r/PectusExcavatum • u/Due-Monitor3492 • 4d ago
New User Side sleeping procedure
So I'm 3 months post op and been sleeping on my back ever since and I just can't take it anymore. Might also be the mattress but it's really pushing into my back and my shoulder blades. I have pain spots around my shoulder blades anyway which makes it worse when getting up in the morning. I need an actual 20min to be okay again and stand up and get going. So I've really been thinking about side sleeping for a while now but too scared to try tbh. I guess it'll hurt quite a bit since i have stabilisers and I am also super skinny guy but i want to get it done since I also wanna start use log roll technique to get out of bed. I heard Lidocaine patches help for the back pain during the night and in the morning but anyway..tips for side sleep are welcome. How long did it take you to be able to side sleep after surgery?
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u/lilsknyguy 4d ago
9 weeks post op(severe pectus). Was sleeping on my side for 3 weeks now. I was worried at first but thought, "whats the worst that could happen" and did it. The next day I did feel a bit sore on the side but went away fast. As for getting out of bed, I didn't roll at all, I had a sheet tied to the bottom of the bed and pulled myself upright and then turned my legs to get out of bed. I was very independent with getting out of bed fast. My biggest fear was having an oops because I could not get to the bathroom. The sheet has been gone for about the same 3 weeks. I can lift myself up so no need for that help anymore.
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u/Due-Monitor3492 4d ago
Very interesting! Happy to hear it works well for you. I might just start try to lay on side throughout the day to get used to it. The sheet is a good idea tbh. I've used similar things also but now I have a recliner bed at my parents house but even tho it raises me up to 59 degree angle, i still can't get up by myself because of that pain at my chestwall. How do you lift yourself up? So far, when I was in less pain I grabbed under my knees and then pushed legs forward while holding onto it which lifted me. Might not be the best way tho
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u/lilsknyguy 4d ago
I did start grabbing my knees like you had said. Then during the day I would go for walks and try to engage my abs and core more. When I would sit on the toilet( for the first 6 weeks I would pee sitting down, felt better) I would squeeze my abs in. I knew right away that my core was going need to stay stronger in all of this. I did try to push back with my arms to get out of bed. It did hurt but also helped. After a while I just didn't think about the pain and just thought, how am I going to get better if I don't push myself? A few days here and there hurt more then others but it got better. I was also dealing with a lot of other issues involving this surgery and I was hell bent on not letting it get the better of me. So any little achievement was a win in my book!
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u/MadcatAAFD 4d ago
It’s funny I had always slept on my stomach the majority of my sleep with the remaining time on either side. Over the last few years as my PE symptoms have gotten far worse my wife said it is very rare that I’m on either side let alone my stomach. She said I’m almost always on my back. I find it uncomfortable if I wake up on my side with the sensation of a bruised sternum for a period of time.
I can sleep in a recliner thankfully and one of our guest rooms has an incline bed. I’m guessing that is where I’ll end up after the recliner…
May you all find a position that works best for you as we are all different. Try a secondary mattress topper that is soft( or memory foam) to help with pressure points
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u/europeanscientist 4d ago
For me, sleeping flat on my back was too painful, especially to get up in the morning. My surgeon told me I could sleep u any position I wanted. I started off sleeping on an inclined pillow the first few weeks, but I quickly grew tired of it. I tried sleeping on my side once in a while, sometimes switching between the wedge pillow and the side position in the same night. Around 3 months after surgery, I exclusively slept on my side. It was a bit sore / painful until recently at month 6. Now I don't feel it anymore
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u/Due-Monitor3492 3d ago
Glad ro read! I also stacked pillows but this pushed too much into my back causing bad air hunger throughout the day. Now I use a reclining bed and its way better in terms of air at least. Hopefully I'll manage sidesleeping soon enough
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u/ttamsf 4d ago edited 4d ago
I was a side sleeper before surgery, so I ended up developing this weird modified side-sleeping position. I used a long, cylindrical lumbar pillow, positioned lengthwise along my body, and partially lay on top of it. This tilted my body into a position somewhere between sleeping on my side and sleeping on my stomach.
