I slept on my side!!! oh, and a question

Can you tell I"m just a *little* happy about this?? LOL Tomorrow marks 4 weeks since surgery and oooohhhh how I've longed to sleep on my side! I tried last week, didn't work, but it was nice to sleep on something other than the recliner for a few hours. Granted, the couch isn't quite the same as my bed...but it's NOT the recliner! The next night (and a few days after) I was in so much pain I started taking the pain meds again. (It wasn't the sleeping position that caused the pain) So last night, after a few days of feeling better, I thought I'd give it a try. First I slept on my back for about 3-4 hours. After waking up (as normal) I decided to give the side sleeping a try. I only slept for a couple hours that way....but aaaaaaahhhhhhhh those were an amazing 2 hours!

now for my question...I'm longing for my bed, but those steps...I'm starting to really wonder if the pulling I feel walking up the steps is a bad thing, or a healing thing? Kinda like when you do sit ups after not doing them for a while, it burns, but it shows your muscles are working. At the same time I don't want to do any damage by convincing myself the pulling is actually a "healing pain". Any thoughts?

Although I don't have an answer for your question, as a fellow side sleeper, I have a couple of suggestions for making it more comfortable. I used a small, squishy pillow between my legs. Also, I placed a pillow right next to me, while lying on my back, and then rolled up against the pillow. It took the weight off my incision and helped enormously. In fact, due to adhesions pulling my insides, I still use a buckwheat roll under my belly when I'm on my side. Doing both those things takes the strain off your back and off your belly, and although it's a bit of a contortion to get into that position, it's blissfully comfortable once you get there!

You are going to feel some tugging and pulling, as you use your abdominal muscles to lift your legs to make it up the steps, so it's not a surprise at this stage of recovery. But I was doing stairs, carefully, relatively early in the game (I sort of had to, around my house), and just felt it as a tugging, uncomfortable but not horribly painful, although I did have some complications in my healing process. Didn't you have part of your incision open up a bit? That may account for some of what you are feeling.

Hope you're able to get a good night's sleep in your own bed SOON!



Audrey

Vega,
I too am a side sleeper and had my surgery just one day after yours! I was having LOTS of trouble sleeping too because I would wake up from belly pain when I turned over. I had bought a couple of pairs of shaping underwear before my surgery and although they are a little too tight to wear for long, I found that if I wore them at night, the fact that my incision/belly weren't moving around allowed me to sleep better! I also take some sort of pain medication before I go to sleep.

My belly is STILL pretty sore eventhough my incision looks good. Hang in there and hope you get some sleep!!

Hey Audrey, yes I had a bit of an issue with my incision. To be honest...today is the first day that it looks closed. Yesterday I could push against one area and still get a good bit of draining and see where it hadn't closed up yet. Today there was only slight draining this morning, and even after a shower...it looks like the 2 side have FIANLLY made a connection. I'm not going to try the steps for a couple more days...simply because I don't want to pull hte blasted thing open. But I'm really ready to see the rest of my house again!

I have found one of the most comfortable positions is on my couch, wedged into the corner, so that my side and my belly are supported, but i'm not EXACTLY on my back or my side, just somewhere in between the two. Try it for a nap! I am now 2 weeks post-op, and have found myself falling asleep on my back, and waking up on my side. Oddly, I start out with 2 pillows under my knees and one on my belly, and I wake up with the belly pillow between my knees. The only problem is resisting the urge to do a full-out stretch when I wake up! Oh, how I miss that head-to toe stretch that I didn't even know I did every single time I wake up! Very restful sleeping on the side again. The first couple of days, when I turned on my side, I thought everything was going to pile up on one side and pull off where it belongs on the other side! lol Dont worry, you'll get back up there soon! Just try when you're ready, and if it doesn't work, try again the next day! I think I'm about 10 days behind you, but I haven't even attempted stairs, because stepping up one curb in the parking lot made me burn up my legs and all through those internal stitches! I''ll cheer for you when you get upstairs, Vega!

I was normally a belly sleeper. Sleeping on my side is the closest I will get for awhile. I too sleep with a pillow between my legs, one held against my tummy and of course I need the one to hug. I am still not getting a good night sleep I tend to toss back from side to side, I can't wait to get on my tummy again.

I slept on my tummy last night for the first time since my surgery (May 24). I hurt a little more than usual this morning but the better sleep was worth it I think. I have felt pretty good all day, so don't think I hurt anything. I had 27 steps to navigate to get into my house seven down and then 14 up. After the first couple of trips there was no more pain. Hope the same is true for you. Good luck both with the sleep and the steps! ~Donna

I too have steps in my house but i didn't have a tah. you should be ok as long as you have a potty upstairs and take it really easy getting up there..
but go with your instinct.. reba

Hey reba, nope, the only bathroom is on the first floor. *sigh* This is a really old house and I have NO idea why the rooms are they way they are. There's one bedroom that is so small I doubt a single bed could fit in it! I initially thought that was the bathroom, then realised there was no plumbing...The 2nd floor set up is just odd to me, but it's a rental so I'm not complaining!

My brother said he'd put a railing up on the stairway to help things a bit. (he's my landlord which is working out nicely LOL) My big fear in making it upstairs is the trip back downstairs. I'm worried about waking up in the middle of the night and falling down the steps. Having a railing would give me a bit more peace of mind.