Sleeping In A Recliner - How To Manage Levers/Handles?
To all of you ladies who slept in, or are sleeping in recliners...how do you deal with the handles?
I have one recliner that would be super to sleep in, but the lever down on the side is hard enough for me to pull back even now.
(After my BMX w/ TEs, we rented a hospital bed for a month. Most brilliant decision I ever made!)
Now I'm scheduled for exchange next week. Will try the "piling up pillows" technique in our bed this time, since exchange is supposed to be SO much easier than BMX, right? 
But I still keep looking at that recliner, and wonder how in the world I could pull that lever, when my PS has said no using my arms for two weeks!
How did you manage do it?
Comments
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Um, I got an electric recliner....... LOL. Maybe you could trade one of the electric ones with a friend?.or maybe rent an electric. I needed it so much, mine is actually a lift chair. But my sister.has an electric recliner too. When I was scheduled for my BMX, I.thought I would need it cause I couldn't lift up handles either, I am glad I did that. Good luck.blessings.
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I bought an electric recliner.
The only thing I worry about is the power going out and having to climb out of the chair!!! :PYou can rent them from a medical supplier for as long as you want. If you already have recliners, it would probably be more cost effective to do that for the first month - if you love it, you can then buy one, if you hate sleeping in it, you've made no commitment, other than the month, to it.
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Hi, Moonflwr! What's funny is that I actually DO have an electric lift recliner. It's over at my in-law's house right now since we didn't need it.
I went over to try it out, and unfortunately, it doesn't lay back nearly far enough to sleep in and be comfortable. The electric controls were great, though!
I have an awesome new recliner that lays nearly flat, but it has that stupid handle.
I may just have to make do with the pillows this time.
Hope you are doing well!!!
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I am having my exchange tomorrow (yay!) and I am CONVINCED that I will feel soooo good from the get go that I will just be sleeping comfortably in my bed. Even the night after surgery, sleeping HAS to be better than with these TEs in, right? I'll report back after tomorrow...good luck to you in your upcoming procedure!
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Since I couldn't use the lever, I used my legs to pull the footrest part closed. I found if I leaned forward first, it made it a bit easier to first press down with my legs to get the footrest part started, then I was able to hook my heels over the end and use my legs to pull the footrest part towards me. When it got close to being closed, I could lean forward and get up. It took a bit of practice, but I eventually got the knack. I did this after my bmx with TE placement, then again after my DIEP. I slept for almost 6 weeks in the recliner after the DIEP, so I got pretty good about it.
I had a pretty strong core and legs to begin with, and a few months before my DIEP my ps wrote an order for a few sessions at the hospital's PT department for a leg and core strengthening program since I'd lost so much strength during active treatment. I did those exercises religiously in the weeks before my DIEP, so that helped rebuild some core and leg strength that I'd lost and helped my mobility during recovery.
Good luck!
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I slept in the recliner for almost 8 weeks and used exactly the same technique that NatsFan used. It works! My recliner didn't have a stiff handle, but it was difficult to reach without really stretching. I'm having the exchange next month and will be back in the recliner!
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Rented a lift chair power recliner for bmx surgery and also for reconstruction. Works like a charm!
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ab1234 - LOVE your attitude!!! Will look forward to hearing how you are doing! Wishing you the best tomorrow....
Oh, NatsFan - I wish you could have been in the living room with me just now! It looked like I was wrestling with the recliner, and the chair was winning!!
I wanted to see if I could get it to move in the way you described. Unfortunately, it still takes the lever, which may be because the recliner is new. But in the process, I did discover a few ways I might be able to make it work.
For example, if I can just maneuver the handle a little bit, that frees up the footrest to come up. And when it's up, in the reclining position, I can lean forward, and put my elbows on the footrest to make it start to go down, then finish pushing it with my legs. But it was a sight to see! Thanks for the suggestions!
Hi, rosetx - O.K. I'll keep trying....right now I HAVE to use the lever, but DH says he can make an extension out of PVC pipe (Okie technology). I am determined to find a way! Good luck with your exchange.....
Galsal - I had such high hopes for my lift chair! It used to be my mom's....unfortunately, it just barely reclines, so even with the footrest up, I'd be sleeping nearly sitting up. Didn't think that would be too comfy....did your chair recline all the way back?
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Blessings - it's not one of those that can lay back entirely flat but it goes back quite a way. I'm not sitting up when sleeping.
I'd tested them out at the Lazy Boy store before the first surgery when I was seeing which type of recliner would work best. I could tell that even with an electric one that I'd have to use core muscles to scootch forward to get to the edge for getting out of it. The lift chair gets me to a high enough place that my thigh muscles are doing the work and I could use the walker right in front of me for balancing when leaving the chair.
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I laughed!!!! Our recliner has no handles but rather is operated with force of the back and arms (we got is becuase it was pretty, not functional for post surgery) Thus my DH was my recliner lever . For the one week I sat in that darn chair he opened and shut it so often - he even joked about hiring someone else to do it.
