How did you get yourselves out of bed? Literally.

[BarbJean]

Hi all, Just told Colin I would ask my friends on the board for ideas of how to raise himself out of bed. In the hospital, it was easier as he would raise the head of the bed first. It seems like now, he needs me to put my hands behind his back and raise him. Ideas?

 

[Greg a]

There are assisst devices that slip between the mattress and box spring but he still needs to be aware of the sternal precautions ...

 

[sunflowergirl]

I literally had to have my husband put his hands behind my back and lift me....for about 4 to 5 days at home...then once I could roll on side alittle I would hold with one hand the corner of my nightstand...hold pillow to chest with other hand ...legs over edge of bed and kind of pulling up with mostly legs and the nightstand for some support to pull against. I am sure it was not pretty lol but no one saw me......I was just so glad to get out of bed without help Robin
ps remind him to use that pillow.....

 

[Lynlw]

I'm surprised they didn't work on that with Colin before he left the hospital. They would put the bed flat and make him show he could get out of bed with out hurting himself, . To be honest I can't help much because the first few days home Justin slept in the recliner his last 2 surgeries and when he was 10, my biggest problems was to keep him for over doing

 

[Ross]

It really is the pits for the first few days or until he can roll on his side. I managed to get my feet swung down to the floor, but after that, I was in trouble. I couldn't raise my body to save my soul.

 

[DebbyA]

I found this, and it's pretty much what I did (see the diagram at the bottom of the document) http://applications.spectrum-health.org/education/document.aspx?url=Patient+Education%2Fx09963.pdf

It helps if your feet reach the floor from the bed, too. If not, he should keep on those non-slip socks or have a non-slip rug next to the bed. I learned those the hard way.

 

[Robb Wilder]

Ive slept in a recliner since 12 hrs post op in the hospital. Once they got me out of the bed and into a chair I never went back to the bed. They got me in a stretcher twice and it was all I could do to get in and out of it. I am just now "PLAYING" with getting in and out of a bed and entertaining the idea of sleeping in a bed again ...

 

[Kathy McCain]

That's a tough one. My husband purchased a used hospital type bed. I objected before I went in for my surgery, telling him I am not going to need it. As it turned out it came in mighty handy! Yes, I am surprised they didn't go over this with him at the hospital. As long as he doesn't put weight on his upper body he should be okay. You may need to help him in a sitting position, then when he is a bit better, he can roll over on his side and get him self in a sitting position. It's mush easier to show someone, than to explain. Hope I'm making sense.

Take care

 

[ALCapshaw2]

There are several techniques that can be used to get out of bed.

1- Tie a rope around the bottom of the bed. Slip your feet under the rope. Do a 'sit-up'. Rotate your legs over the side of the bed. Stand up.

2 - Throw off the covers. Raise your legs as close to straight up as possible. Swing them down while maintaining a 90 degree angle between your legs and upper body.

3 - Slide your legs over the side of the bed. Hook you feet onto something heavy or rigid. (One option might be to hook your heels under the bed). Use your legs to pull you up.

4 - Sleep in a RECLINER (this is one of the favorite methods!

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Penny]

I found this, and it's pretty much what I did (see the diagram at the bottom of the document) http://applications.spectrum-health.org/education/document.aspx?url=Patient+Education%2Fx09963.pdf

It helps if your feet reach the floor from the bed, too. If not, he should keep on those non-slip socks or have a non-slip rug next to the bed. I learned those the hard way.

I agree with Debby in regards to this picture demo, I found it was easier if I had lots of pillows stacked so that I wasn't lying completely flat. sooo much easier to get up. Just make sure he hugs a pillow so there is no temptation to use his arms for pushing himself up.

 

[Debbrn]

Turn on a chosen side about 8 inches from the edge of the bed. If you are on the left side tuck left elbow as close to the body as possible. Place right hand outside left elbow. Push down simultaneously on left elbow/forarm/hand and right hand therefore pushing up the upper body keeping the chest and back straight. At the same time have someone lower your feet and legs to the floor just so you do not need to think about the legs. With practice it will get much easier and you will not need help at all with the legs.

