how do i lie down with a new permcath?

[ashwee]

My mum just had a permcath put in today, she's never had one before.
They've released her from hospital but she is having the worst time...
She cant get to sleep because every way she lies down, leans sideways or leans back she is so uncomfortable.
i know its just because it's new, and its a new experience for her... but does anyone have any methods or experiences that i can use to help her?

[GraphicBass]

Ashwee,

I have a fairly new permacath myself (six weeks), and experienced the same problems. Here's what I discovered:

1. Have the center wrap up the end of the catheter with tape or gauze, which helps keep them from flopping around. Wearing a tee-shirt or nightgown (not for me...your Mum!) also helps keep the cath line in place. The more you can avoid pulling on the line, even slightly, the more comfortable it will be.

2. If the cath is on the right side, don't lay on that side. I've found the position of the cath under my skin and into my artery can be felt if I put pressure on the left side, as what happens when you lay on your right side. (My doctor says  I'm nuts about this, but I know what I feel.)

3. Laying on the left side is more comfortable for short periods of time, and a nice change from laying on the back, especially if the cath lines are tied down. If your Mum is a "stomach sleeper", you may want to look for one of those pillows that are designed with a hole to accommodate a cath line. I've seen them online. It's large enough to accommodate the head and upper chest, with the hole allowing the cath to not have any pressure on it.

4. Order a 12" wedge to help with sleeping on the back. If you're in the U.S., Walmart.com has a very nice egg-carton surface foam wedge for about $35 with free delivery through Christmas. It's flexible enough for your Mum to start the night sitting up a little, which helps with the internal and external position of the cath, and then sort of slide down during the night to a flatter position for deep sleep.

5. Take Advil or ibuprofen, which helps with soreness from the stitches.

6. If the issue is relaxation with something new in the body, take a look at some yoga nidra sleep relaxation techniques. Some of these are as simple as laying still, then visualizing relaxing each part of the body from the toes  up to the top of the head, while breathing deeply and evenly. By the time you get to the face, you'll be asleep. There are other simple techniques you can use while lying down (yoga doesn't always mean weird stretches, etc.).

Just some tips from my own experience.

gary

[KICKSTART]

Yes i would go with numbers 1) & 2) both make a big difference. In a couple of weeks she will get used to it , but they are very sore to start with.

[ashwee]

thank you both so much... the dialysis unit taped the lines down yesterday after the op so nothings moving... she's gotten some pain killers today so hopefully that helps tonight, that should help with the relaxation too... i live in Australia but my sister in law actually just bought a foam wedge for her hip issues, so i'll check in with her about that one. and Gary i haven't experienced it myself but i can imagine what your talking about in point 2....

thank you both again so much... i haven so much to learn