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My recliner also uses a lever to raise and lower the footrest.
For those few days when I couldn't manage the lever, I would sit up (good core strength required) and wiggled my butt down until I could swing my legs down off the side of the lower seat section (didn't want to put my full weight on the raised footrest) and then stand up.
To go back, I reversed the process: sat down from the side, swung my legs up and wiggled backed.
While the exchange part is easier than the TE placement, you will still be sore for a day or two. I don't know if you can use the pile of pillows in bed. I found the bed more difficult to get out of than the recliner and it seemed to hurt more getting out of the bed.
By the way the fitzdc husband method works pretty well also. My husband would sometimes hear me trying to get up in the middle of the night and come into the living room to lower the footrest so I could take my potty break. He would wait to raise it again for me.
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Galsal - The lift recliner worked really well for my mom, who had Parkinson's. Then I gave it to my MIL, who'd had several little strokes and standing was difficult. Mom has passed, MIL is in a nursing home, and now it looks like FIL will be the next to use it. His legs are quite weak and he is very unsteady. I think I've gotten my money's worth out of that chair!!!
fitzdc - what a good guy your hubby is!!! After my BMX my DH was my nurse, my valet, my hairdresser, my chef, my chauffeur, and my pack mule. Not only did he put a big bell by my bed (we rented a hospital bed) so I could ring for him, he also set up the baby monitor we used for the grandkids so he could go outside and work in the garage. He wanted to make sure he heard me if I called for him. He says he's up to the task again next week.
Sassa - I just tried the same thing!!! I found that if I could just get the stupid thing reclined, I could sit up and scootch to the edge and try to stand up with the footrest up. Of course, the whole time I was imagining myself doing this on a boatload of pain meds, and what kind of damage I'd do getting tangled up in the chair as I fell....
I was tempted to get the hospital bed again. That made me SO independent after my BMX! But I am planning/anticipating/hoping that the recovery from exchange will be so short term that it wouldn't be worth it.
Thanks, ladies, I am loving hearing your stories!!!
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I am waiting for a date for my BMX and rebuild. Just had sentinel node yesterday. I want to be prepared. Do I really need to sleep in a recliner or hospital bed? I thought just lots of pillows???
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Krishelle - many women do just fine in their own beds with lots of pillows. Others choose to sleep in recliners.
I decided to rent the hospital bed after my BMX because our bed is a Tempurpedic with memory foam; hard to get out of without using your arms. It's kind of like swimming in Jello.
So I got a completely electric hospital bed. I could lower the whole thing when I got out of bed, and raise it for DH to change the bedding, which he did frequently. (We're both germophobes.)
The remote control allowed me to raise up the back to the perfect position (you don't want to be lying flat after a BMX) AND raise the knees up to take the pressure off my back. I'm usually a side sleeper due to degenerative disk disease and spinal stenosis.
When I wanted to get up, I'd lower the mattress under my legs, raise the back up to a sitting position, and wearing my satin jammies, just swivel around and put my feet on the floor. Ironically, I covered the hospital mattress with a memory-foam topper and it was SOOO comfortable!!!
But I don't think I'll need it for exchange, so I was asking for experiences with getting in and out of recliners that have handles.
Wishing you the best with your BMX!
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We bought our Lazy Boy for me before my BMX in Jan 2011. Those first few weeks were tougher to sleep than after the diep I had in June. But I could use the handle back then where I couldn't use it after my diep. For the first week or so when I needed to get in and out, I used the Fitzdc method--except I had my DS pull up the foot part and my DH push back on the back of the chair. It was quite the experience! Problem was getting out, and that took just as much struggle. After a couple of weeks, I also did the Sassa Scooch!Glad to know I wasn't the only one!! After awhile I pulled over our ottoman and instead of pulling out the footrest, I would use that,and a copious amount of pillows. I could push the back of the chair back by then but still couldn't use the handle. this way I could get in and out of the chair w/o help. I've been back in bed for several weeks, but our little queen bed is just not big enough for all the pillows I need to support my back--and the ones my DH "needs" to hug!! Oh well. . .In hindsight, it sounds like renting a hospital bed is the best way to go!
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Blessings - LOL at the mental picture of wrestling with a recliner when you can't use your arms - that's the perfect word for it!!
Kirshelle - I tried sleeping with pillows when I got home after my BMX and it did not work for me. I was unable to get comfortable, then there was the horrible half hour or so where I was stuck, and DH couldn't hear me calling for help cuz he was running the vacuum cleaner! (It was probably only 10 minutes, but it felt like forever.) We had a recliner in the basement, and after the "stuck" incident we had friends over within the hour to help move it upstairs into the living room. It was so much better! Some people apparently do fine with pillows, but I tried it and it absolutely did not work for me.
The other advantage to a recliner is that I was in the living room and could turn on the TV at 3am and not disturb DH (the pain meds totally throw off your sleeping schedule). He worked so hard taking care of me that he really needed whatever few hours of sleep he could grab. Since I was in the living room, I could watch TV, move around, or even just toss and turn, and I didn't disturb him.
