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my wife has to keep face down after eye surgery. Any good ideas on making her comfortable while she is awake?

It is uncomfortable for her to sit in a chair, ride in the car or simply eat breakfast. Is their a harness or something to help her out?

Public Comments

1. Maybe let her sit on a pillow or soft item, and comfort her all the time.
2. Probably not, my mom had surgery for a detached retina and had to stay face down for a few days. She was miserable. You can try having her lay over an ottoman or something so she isn't being forced to just lay on her stomach the whole time. My mom also tucked herself up, like if she was crawling and then kind of sat on her legs and bent her arms. She will be uncomfortable for a few days, but good for you for trying to ease her pain. You are a good husband.
3. Well, I can say that I have A LOT of experience with the head down after surgery thing. I had to be head down for 6 weeks straight! We actually used this company (really nice, caring and helpful) the name is Oakworks (webiste is www.vitrectomy.net). We were actually able to get the insurance company to pay for most of the cost of the equipment. I'm not sure how long she must do this for or what insurance you have. But I got the face down, memory foam sleep support thing and it made sleeping muchhh easier and more comfortable. I also got the face down chair. That was a little uncomfortable on my legs after a while but it definitely gave my back/neck a break. I have to say the whole experience was pure hell and anything else I thought i'd be crafty and try didn't work out so well. I guess you kinda get used to eating face down even though it is really frustrating. I hated riding in the car back and forth to the doctor an hour and a half away once a week, so for that I just tried to bring a large pillow along to support my head and give my neck a little relief. I hope you find something on the site that may help, or maybe you could use the idea and come up with something yourself using things at home and pillows. Good Luck and my best advice just support her through it..it's tough!
4. My mom years ago had to have her detached retina repaired and the doctor suggested we used pillows in a U shape and place her face in that. But she didn't get any air since the table we used had no ventilation. So we used an old sewing machine table that had no machine but an opening to let air in and have her sit in our living room in a straight backed chair with sidearms. Remember those days when you would study and fall asleep face into your book? The position she sat in reminded me of that and it wasn't uncomfortable We played the radio and cds since she didn't watch the tv. LOL the opening did provide her entertainment since we had 2 dogs that would crawl under and try to lick her face. Her grandkids also were small enough to crawl under to kiss her and sneak in finger food. Maybe if you can see if you can get one of those massage therapist pillows it looks like a vinyl doughnut or even one of those baby boppies to rest her head in. not much i can say about her lower back but maybe give her a back rub every once in a while. good luck.
5. did she have a gas bubble put in due to a retinal detachment? i know exactly how she feels. how long does she have to keep her head down? cuz i'd just keep counting down the days and telling myself over and over only "this many more days i can do this". how is she sleeping? cuz the only way i ended up getting some sleep was putting my matress on the floor then putting pillows on the floor at the top of the matress leaving a gap big enough to fit my face so i could breath. i suggest that she just lays down for alot of the day and let her listen to the radio, a book on tape, the tv. just something to get her focus on anything but her position. as for sitting around the house i highly suggest a kitchen chair with a pillow on it if its a hard chair and putting her head down on the table. or sit on the couch with tons of pillows or blankets on her lap and putting her head down on them. ro sitting on the floor with her head on a chair. or just holding her head in her hands. of course all of these options can only be tolerated for short periods of time so she will still be getting extremely restless. actually the thing i found most comforable when stting was to sit on my bed with the comforter bunched up on my lap and leaning my elbows on it and leaning my head on my hands and rocking. yes rocking it makes it so you aren't straining your body. don't ask how but it just seemed to do that for me. for sitting in the car bring a pillow and have her put it under her chin and lean on it. it eases the strain on the neck in the car. and if she was like me she will get upset and cry on a dime. and you will freak out thinking somethings wrong and she'll just say that everything is wrong. if she does this she really just wants a nice long huge. and remind her it will be over soon. and as it gets near to the time she can put her head up my doctor told me that i could keep my head up for a few minutes a day so i'd just put my head up and stretch everything for like 30 seconds then put it back down and i'd do it a few times a day. and taking a shower always helped me cuz of the nice hot water felt sooo good. and she should be able to laugh at the fact that she is wearing a disclaimer on her wrist. not to mention the fact that it is bright green. sorta funny i thought. "warning gas bubble in eye" like you may be harmful to others if they get to close. i kept mine for a souvenier. i really hope she feels better soon and let her know i can feel for her.
6. The retinais formed by the inpocketing of the optic vesicle. Sort of like a balloon collapsing on itself and having no space in the middle anymore. The outer wall of that balloon is the retinal pigment epithelium. The inner layer forms the sensory retina with all those rods and cones and bipolar cells, horizontal cells, amarcrine cells, Mueller cells, and nerve or ganglion cells and the nerve fibers. When there is an opening in that inner layer, a hole in the retina or a tear, the retina surgeon has to figure a way to get the retina to stay stuck to that outer layer. Gas is usually used, and sometimes laser or cryo (freezing) helps. But in macular holes we don't use those traumatic methods. Just the air pressure alone seems to allow for enough of a connection or seal to keep the retina attached. Gas is placed in the empty eye, after the vitreous is removed by vitrectomy. Once membranes are peeled off the retina, fluid is drained thorugh the hole and air/gas is placed into the eye. The gas goes UP in fluid, like gas bubbles or air bubbles from a scuba regulator. To keep the posterior retina firmly attached while it's healing or sealing, one keeps the gas bubble against the hole. Keeps it sealed. Looking up can cause the fibrin to wash off and allow for a weaker seal and possible later retinal detachment through that hole. But if the seal forms strongly enough, it'll stay attached. There are LOTS of methods of keeping face down. One can walk around face down, sit on the toilet face down, bathe face down, eat face down, etc. We used to use hemorrhoid donuts to place the forehead and chin on so breathing was possible (always a good idea). Now we have massage chairs with those U-shapped head holders, and bed things that allow the head to be over the edge of the bed. Some have mirrors so one can watch TV and it's upright. These rent for about $60/week or so. Once the gas bubble gets small, and forms a little round bubble, she can look up cuz that bubble isn't going to be of any further use at that size. If you have any further questoins, just ask on the side email thingy and I'll try and help you.