sneezes if you can. They really hurt - severely!
 
If you can use the harness give it a try. I started with a red heart shaped pillow, but it did not do well for me. The hospitals cardiac rehab person talked me into trying the harness and I found it to relieve the pain from coughing and standing up to be much better for me. But as we all know different things work better for different people. Good Luck
Rich
 
It seems that many hospitals are very giving with their various accessories. I, too, went home with the heart pillow. I had a heart hugger "passed down" to me from someone here, but did not ever really need it....tried it for curiosity.....then passed it down to several other people (now out of range or I'd pass it on to you ;) ).

I think a quick call to the cardiac unit of the hosptal may get you some answers. Like, what do they have available for their patients? Perhaps if we all asked, up front, we could have had a better idea, going in, what we might expect.

For me, the best pain management accessorie was the drugs!!! :D

Marguerite
 
I think my nurses must have hated me. :( They gave me a board (like plywood) with a pillow taped on top of it. It was heavy to lift and well.....stiff as a board. No one suggested I use a nice comfy soft pillow nor did they mention my putting something between my chest and the seat belt when I went home. DH didn't think to bring one from home as no one mentioned it might make me more comfortable. I survived in spite of them. :p I know better for the next time.
 
The pillow should not be one of those fluffy, soft things for sleeping. Those would not really absorb much of the shock of coughing. The pillow should have a bit more substance, and dense,compact stuffing.
 
:eek: But a piece of plywood!!? It wasn't that big but it was just about on the verge of too heavy for me to lift let alone place against my sore chest. I managed fine but I have read about the mended heart pillows and such a number of times since my surgery and know one would have been helpful. (I'm talking about Mass. General.....certainly a major heart surgery institution).
 
I was given a medium size Teddy Bear named Sir Coughs-a-Lot. On his chest side he had (under his softness) a board of some kind that was about 12 inches long. He was a life saver for coughs.

By the way, I tried to stiffle a sneeze and literally blew my wires apart. Hurt like heck too.

Now I feel kinda special havin' had a teddy bear.

:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top