Hospital bed??

NayaBean

I am having my surgery (unilateral mastectomy and DIEP reconstruction) a week from tomorrow. Our bed here at home is a low platform bed that comes up to just over my knees when I stand next to it. I'm thinking it will be difficult to get out of, and maybe I should rent a hospital bed for a week or so?? Or is that going overboard?

gb2115

I'm recovering from unilateral mastectomy and sure wish I had a hospital bed!!

exbrnxgrl

For me, with a bmx and one step recon, that would have been going overboard. I think we are all different when it comes to this. If you have strong abs and legs and the use of your arm on the non-Mx side I think you should be fine but you won’t know until after your surgery. Wishing you the best.

AliceBastable

Do you have a comfortable sofa you can sleep on for the first week? Some people prefer a recliner if it doesn't have a tough lever to get upright.

smc123

I slept in a recliner for almost three weeks. Also, I found button up pjs the easiest to change in and out of by myself. Good luc

NayaBean

Thank you for your replies!

I do have a fairly comfortable couch -- not sure why I didn't think of that! -- so that is definitely one option.

I'm still thinking about that hospital bed, though. I will probably call someplace that rents them this week just to see how much advance notice they need before a delivery. If they can deliver quickly, I can just wait to see how I feel after the operation. Procrastination -- sometimes it works! :-)

gb2115

My problem is I don't have a strong core. I have pelvic organ prolapse so using my core to try to get out of bed would be disaster. I've sort of been rolling to my good side and pushing up with that side.

AliceBastable

gb2115, I'm just mush in my abdomen and gut, partly age, partly too many surgeries, partly lack of exercise. When I need to get up after a surgery, I use my elbow on the opposite side to get me far enough up to then get that hand in a useful position. It's easier on the body than using the hand first, and I can kind of roll into the elbow without stressing my other body parts.

typhoon

You might also want to price out recliners at Wayfair, Walmart, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. You can get a decent recliner with electric controls - one that will certainly last for as long as you need it post-surgery - in the $150-300 range, which is comparable to monthly hospital bed rental, and then you can sell it when you're done with it and recoup much of the cost. When I had my BMX last December, the demand for home hospital beds in my area far exceeded the supply (because of COVID, hospitals were keeping in-patient stays as short as possible and sending people home to recover), but I was able to get a recliner from Best Buy delivered and set up two days after I ordered it in the store. As it turned out, since I didn't have flap reconstruction (went with direct to implant) my core muscles were fine and I only used the recliner for a couple of days. A friend of mine did have the DIEP reconstruction, and it took a few weeks for her stomach muscles to be useful again.