Question:
Any suggestions on how to make it easier to get in and out of bed in the hospital?
For those of us who are having OPEN RNY and are over 400lbs any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance! — [Anonymous] (posted on October 23, 2001)
October 23, 2001
My best suggestion is to start with the head of your bed up
as high as you can get it and the foot of the bed at the lowest.
Use your siderail. I sat up and piveted as quickly as possible.
It is going to hurt no matter what. If you know you are going to
have to get up soon after you have pain meds, take advantage.
It is much less painful if your meds have kicked in. The pain
will go away after a week or so. Good luck.
— Carla C.
October 23, 2001
This is actually the proper way to get out.
Exiting from the left side of the bed:
put pillow on stomach and sit the bed up to it's most upright position.
Slightly rotate your upper body (shoulders mostly) to the left while
holding the pillow with your right hand. Slowly slide your legs off the
bed as much as comfortably possible. Hold pillow with left hand on
stomach. Take right hand and push off the railing or back of bed. Do
exact opposite for exiting out of right side of bed. Also, make sure bed
is in upright position when you go to get in it. Sit down, hold pillow and
use right hand (left hand if entering from right side of bed) and place it
on back of bed, bend your elbow to ease yourself into bed. It works and I
know it sounds hard, but you try it once and you'll be glad you know it!
— [Anonymous]
October 23, 2001
I think the previous posts are correct. I would like to add that if your
bed is very soft, you may want to ask for a harder mattress. Or a bed
board. Also, sit up in a chair instead of repeatedly getting up and down.
For >400# my hospital has a bed that stands up on it's end and you just
walk out. Cool! Wish I had been able to fenagle that deal!! Best of Luck!
Linda
— Linda B.
October 23, 2001
If it were me, I would call a nurse in to help. That is what they are there
for.
— [Anonymous]
October 23, 2001
My surgeon ordered a contraption (forgot what it was called) for me to
reach up and pull myself up so I could get out of the bed.
Also, tying a sheet to the end of the bed and pulling yourself into an
upright position really helps, especially at home.
— [Anonymous]
October 23, 2001
Well, no, that is NOT what nurses are there for, though most people think
so. As both an RN and a WLS patient, I can tell you the goal is always to
help the patient maintain or regain maximal independence and learn to do
all they can do for themselves. You will be good and sore for a while
after surgery, not just in the hospital. Learn how to get out of bed
right, and you'll be able to do it from the first day: Roll onto your side
so that your legs are pulled up as though you were sitting in a chair--with
knees stacked together right at the edge of the mattress. Use the button
to raise the head of your bed as high as it will go. Then, in one smooth
movement, let your lower legs fall (knees together, and bent 90 degrees)
off the mattress as you SIMULTANEOUSLY either pull up on a sheet tied to
the rail, or best, use both hands to push up off the mattress. Keep your
back straight. The weight of your legs swinging down at the SAME TIME as
you push up (with your back held stiff) will lift you upright, sitting with
knees still together on the side of the bed. This method avoids strain on
the sore belly muscles. (Practice before surgery, until you get it right
without using the belly muscles or twisting your torso..) Ask the nurse to
show you how, and coach you. And to help you if you are too weak to do it,
even with the right method, or until you get it right. That IS what they
are there for. That contraption someone described is an "overbed
trapeze" and it's a BIG help. Ask for one. Best wishes, Jesse
— Jesse M.
October 24, 2001
I was told to use the pillow against the stomach thing. But it did'nt help
much. The pain was terrible. Someone else mentioned calling a nurse, but
there was a shortage of nurses where I had my surgery. In fact one of my
roommates waited 90 minutes for a nurse to come! You'd have an accident
before that.
If I had known THEN what I know NOW, I would have bought a wide abdominal
binder and had that on post op. Then with that and a pillow it should have
been easier? Or should I say, alittle less painful on the stomach muscles.
I've heard some people on this board say their surgeons had the binders for
them.
— Danmark
October 24, 2001
The best way I found to get out of bed was to lower the feet and raise the
head. Keep doing that until you are almost in the up-right position. (or
until you can't tolerate it anymore) I also had a charlie bar above me so
I could use my arm strenght to pull myself up and lower myself down. It
worked great. And, remember this. Everyday getting in and out of bed gets
easier. I know we all say that and and I wouldn't have believed it if I
had not gone thru it. Good luck to you..:)
— Betty M.
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