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AND SO Instantly noticeable
was the control panel clipped onto the side. These controls allowed me to
raise and lower the bed, and to decide for myself if I wanted the head, middle or feet
positions to achieve different angles. No help was given in getting in or out
of the bed after the surgery! (I suspect it is a 50/50 breakdown between ’its
beneficial to do it yourself’ and
a no lifting policy) . ·
It comes as
a frightening shock to learn that the onus is on you to manage your own
destiny in this task, but this frame of mind is, I believe, due to the
traumatic experience you are going through at the time. Once again, I must
repeat that this is all personal to myself and my own reactions.
You may find that it does not have the same effect. ·
One point
I must make here is with regard to my own admission. I was taken straight in
to the hospital from outpatients, and did not have the dubious pleasure of being
on a waiting list. Therefore, I did not attend any of the pre admission
meetings. I do not know if this was a
topic covered during these events. If not, it would seem appropriate to do
so. You need to raise
yourself to your own required level as and when necessary. With this in mind,
I discovered it was best, (after surgery) to ensure that the head of the bed
was in a fully upright position (i.e. sitting bolt upright) before trying to
leave it.
With both arms stretched out in front of myself and keeping both hands clasped together, it became much easier when, from a ‘starting on the back’ pose, I swung/forced my body over sideways and rolled over and out of the bed. The position of my arms and the body weight took me over, enabling me to place my feet onto the floor and subsequently stand, with the least amount of pain and discomfort. This ‘pose’ was found to not only help with getting out
of the bed, but gave me personally a feeling that I was ‘holding together’ a
rib cage only recently opened and wired shut. This could be, I suspect,
mostly psychological but was important at the time. This worked for me, and also
for most of the other patients in the ward during my stay, but obviously, it
is wise to verify this method with staff before using it.
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