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SassaScooch - I have a move named after me!!! I feel like Dorothy Hamil and the Hamil Camel!
Krishelle, I have a regular mattress. I found after any of my surgeries (BMX, breast reconstruction) that my bed was just too difficult to get out of. Our big cushy recliner has been a lifesaver for me.
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Hi girls. I am one week post BMX with DIEP reconstruction. I have an electric recliner with remote control that I rented from RentACenter for $135/ mo. I cannot imagine what I would do without it!!
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Hi all! Just happy to report that no recliner was needed for my first night home last night!! Def a little sore but NOTHING like the bmx. I did most sleep on my back again however....seems I had the most scar tissue in the cleavage area so a little tender when ony side. But no more TEs poking my armpits!! And the softness...ahhh.
Blessings- best of luck to you today!! Will be thinking of you...:) -
cmbear - I hear ya about the pillows! Ever since I lost weight (and natural padding) I've had to pile up pillows all around me in order to find a comfortable way to sleep with these giant TEs in. I feel like a kid who's built a fort with pillows! And sometimes I don't even bother to make the bed....takes too long, then I just have to build the fort all over again! Glad you are recovering well from your DIEP!
NatsFan - OMG! Stuck in bed....that would be me!!! And of course, the bell would be out of reach....but at least we'd have the baby monitor on....oh, wait, DH wouldn't hear it...
Sassa - You are now famous. Ladies everywhere will be doing the Sassa Scootch.
Beckers - does your rented electric recliner lay flat enough for you to sleep? My electric lift chair only goes back enough to slightly recline. It's almost like sitting up. I called one RentACenter, and they no longer carry them, but I called a different store and one of the salespeople is going to try to locate one for me.
Oh, ab1234 - I am SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!! I want my exchange experience to be just like yours! Four more days to go til E Day...
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Well, I ordered one of those "extension" handles for the recliner lever, like you get for elderly folks. If I can just push it a tiny bit to unlock the "recline" mechanism, my own chair might work for me. If not, I am hoping the RentACenter girl can locate one for me.
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Yes, my Rentacenter recliner fully reclines and i plan to purchase it. It is a nice tan microfiber. They brought me a brand new one. The brand name is Klaussner Home Furnishings. They found it in the Yucca Valley Rentacenter store.
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Rats. Beckers - Thanks for the info! Saw the Klaussner Home Furnishings chair on their website - looks nice! Unfortunately, the girl at RentACenter called back to tell me she couldn't locate a power recliner for me anywhere.
She did say she had one model in the store, but that it didn't lay back very far. I could use the lift chair if I wanted that.....
Still hoping that the "Old Folks" handle extension will work for me.... we pick that up tomorrow.
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Blessings I honestly didn't need the recliner after exchange. I slept on the couch with pillows.
Hope you are doing well! You are such an awesome help to many ladies on here! -
Aw, markat - thank you!
Good news! Got the "recliner lever extension" for old folks, and after a few trial-and-errors, I think it will work for me!
(The lever itself is tapered. The first few times, the extension just slid off. So I wrapped the lever with that stick-to-itself bandage wrap, then built it up with rug grip. Then I put the extension on and tightened up the bolts really tight. That puppy ain't goin' aywhere!)
I learned two things: the extension itself is heavy metal, which helps the lever get started. And that "put my elbows down on the upper part of the footrest" move? I can do that with my feet in order to sit up straight!
So today the recliner gets moved into the bedroom! I've set that room up - like before - as my healing nest.
Thanks, everyone, for all your great suggestions!!!
xoxoxoxo
p.s. Exchange tomorrow!!! Can't wait!!!
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Blessings, I'm glad problem solved. After my double LX, I slept on a wedge I bought from Bed Bath and Beyond and it put me at an angle that was less painful. I hope you are doing well today and feel great, comfy and cozy when you get home. Thinking of you.
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Aw, Beckers....thanks!
As a matter of fact, I DID feel great, comfy, and cozy when I got home from exchange!
The recliner with the extension handle worked perfectly, and I actually slept REALLY well in it!!! It had great support, and lay back far enough to get a good snooze.
I tossed the big puffy pillow part that goes behind your head over the back of the recliner, and just used a bed pillow to sleep on. There was a space in the back of the recliner just the right size!
We put a tray next to the chair, with all my "stuff", and once again, DH hooked up my reading lamp to a remote control so that when I was nodding off, I just reached down and pressed the button we'd put in a ziplock baggy and pinned to the side of the chair.
I still sleep in the recliner if I'm having any discomfort in my implants (had LOTS of pocket work done) and it's still great for naps. In fact, I may just keep it in the bedroom instead of taking it back to the living room!
Thanks again, everyone, for your suggestions!!!
(Can't believe my exchange was a MONTH AGO today!!!
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I just finished a bilateral DIEP surgery. Based on this site, I rented anelectric recliner LIFT. I would not have been able to get out if a bed on my own. It has been a lifesaver!
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