Sling it Again, Sam

Recovering from getting a pacemaker is pretty easy compared to recovering from open-heart surgery.

I was back at work 4 days later. (Although I wouldn't have minded having another 7 weeks off, don'tcha know.) I'm obviously not in as much pain as I was after open-heart surgery. And thank God for that! I am under some of the same restrictions - I couldn't drive for a while, I can't lift more than 5 pounds for another week and a half, I can't raise my left arm above my shoulder for another week and a half. Okay, that last one isn't the same, but after open-heart surgery I didn't WANT to raise my arms above my shoulders for quite a while.

Sleeping was and is difficult. It took me quite a while to be able to sleep well after open-heart surgery. I don't think it will take me as long this time, but I still can't sleep on my left side or my stomach. The main reason being that stupid arm lifting restriction.

I move around quite a bit when I sleep. This is why RobbieMax and I have separate blankets. Well, that and the fact that I am a cover hog. Hey: Could being a cover hog have something to do with the pig valve? Hmmm...maybe now I can use the pig valve as an excuse for my cover hogginess...

So my shoulder is feeling better enough that I could almost sleep normally. Which pretty much means that my left arm would wind up over my head at some point. And this is a major no-no. Something like that could lead to popping a lead.

So how have I been preventing this potential problem, you ask?

I've been sleeping with that dang sling on my arm, that's how. It's always difficult getting that thing on my arm with one hand right before I go to sleep. And I'm very particular. I can't have anything bunching under me, I have to be completely covered. (Yeah, I know. My particulars are strange.) This is difficult, especially when I'm laying on my right side and can't use my left arm to make sure the covers are over me. (Doesn't everyone do that?) And I can feel the draft when they're not. Believe me.

So anyway, last night I woke up and my arm was almost out of the sling, and on its way to being over my head. I'm not sure what would have happened if I hadn't woken up at that point. Probably would have popped a lead, had to go back to Mayo, and get cut open again.

Since I'm not planning on going back to Mayo anytime in the near future (my next appointment is on 3/21), I have to figure out something else to do aside from, or along with, my sling.

I have the long wrapping bandages that I used to wrap my foot in when I sprained it last May. I've been thinking about using that and basically wrapping my arm to my body and immobilizing it. Don't worry - I've washed them since then.

Or I could superglue my arm to my side, but pulling it apart would really hurt. Or I could sew the sleeve of my pj's to the side of my pj's, but then I'd have to un-sew them again. Or I could not put my arm in my sleeve and just leave it by my side inside my pj's, but that doesn't sound too comfy. Or I could have RobbieMax buy some plaster strips and make a full body cast that I could wear in place of pj's, which would render me pretty immobile.

Hmmm...as appealing as all of those sound, I think that I'll stick with the sling for now. And if that doesn't work, we'll try the plaster cast.