Seatbelts

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catboxer
catboxer Member Posts: 9
edited June 2014 in Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
My wife is having surgery this coming week -- lumpectomy -- and it's an outpatient procedure.

Sooooooo...dumb question...how do I hook up the seat belt so it won't hurt her? Pad it with a towel? Put her lying down in the back seat without a belt and hope? Do up the lap belt and put the shoulder belt behind her?
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  • NaomiS
    NaomiS Member Posts: 36
    edited April 2007
    I had a bilateral mastectomy and used a small, squishy pillow to kind of cushion the safetybelt. It worried me more than anything. I was expecting it to hurt, but it didn't.
    Best wishes to you both.
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  • ramonajane
    ramonajane Member Posts: 54
    edited April 2007
    Hi catboxer - My partner's had two surgeries that caused seatbelt concerns: a hysterectomy and a mastectomy.

    We found that a small decorative-type pillow (we picked ours up at the thrift store) worked well for both times. Strategically placed, it still allowed for the safety of the seatbelt, yet avoided any harsh rubbing on tender incisions.

    Two caveats:

    We have a relatively short car ride between home and hospital.
    Her mastectomy was a left mastectomy, therefore when she was in the passenger seat the seatbelt crossed directly over her right breast. Things would have been different if it had been a right mastectomy or a bilateral.

    I hope you find a solution that works for you both. Its those details that can be confounding, isn't it?! Keep coming here and asking - the people on these boards have such a wide range of experiences. I got advice on all kinds of things. So helpful and generous they are!

    Best wishes to you both. If you can, let us know how it went.
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  • badboob67
    badboob67 Member Posts: 2,780
    edited April 2007

    I had a nearly two hour ride in my husband's pickup truck after my mastectomy. We brought large, fluffy bedpillows to pad between me and the car door and between me and the shoulder portion of the seat belt. It was fine. I even found that I could take the pillow out from under the seatbelt about halfway home because I really didn't have that much discomfort from it. Also, you can recline the seat back a ways and it will keep the seatbelt from putting pressure on the site.

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  • catboxer
    catboxer Member Posts: 9
    edited April 2007
    Thanks for all your suggestions!

    I don't know why I never thought of either a small pillow or reclining the seat back. Duh...

    *smacks self on forehead*

    I'm so glad you're here! I'm sure more things will come up that we haven't anticipated yet, and it's such a comfort to know there are people to turn to for advice.
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  • nancy75
    nancy75 Member Posts: 26
    edited April 2007

    You know what, I don't think any question is a dumb question. It helps you obtain the information for you and for anyone else who might have the same question. I know that I will definitely be taking it into consideration when my sister begins this process.

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  • catboxer
    catboxer Member Posts: 9
    edited April 2007
    Surgery went well and so did the ride home. Our youngest granddaughter saved the day seatbelt-wise by donating her soft, squishy teddy bear to make "Nana" feel better. I had bought a little pillow but the teddy bear worked really well because we could wrap its arms and legs around where the seatbelt came around her waist.

    Just wanted to thank everyone again for your suggestions. You folks are awesome!
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  • lightphoto
    lightphoto Member Posts: 65
    edited April 2007

    First let me say, I am all in favor of seat belts. We are very commited to wearing them. With that said, my wife was given an official card to carry exempting her from wearing the seatbelt. We had about an hour drive home after bilat mastectomy that went well, considering...

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  • KariLynn
    KariLynn Member Posts: 1,079
    edited April 2007

    My hubby bought those fluffy seat belt cover things. Think any Wal Mart would have them in the auto section.

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  • jz20022001
    jz20022001 Member Posts: 480
    edited April 2007
    That was a cute idea to use a teddy bear.

    Catherine
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited April 2007

    In addition to the pillows - take a medium sized binder clip and put it on the seatbelt just where it retracts into the car. Put the seatbelt on, pull a comfortable amount of slack, then attach the binder clip. This will hold the seatbelt slightly slack and (I assume) in the case of an accident would easily fall off. Works great for me.

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