Debbie

 

[Lynlw]

Turn on a chosen side about 8 inches from the edge of the bed. If you are on the left side tuck left elbow as close to the body as possible. Place right hand outside left elbow. Push down simultaneously on left elbow/forarm/hand and right hand therefore pushing up the upper body keeping the chest and back straight. At the same time have someone lower your feet and legs to the floor just so you do not need to think about the legs. With practice it will get much easier and you will not need help at all with the legs.

Debbie

This would probably be a good thing to talk about BEFORE surgery. It would probably be helpful to figure it out and practice a couple times getting out of bed with out using your arm/chest muscles. so you have an idea how to get roll over and get up using you legs and abdomen muscles , elbow ect (kind of like sit ups is how Justin told me) Then after surgery, you at least have an idea of what worked best from you

 

[Jkm7]

Both my surgeries, my nurses worked with me until they were satisfied with the method I was using in order to be sure I wasn't using my arms. First I did it with the back of my hospital bed raised almost to 90 degrees. Before I went home, they flattened the bed and had me scoot my rear end to the edge of the bed. With my arms hugging my chest, I moved my legs off the edge of the bed and using stomach muscles raised my upper body to sitting position. Once in seated position it was easy to scoot to the edge of the bed, my feet on the floor and I could stand. I did this from first day home both surgeries as I didn't use our recliner at all. I preferred our bed with loads of pillows.

When I saw my cardio about 8 days after I came home from the hospital, he had me lay flat on exam table and I couldn't imagine how I was going to get off that thing without using my arms. Of course, he knew that and supported my back to help me off. Subsequent visits, they raised the back of the table to a full 90 degrees which me maneurvering easy.

 

[nngbwh]

I use a recliner after surgery.

 

[Debbrn]

The reason I knew how to do it so well is that I use the same technique to get my post-op spinal fusions out of bed. DebbyA's illustration is very good. Our physical therapist taught us how to do it at work. I agree Lyn knowing some of this stuff pre-op would be helpful. The docs were amazed how quickly I got out of bed so easily so fast.

Debbie

 

[BarbJean]

Wow! These are great ideas. I loved the link, Debby. I think the PT showed Colin that before we left the hospital, but he may have been a bit "out of it" when they showed him. Went back today for his last checkup before home and the NP showed him that again and had him do it for her several times. Since, he may still be a bit hazy and since I am 58, both of us will use the pics to remind us. I saved the file to refer to. Thanks, all.

 

[OldManEmu]

Barb, when I was in hospital they had a rope attached to the foot end of the bed that had three large knots evenly spaced on it so your grip could be moved as you sat up.
You could pull yourself up to a sitting position using this; surprisingly it doesn't hurt doing this unlike trying to push yourself up with your hands behind your back.
The rope to me looked like that I had seen on yachts, it was very limp/flexible and had a soft woven outer sheath.
When I got home I just held one knee and rolled foward into a seated position.

 

[AgilityDog]

I used a different method. I had also had a pacemaker implanted, and was very very ill:

cross arms over chest.
lift knees to chest and rock up, using leg motion, until sitting up.
swing legs to side of bed
stand up.

 

[Bill B]

For me the key to the method in the link provided by Debbie was the use of the upper arm coming across the body and pushing on the surface of the bed. That's exactly what they showed me and had me practice in the hospital. It does not put stress on the incision.

Bill

 

[Luckyguy17]

I found this, and it's pretty much what I did (see the diagram at the bottom of the document) http://applications.spectrum-health.org/education/document.aspx?url=Patient+Education%2Fx09963.pdf

It helps if your feet reach the floor from the bed, too. If not, he should keep on those non-slip socks or have a non-slip rug next to the bed. I learned those the hard way.

Thanks for posting Debby, wish i had received that information at the hospital as well, as it would have made the 1st couple of weeks easier...darn
Gil