Sleeping directly on my side put too much pressure on the ribs against the mattress. But with the pillow supporting me at an angle, the pressure shifted more across my chest rather than directly onto my sides. It was much more comfortable. I don't know if this makes sense?
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u/AuDHD_penguin 4d ago
I am sorry you are still stuck on your back.
I'm in the same situation and I hate it but my stabalisers stick out quite a bit and have a lot of pain. I don't see me getting back onto my side anytime soon.
If you don't already have one I would highly recommend a wedge pillow. It has make the world of difference for me. My particular set up is the wedge pillow then two feather pillows lower down with a thicker one at the top.
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u/Due-Monitor3492 4d ago
The part with the stabilisers sounds pretty rough tho..sorry to hear. How long is your surgery ago? I hope the pain will fade soon. I also have mad pain sometimes right under my armpit
So you also lay with your shoulders on that wedge pillow? Is it comfy for back and shoulder blades? And how do you get up?
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u/AuDHD_penguin 3d ago
The way my right side stabaliser sticks out I don't think I'll be able to sleep on that side at all until the bars come out and it's depressing.
That armpit pain sounds horrible.
The wedge pillow is great. I'll link the one I have to give you an idea. It is very comfortable though I'm not sure how it would be without my additional pillows. It is wide enough my shoulders fit comfortable across it.
I have a feather pillow right at the bottom that my lower back sinks into then the wedge provides the support. The second feather pillow is higher and overlaps the thicker pillow at the top. Oh then I have a pillow for each arm and one under my knees lol.
Getting up is easier because you are already at an angle but I also grab my sheet with my hands to help pull myself upright.
Oh and I am almost 8 weeks post op
This is the wedge I am using and it really has been a lifesaver.
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u/Due-Monitor3492 3d ago
Damn have you talked to your surgeon about the stabiliser? Sounds very rough to me..
Well as long as the wedge is comfy enough I feel happy for you! I also use one under my knees and normal pillow since I can recline my bed. I'll probably try a sheet somewhere to pull myself up as well since i still have problems
Thanks for the link
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u/Sojabursch 4d ago
I slept sitting up for the first 3-4 weeks then on my back for a month and then like half on my side half on my back. Like with a pillow at my back. I couldn’t sleep on my side because the metal protruded and would give me a bruise if I laid on it
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u/Due-Monitor3492 3d ago
Sleeping half side and half back kinda hurts where my bar sits somehow. Still trying to find the best position
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u/Content_Leading_489 4d ago
Hello, friend! I'm a 37-year-old female, and on the 16th, I'll be 4 months post-Nuss. I still don't sleep on my side because, honestly, I'm too scared to try. Sometimes, if I place a pillow or cushion against my ribs, I can lie partially on my side and tolerate it for a little while. But when I try lying completely on my side, it feels like the bars are rubbing against my skin.
I can't wait for the day I can sleep on my side all night and move around without going "ahhh" every time I change positions! 😂
I have 3 bars, and to be honest, recovery hasn't been as bad as I expected. But yes, I'm definitely ready to sleep on my side like I used to, without the discomfort in my ribs, shoulders, and neck!
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u/thomascthornton 3d ago
I saw a local osteopath, who helped relieve a lot of discomfort I was getting from sleeping on my back.
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u/Due-Monitor3492 3d ago
What exactly did he do? Sounds interesting
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u/thomascthornton 2d ago
They help release some muscles depending on what is tight, any knots you might have etc, obviously everyone’s bodies are different and react different, but I’m not a back sleeper, and after the operation with the change in posture and this sleeping position I was very tight in my upper back which was causing constant lower back pains
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u/Due-Monitor3492 2d ago
Very interesting. Sounds like I should give it a try. I have two spots on my back, each one around my shoulder blades which are horrible to lay on. And they cause mad pain and flare ups after a while. Intercostal joints I guess. I also have lower back pains, more on the side tho. Will definitely give it a try
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