- Joined
- May 29, 2014
- Messages
- 1,013
- Reason
- Lost a loved one
- Diagnosis
- 04/2014
- Country
- US
- State
- VA
- City
- Poquoson
My dear Darcey, my PALS, is unable to move much in bed. She cannot pull her legs up to bend them, but can stretch them out. When on her side, she hugs a pillow... but anything heavier than a pillow, traps her arms. She cannot turn, on her own, in bed. We have three sleeping positions, back, left side and right side. And we only use the bed at night (approx 9PM to 6AM).
We will typically start the night on her back (a position made possible by her BiPAP). Her legs are straight out in front of her. For the first 30-60 minutes, her legs are flat on the bed. When I'm done reading, doing something internet or watching Netflix... I'll get up and place a single pillow under both knees and extending down towards her feet. If I don't get some kind of rise, particularly for her heels, she'll wake up in extreme pain... this being prolonged if raised by the pillow.
After something between 1 hour and 3 hours, she'll awake in agony... begging me to move her to her side. I get up, come around the bed, remove the pillow under her knees and begin to move her leg so that the her joints (hip, knee, ankle) don't hurt as much... and so her heel is not touching anything as it again comes alive. I then move her to her side, help her curl her legs up and again place a pillow under the top knee... which is slightly back from the lower knee/leg. An adjustment of her head pillow and recovering with sheet/blanket... and we're good for another round of 1 to 3 hours. And sometimes, between turnings, she'll have awakened and stretched out a leg... then wake me to pull it back up for her (when on one side or the other).
I'm a bit at a loss as to what to do. When she sleeps, she seems to sleep comfortably and soundly enough. But at some point, she'll be awakened by the pain in her heel or the joints in her knee(s) and/or hip(s). Sometimes it can be frightening... when I awake because she's tapped me or whispered to me and I sit up to get my bearings and wait to wake up enough to actually rise and walk... as she finds herself in so much discomfort that she pleads for me to hurry to move her legs. Obviously, it is difficult to see her hurt. And I'm disappointed that I've not yet been able to find a way to minimize or alleviate the pain that she repeatedly wakes to.
Months ago, we got a hospital bed (very, very basic and provided by insurance) that we used once or twice before abandoning it. I think, at the time, it was pre-BiPAP and breathing was difficult when on her back. Tonight we're going to try the hospital bed again... to see if the ability for her to change positioning of the bed, periodically through the night, might lessen or remove the agony she experiences. Fortunately, she'll still be in the same room, so I'll continue to be close at hand.
I wondered if anyone else has experienced this kind of difficulty sleeping/awakening and what you may have found to work well for you/yours. Your insight, comment and suggestions would be very appreciated.
Jim
We will typically start the night on her back (a position made possible by her BiPAP). Her legs are straight out in front of her. For the first 30-60 minutes, her legs are flat on the bed. When I'm done reading, doing something internet or watching Netflix... I'll get up and place a single pillow under both knees and extending down towards her feet. If I don't get some kind of rise, particularly for her heels, she'll wake up in extreme pain... this being prolonged if raised by the pillow.
After something between 1 hour and 3 hours, she'll awake in agony... begging me to move her to her side. I get up, come around the bed, remove the pillow under her knees and begin to move her leg so that the her joints (hip, knee, ankle) don't hurt as much... and so her heel is not touching anything as it again comes alive. I then move her to her side, help her curl her legs up and again place a pillow under the top knee... which is slightly back from the lower knee/leg. An adjustment of her head pillow and recovering with sheet/blanket... and we're good for another round of 1 to 3 hours. And sometimes, between turnings, she'll have awakened and stretched out a leg... then wake me to pull it back up for her (when on one side or the other).
I'm a bit at a loss as to what to do. When she sleeps, she seems to sleep comfortably and soundly enough. But at some point, she'll be awakened by the pain in her heel or the joints in her knee(s) and/or hip(s). Sometimes it can be frightening... when I awake because she's tapped me or whispered to me and I sit up to get my bearings and wait to wake up enough to actually rise and walk... as she finds herself in so much discomfort that she pleads for me to hurry to move her legs. Obviously, it is difficult to see her hurt. And I'm disappointed that I've not yet been able to find a way to minimize or alleviate the pain that she repeatedly wakes to.
Months ago, we got a hospital bed (very, very basic and provided by insurance) that we used once or twice before abandoning it. I think, at the time, it was pre-BiPAP and breathing was difficult when on her back. Tonight we're going to try the hospital bed again... to see if the ability for her to change positioning of the bed, periodically through the night, might lessen or remove the agony she experiences. Fortunately, she'll still be in the same room, so I'll continue to be close at hand.
I wondered if anyone else has experienced this kind of difficulty sleeping/awakening and what you may have found to work well for you/yours. Your insight, comment and suggestions would be very appreciated.
Jim