When did you stop using the heart pillow while driving?

[DachsieMom]

Silly question - but I am about 7 months after surgery and still use the heart pillow when I drive. I was told that the sternum takes a full year to heal, so it seemed safer to have that extra protection until that time. I am also extremely short, so I am very close to the steering wheel. Curious what everyone else does.
On a side note, I struggled this weekend moving some car seats in and out of the car. Lots of pulling, pushing and tugging. Wasn't my smartest move - sometimes I forget I am only 7 months out! Don't think I did any permanent damage as I feek okay today (this was yesterday).

 

[pellicle]

Hi
there are no silly questions.

.. I was told that the sternum takes a full year to heal, so it seemed safer to have that extra protection until that time. I am also extremely short, so I am very close to the steering wheel.

first time to hear that ... its been 8 weeks since I had my first one, still 8 weeks on the last one. If the sternum is not healed in 8 weeks its a sign of a broader problem. If you were super cautious maybe double that (16 weeks, or 4 months). I'm not a specialist on bones, but I've never heard of anything else. I know my surgeon was concerned about my sternum being "mobile" for some months, but at 10 weeks he wasn't.

To be honest in a car impact that little pillow is going to do nothing ... especially if you have airbags.

 

[cldlhd]

I was told at 3 months I had no physical limitations. At 9.5 months when I extend it stretch certain ways I feel some painless movement at the very bottom of my sternum but I believe that's the xiphoid process which is cartilage not bone. I'm a little curious if anybody else out here who had a full sternotomy feels that movement.
Did you feel any pain or discomfort when you moved that stuff ? If so I would think it was more likely muscle discomfort then something to do with your sternum.

 

[honeybunny]

I rode to doctor appointments twice after four weeks as a passenger and did not use the heart pillow. But like you I am short (5 ft) and wonder if I should use it while driving. I've not tried it because I think it will be too awkward to drive with it but I may check it out.

Though we're told the sternum is healed after 8 weeks, common sense tells me it will be fragile for some time so use any precautions you think you should take for as long as you believe you need to take them.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

At 9.5 months when I extend it stretch certain ways I feel some painless movement at the very bottom of my sternum but I believe that's the xiphoid process which is cartilage not bone. I'm a little curious if anybody else out here who had a full sternotomy feels that movement.

I did, the last 2 times (was too young to reliably comment on the first).

Did you feel any pain or discomfort when you moved that stuff ? If so I would think it was more likely muscle discomfort then something to do with your sternum.

​No, bit I did feel some tightness in doing side bends for about a year. I put that down to me having spent months not stretching added to the sternotomy stretching and perhaps injuring the muscles between the ribs.

I also felt a strange sort of movement inside which made sounds as though something was moving my lungs around. If I kept my mouth open and held a neutral amount of breath I could hear it out my mouth. No sensations apart from that though.

 

[cldlhd]

Hi


I did, the last 2 times (was too young to reliably comment on the


​No, bit I did feel some tightness in doing side bends for about a year. I put that down to me having spent months not stretching added to the sternotomy stretching and perhaps injuring the muscles between the ribs.

I also felt a strange sort of movement inside which made sounds as though something was moving my lungs around. If I kept my mouth open and held a neutral amount of breath I could hear it out my mouth. No sensations apart from that though.

I assume it's nothing to worry about but did it eventually go away?

 

[pellicle]

I assume it's nothing to worry about but did it eventually go away?

it hung around for a few years ... reducing to a point where I only noticed it had gone away years ago when I got it back after this surgery

 

[cldlhd]

it hung around for a few years ... reducing to a point where I only noticed it had gone away years ago when I got it back after this surgery

Thanks, no worries then.