"Heart" Pillow

[fabyan64]

Okay folks,

I'd like to hear what is used these days in terms of "heart" pillows. After my last surgery in 1991 in Switzerland, I was pulled out of bed an hour after leaving ICU. They stood me up, then had me sit in a chair with a huge feather pillow between the chair back and my chest. A therapist proceeded with a wonderful back massage to get my system going a bit then had me do some stretching exercises (separate post for later).

I was not give a pillow to hold against my chest for any reason, e.g sitting, reclining, etc., but was given someone's neck. I locked my hands behind their neck and they lifted me to a sitting position or lowered me to a horizontal position. - does not seem to be a practice in this country due to, let me guess? Liability???

After my surgery a few weeks ago I was given a pillow to use to hold against my chest for coughing, sneezing, sitting, etc. However, the pillow is really just a pillow used for people with a back neck. It's thick and rounded at one end and thinner and rounded at the other end. No name on it, but it's from Professional Products, Inc. They show a sleeping position for someone with neck problems.

My question is:

What, if any, other pillows are used as "heart" pillows?
Why has nobody designed something to go around the chest for the purpose of support, comfort and protection for someone with a 'cracked' chest, or have they?

Just curious,

Roderick

 

[tex]

Hi Roderick,
I was given a rolled up towel to hold against my chest, which worked wonders it just fitted down my sterum, i have read on here before that this simple idea works great its a lot firmer that a pillow.
Hope you are improving after your surgery.
Take care
Jane

 

[sue943]

I was also given a rolled towel, the nurses called 'baby', they told me to take my baby everywhere with me. They fold and roll the towel then put a piece of tape to hold it together. Very effective.

 

[netmiff]

picture and description of mine in my photo album, here


http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/album.php?albumid=96

 

[Eva]

Any pillow will do. As I was told by nurses, if you do not have a pillow next to you, you can squeeze yourself/hug yourself instead! It worked for me.

Now after 7 months, when I sleep on my side, I hug a regular pillow so that I want bend too much sideways.

Good luck.

 

[Jkm7]

My first surgery, the nurses gave me a board (I kid you not) with towels taped to it. It was too heavy for me to lift.

My second surgey, at the same hospital four years later, my nurses rolled a towel tight and taped it and that worked very well for me. I had brought a firm throw pillow from home to use and didn't need it. The rolled towel was perfect.

 

[Adrienne]

Hi Roderick,
I was given a rolled up towel to hold against my chest, which worked wonders it just fitted down my sterum, i have read on here before that this simple idea works great its a lot firmer that a pillow.
Hope you are improving after your surgery.
Take care
Jane

Same for me. Then at home, my husband rigged up the same thing.

 

[Adrienne]

I was also given a rolled towel, the nurses called 'baby', they told me to take my baby everywhere with me. They fold and roll the towel then put a piece of tape to hold it together. Very effective.

They called it "baby" at my hospital too!!

 

[BigOwl]

I think I just had a regular pillow to use after my CABG. They gave my dad a care-bear like teddy for his second CABG, and I thought of writing to my step mom and asking her to send it to me--but I never got around to it. What I got this time was a rather large, firm, bright red heart-shaped pillow with a scientific diagram of the heart silk-screened in red, white, and blue (this is Texas, after all) on one side, and the Baylor logo on the other. It worked great, and it was fun to see my fellow recoverers walking the hall clutching their pillows lovingly to their tender bosoms.

However, I may well have preferred netmiff's crazy IKEA pillow, and might try to see if I can get one the next time I'm there (looks like something they'd have in the kids' section). Our IKEA is right up the street from my surgeon's office--seems like it was meant to be . . . In the end, I think the massage is the best idea. Ever.

 

[Glenda]

In the CVICU & ICU where I volunteer we give out heart bears. They are bought by our auxillary. They are not a soft bear but semi hard and they fit your chest great. They come with a little white shirt that say's Freeman Auxillary. I still have mine although he's rather flat where I squeezed him so hard when I coughed or sneezed.

 

[David L]

Heart Pillow

Heart Pillow

At Stanford, you're given a red, heart shaped, firm pillow with their name on it. I still keep it on my bed to remind me that I earned it, and what you have to go through to get one!!

 

[cp172]

I was given a heart bear. When I went back to work so did he for a few weeks.

 

[DaveEM]

At Stanford, you're given a red, heart shaped, firm pillow with their name on it. I still keep it on my bed to remind me that I earned it, and what you have to go through to get one!!

I got a similar firm red heart shaped pillow at Washington Adventist Hospital in Tacoma Park, MD. It was terrific and a great help!

 

[geebee]

The folks from Mended Hearts brought me a heart pillow the day after my third OHS. Of course, any pillow will do but I still think that one had special powers and made things much easier. Besides it came with an autograph pen and I had all the nurses and doctors sign it.

At home, Chris tied a rope to the bottom of our bed that was long enough to reach the head of the bed. I was able to use it to pull myself up. It made things much easier when he wasn't around to help. I found pushing myself up was very painful for weeks but pulling not so bad.

 

[palmaceae]

When I woke up from surgery I had a Mended Hearts pillow in my arms. It has been my buddy for weeks now!

 

[mikeb85]

The hospital gave me a heart shaped pillow and my wife also made me one that had custom embroidery on it. I never really used either one cause my sternum never really hurt that bad. I was quite amazed how little pain I had. the worst of it was the drain tube in my chest. Once they took that out it wasn't bad

mikeb
7 weeks post op

 

[WayneGM]

I just use one of those "decorative" pillows my wife has on the couch. Of course, she made me put a plastic bag around it, but it worked just fine.

 

[dtread]

At Stanford, you're given a red, heart shaped, firm pillow with their name on it. I still keep it on my bed to remind me that I earned it, and what you have to go through to get one!!

I earned mine at Washington Hospital Center, and I keep mine in the living room.

 

[fabyan64]

Thanks for all the feedback. It looks like the idea is similar all over; with the exception of what St. Luke's gave me - what a strange pillow. I'm not using mine anymore, or just a little, but I will as soon as I start driving - I'll need it when I get back to Chicago and have to deal with their POT HOLES!!!

 

[BigOwl]

Thanks for all the feedback. It looks like the idea is similar all over; with the exception of what St. Luke's gave me - what a strange pillow. I'm not using mine anymore, or just a little, but I will as soon as I start driving - I'll need it when I get back to Chicago and have to deal with their POT HOLES!!!

One reason why I didn't drive while I lived in Chicago. But thanks for starting the thread; it was fun to see what everyone uses.