sleeping tips???

When I had a stoma I didn't worry about it. I think I was falling asleep on my back and waking up on mw side or whatever position. In 12 months, I think I had maybe 6 nightime pile-ups, and handled them as a pratical thing by getting up, doing a bag change, and going back to bed. They are going to happen once in a while, so just be prepqred to deal with them.
In the end, it doesn't matter how wou fall qsleep, as long as wou are comfortable, because once you are asleep, you will naturally be changing positions during the night without knowing it.

As the others say, I sleep however I feel like. I can't stay on my back too long though cos I get restless legs. My biggest problem is finding a position that's comfortable for my arthritis whilst having one arm wrapped around one of the kitties while I sleep (I keep getting gentle nose nudges if I don't - ohhhh.... I am so their slave lol) Lieing on either side is the most comfortable for me.

It also helped heaps when I got a better mattress. It took staying in a hotel with a wonderful mattress to find out that my mattress at home just wasn't up to the job. My mattress would leave me with backaches more often than not. I had no idea there were much more comfy mattresses out there so when I got home I promptly went out and got one. It's wonderful and allows me to sleep so much better.

When I first had my ostomy I, too, was worried about laying flat on my back causing a leak, so I would sleep on my back with a lot of pillows behind my back and head, sort of inclined, like Another UC wife said. However, after awhile I was much less cautious and basically slept however I wanted to, except on my stomach (but I've never been a stomach sleeper- I've heard some ostomates can do it no problem.) I only had one nighttime leak, which was actually a blow-out from eating something gassy too close to bedtime... gross.

It took me a while to get used to sleeping with my ostomy. My abdominal incision ended up having to heal open, and I was so paranoid about output leaking and dripping into the wound. For the first 4 months, I slept on my right side so that if there was a leak, it would drain away from my body. After a while though, I gained confidence in my appliance and realized that I could roll from side to side and it stuck just fine. Knock on wood, I am a year and a half out of surgery and I have yet to have a leak.... daytime or night. My appliance does often look like a blimp on my belly in the morning after 8 hours of sleep due to output and gas. Somehow I always manage to wake up before it bursts.

One thing though- I am not a belly sleeper so I am not sure how it would be to sleep on your belly with an ostomy.

I had problems with contiguously sleeping on my left side due to the enemas. I got one of those foam topper at Costco and problem solved!

I have never had an issue with leaking at night either. Like blueheron said, I often have a small blimp on my abdomen when I wake up, but I always manage to wake up before it explodes. I am mostly a side sleeper, but I do like a pillow on each side of me when I sleep. I also tuck one between my legs to stablize my back. My husband complains sometimes, but I have no trouble sleeping most nights.

Thank you for the suggestion. I never found the small belts very comfortable. The wrap worked the best for me. I have a j-pouch now so no more bag issues.

It is amazing what my subconscious will do. Sometime during my second surgery hospital stay, I apparently ordered a pair of almost hip-high black leather boots with stiletto heels. My husband had a great laugh after opening the box.

Post Edited (Subzeromambo) : 8/20/2012 3:36:08 AM (GMT-6)

Oh my gosh Subzero. That is one of the funniest post-surgery things I have ever read! I can't stop laughing.

-Heidi

I don`t see why risque boots shouldn`t look fine with white hair. I did not have any pigment issues, but hair loss, which grew back. I wouldn`t be surprised if your own hair color came back too. You`ll see it in the roots as your hair grows.
BTW, I did sent a msg, and got an answer that his cell had died taking everything with it and he couldn`t find my card and will talk to me in a day or two (he was at the airport picking up his daughter) but `talk to you in a day or two`didn`t sound so hotly interested. Besides, I had left a msg on his home phone last week when he said to call, so my nr must have been on the display. My most beloved uncle would tell me, `if you are left wondering, connect the dots and you probably will not get the easter bunny`.