Pillow Talk

[dcc617]

I have this really silly question. I had my surgery on 2/9 and have been home 2 weeks. How long has anyone used their pillow for 'bracing'? I'm still coughing a little and find it helps. But those out of the blue sneezes are really painful. I don't want to sound like a baby, but find I still need it.

What's anyone elses experience?

 

[Adrienne]

I remember taking mine with me in the car for a trip down to NY five weeks after the operation.

 

[Boston Tiger]

I kept my pillow around when I went back to work at four weeks, and was glad to have it when my first sneeze hit at week 5. Things got better for me around week 6. That's typically how long it takes for one of my broken bones to heal.

 

[bradvo]

Thought for awhile that pillow would never leave my side, then one day it stayed home..must have been around a month. I began to use my arms to cross over my chest when I sneezed.

Just remembered I started driving around 5 weeks and I had the pillow between seat belt and chest.. :biggrin2:

 

[Mom2izzy]

I just wanted to say that no question is silly if knowing the answer will help you and others in some way. I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to tag on to your question...

When you cough or sneeze does it just hurt while it's happening and then quickly subside, or does one cough/sneeze cause some lasting discomfort (minutes, hours, days)?

 

[ElectLive]

I carried my pillow around religiously for the first 5 weeks, even though I'm pretty sure I only coughed or sneezed once or twice the whole time. Saw the surgeon Week 5 and he told me everything looked great, could do whatever I want, no restrictions (other than lifting over 30 lbs). It was amazing how much better I suddenly felt leaving his office. Tossed the pillow in the closet as soon as I got home.

 

[dcc617]

Whew. Thought I was being a bit of a baby.

Mom2 - the first sneeze took my breath away and I needed one of the heavy pain pills. I felt it all day. (no kidding) The next days sneeze was also bad. The one today hurt but it seemed to pass quickly. Unfortunately, all three sneezes came on all of a sudden and didn't have time to grab the pillow.

 

[Madsometimes]

I used a pillow in the car for 5 weeks. I didn't really need it towards the end, but it was a comfort thing. Once I started driving at 6 weeks, I put the pillow away. We don't get special pillows here after heart surgery, so I used a cushion from home.

 

[Johan]

I didn't get a special pillow but on about day two a nurse brought a rolled up towel and showed me the folded arms prosedure with the roll on my chest. Used it when needed in hospital.

When I arrived home after 6 days my daughter presented me with a pink heart shaped pillow and I used it for about 6 weeks. Whenever someone drove me around as a passenger before I was allowed to drive at 6 weeks, I stuffed it between my chest and the seat belt.

This continued for about another 2 weeks of driving myself. Then felt comfortable enough to discard it.

In my case the pain of an unguarded cough or sneeze (only happened once) was intense but only lasted a minute or so.

 

[Ovie]

I've only used mine a few times to get phlem
Out of my lungs, I see people around here using it more than I do, but I do know the times I have used it, it's saved me an amount of pain, that's for sure.

 

[sarahsunshine]

Skyler still complains that his chest hurts when he sneezes and coughs. It’s been 12 weeks today. He hasn’t used is pillow in a while, but it was enough that he asked his doctor when the pain will go away. I understand that most people don’t have as much pain anymore. I hope it eases up for him soon.

 

[Greg a]

I remember thinking I could get rid of my pillow at about week 8 then my grand daughter insisted on walking in the door finding the thing and presenting it to me .....how could I say no.....sneezing, coughing, burping or any other bodily function were never as hard on me as LAUGHING even today with no sternum I have to cross my arms MANY times during Big Bang Theory or 2.5 men or telling or hearing a good joke as the ends of my ribs rub against my muscle flaps and push my collarbone up into my windpipe....I am really bad at telling jokes as I think ahead and start laughing at my own joke way ahead of the punchline ....oh well