can't get comfortable

Good Morning,
I am wondering if there are any helpful hint for getting comfortable at night. My back hurts, my insides feel like they are all sliding to one side when I lay on either side and laying on my stomach is not an option. What to do? Will I ever get a good nights sleep?!

I feel your pain my fellow Sister. It took me 10 days to be able to sleep in my own bed again. I found that sleeping on the couch with TONS of pillows strategically placed was the best way to sleep. I STILL have trouble getting comfy at times..and wake up w/ twinges of pains and a numb arm from sleeping on my side (am also a tummy sleeper). There are many times I have to choose between pain in my stomach or pain in my arm from sleeping on it! What choices we have eh?!

after reading through other postings in the forum, I feel like a whiny baby. I guess I'm in the Me stage. But it is comforting to know that I am not alone.

no, you are not alone. i had my surgery last wednesday and its very hard to get comfortable. i've been trying to lay on my left side with a pillow between my legs, and then another one in front,on my tummy wedged between my left side and bed (that helps with the feeling of all your insides sliding down to the left) it helps until you feel the need to change positions!! i've always slept on my back, so i always wake up that way anyway. it just takes time. i hope you get better soon.

-stephanie

I liked having pillows on either side of my abdomen slightly under my back. I kind of wedged myself into bed. I would also turn about 45 degrees to one side. I'm fairly thin, but I felt like my stomache was hanging over my side without those pillows.

Totally Agree with the above posts........

PILLOWS, PILLOWS, PILLOWS...........I have them in all shapes and sizes......the first couple weeks...had everything I own propped up in one way or another...... LOL. As time has gone by, my pillow pile has gone down.....still need a few. Also have an old limp knitted throw that I can wad up to fit in any way necessary.....MY life saver.

Hope things get better and sending you best wishes....



Gen

When on you back: definitely get pillows under your knees!
On the couch works good too, knee bent up and leaning on the back of the couch.
Body pillows are great for lying on the side as well as the pillows to support the tummy!!

I am a stomach sleeper...I have been one for the past 4 years because I have a cat that loves to wait till I am fast asleep and then jump on my stomach area with one heavy pounce to wake me up. Therefore...right after I came home from the hospital I was scared to death of her doing that so I started within a couple of days (with staples still in place) to start at least sleeping on my side. It hurt like hell...but it would have hurt more for my cat "Puddin" to jump up on my incision...lol. I did have a lot of pain for a few days...but once the staples came out about 10 days after surgery...it did get easier...and eventually I was able to roll completely over onto my stomach. I am 5 weeks post op now...and still at times I get the twinges and pulling and jolts of pain there...but no where near what I felt in the beginning. My doctor tells me this is all normal...and it is from my body healing itself. As long as I dont start bleeding...and/or having excessive unbearable pain...I figure things are good.

STAPLES....

Wouldn't it be nice if they told us we would feel considerably better once they were out? Mine came out day 3 and before nurse had said (thinking I was staying another day) she would remove them the next day and I would feel like a different person. She was right. Them coming out was like night and day.

I have always slept on my side but kind of on a downward slant. Within a day or two, I was back there. I still sleep with a pillow to my belly but I think that's now more habit than need.

Julie

I am just in the last few days able to sleep on my left side which is how I normally sleep. I was able to sleep on right side and 2 weeks and left at nearly 3. For me, I had pillows propping me up higher in back and under my knees. It will get better, it just takes a while.