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Posted 8/25/2012 4:10 PM (GMT 0)
blush I have to ask this!!!! When i get up in the morning, which takes 10 mins to get out of bed, the first thing i have to do is use the bathroom, now iam a small woman but i cant bend to wipe!!! blush, sorry but my back wont bend at all no matter what i do!!!!!! Iam always stiff like other fibro pt, but come on!!!! Anyone else have this problem? What do you do?
Posted 8/25/2012 4:24 PM (GMT 0)
I had back surgery end of March and had the same embarrassing problem. I had my family all about but that was the worst for me, no matter how I shifted, positioned myself, my arm suddenly was no longer long enough to wipe myself.

I went to a dollar store and bought a bottle cleaner its not the old brush type it's bendable and covered with some kind of fabric. I then bought cotton flush able wipes and wrap it over the brush which gives me a clean wipe every time.

I still use this as somedays my body just will not cooperate. I don't know if this has anything to do with size as I have expanded into a woman of generous proportions.

I hope I was of some help, when all else fails I use my shower have a wash and towel dry. This is why I love this forum, we are not alone.
Posted 8/25/2012 4:37 PM (GMT 0)
Rose gave you a great idea!  Also, do you do stretching exercises before getting out of bed?  I have to.  I start by stretching my arms out and my fingers too.  Then I stretch my legs out with toes pointed and then I bend my feet back the other way as far as they will go while my legs are still stretched straight out.  I feel the stretches in my calves.  Then I sit up and put my feet on the floor. 

 

Now I work on my back.  I slowly bend forward and try to lay over my lap with my arms hanging straight down.  I let my head drop, too, to help stretch the neck muscles.  Then I put my hands on my knees and use my arms to sit back up again.  I do this several times before I get moving. 

 

Once I get to the bathroom, I will lay across my lap again while on the toilet.  This keeps loosening up those muscles.  This might help you be more flexible and help with your situation.  I know it helps me a lot.

 

Sherrine

Posted 8/25/2012 4:54 PM (GMT 0)
What a great idea, Rose! I wish I'd thought of this after surgery. If there's a next time, I hope I'll remember!

Debbie
Posted 8/25/2012 6:37 PM (GMT 0)
I use to work the orthopedic floor and I had many patients with broken backs or surgery. They have many things on the market for this. You can usually find at a health store or on line. Grandmoses idea is great and probably whole lot cheaper.

I think I would try Sherri idea first. The better you can strengthen your back muscles it will get easier to tend to your Bathroom needs. That is one thing most of us don't want somebody having to wipe them. Lol

Post Edited (ak angel) : 8/25/2012 12:40:58 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/25/2012 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
HAHAHA, Thanks guys, iam gonna try all ideas tomorrow morning!!! Just didnt know who else to ask!!! I not sure about size either but i wanted to let everyone know my problem was stiffness not belly so maybe i could get right help! Thanks again guys, i knew i could count on you!!!!
Posted 8/25/2012 6:57 PM (GMT 0)
I so agree with Sherrine about doing exercises to help those muscles involved but as the story goes when you gotta go, you gotta go. For the dollar it cost it is a solution that almost anyone can afford. Btw the bathroom buddy 40 dollars omg
Posted 8/26/2012 1:02 PM (GMT 0)
Sherrine, when i got up this morning i did all the streches you suggested and even streched in the bathroom, even tho it was VERY painful, it worked!!!! Thanks so much!!!! I dont know about the rest of you but i was complaining about how i was feeling over the past month, well let me tell you, over these past 3 days something is for sure going on, i can hardly move, iam in so much pain, the worsed since i was dx in 2001,NEVER felt anything like this!!!!!!! I wish i felt like i did 3 weeks ago, i wouldnt even complain!!! None of my meds are working at all, cant even sit, lay or walk, never felt like this before and i dont want to take extra meds and am alergic to ibupro!! I have tried walking, slowly, even went in the pool and move slowly, nothing helps!!! Has this happened to anyone else?
Posted 8/26/2012 1:48 PM (GMT 0)
Terrific, Billy-Girl!  I thought it would!  I'm soooo happy for you.  Now, keep doing these exercises...even throughout the day.  I do that many times and it keeps me flexible.  I have a spine disease that can cause my spine to fuse but the rheumy said I'm in good shape and no fusing.  I really feel part of that is because I do these stretches frequently. 

 

When you are watching TV, stretch during the the commercials, stretch when on the computer, etc.  I do think the painfulness will get less and less.  I can't remember because I've been doing this for years.  Now these feel soooo good to me.  Keep stretching when in the bathroom too.  That's a perfect opportunity.  Keep moving your fingers, arms and they could loosen up for you.  I asked the nurse, when she was getting blood work, if she had any extra of those things you squeeze before they take the blood.  They all had advertisements on them.  She did and gave one to me and I use that to help keep my fingers flexible since they tend to lock on me.  If not, get a tennis ball and use that.

 

Summer is the worst time for me for fibro.  The barometric changes and the summer storms do a number on me, too.  Pretty soon you should start feeling better again.  I'll pray for that.

 

Glad this worked for you.  You made my day! yeah   

Sherrine

Posted 8/26/2012 2:21 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you billy-girl i never would have had the guts to bring that up even though i have been having problems wiping for a couple of years! And thanks Sherrine I am pretty good about stretching every day and credit 5yrs of Yoga + Chiro with being able to move at all. I do need to do stretches in the morning I forget because I have a dog and I have to feed him go to the batrhoom and then walk him but I am going to have to fit that bed-stretching back in there somewhere. On a different note, I do have problems with my hands getting worse, especially my right hand, I have been doing the exercises that the PT gave me and I have my Chiro working on my wrist but I am still getting theis sharp pain from 3 inches above my wrist straight through my thumb and my thumb has started locking up on me?
Posted 8/26/2012 2:35 PM (GMT 0)
I had problems with my right thumb several years back.  It kept getting worse and worse and the inside of my wrist got a bump on it and was warm to the touch.  It could have been arthritis but I got so I couldn't move my thumb and was starting to teach myself how to write with my left hand. 

 

I babied that thumb, used ice along with my ibuprofen with food and Tylenol.  I got special jar openers so as not to irritate my thumb and I also used a wrist brace sometimes (that bothered me more than it helped me).  I did buy something to support my wrist when using the computer mouse and, after about nearly a year, it started getting better.  Now I have absolutely no problem at all!

 

I do get a lot of weird things and, if I wait long enough and use common sense, it usually goes away.  Anything that I think I could die from I talk to the doctor.  smilewinkgrin    I do hope this gets better for you, too.  Could be fibro, could be arthritis, or it could be selcuvyeuv;rnsd!  tongue

 

Sherrine

Posted 9/5/2012 3:01 AM (GMT 0)
Billy girl.....I take 20 to 30a mins to get out of bed. I usually have to sleep sitting in an uprite position anyway. When I wake I take my pain meds(half if a woke up in pain during the nite), slowly and gradually stretch out my stiff body. Gently get outta bed to make it to the bathroom. I have to make sure I can have my hands.out to hold on.to something invade my legs don't wanna work right. I also wear a poise pads for the leaks and when I have to get up in the middle of the night and I can't reach to wipe. I use cleaning wipes or shower in the morning to make sure.all is clean. Really refinement.letting pain meds help u losen up in the morning. Hang in there! U will find what works for u.
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