Does/has anyone out there suffer/is a carer of a sufferer of sleep apnea following surgery? Husband has had esophogectomy and from all I have read, he should be sleeping like a baby pretty much most of the time in this post-op recovery stage!!! However, he can't even sleep at night (sleeping pills are failing him too) and just about catnaps in the day, he is exhausted!!!! Has weird feeling between his shoulder blades and also shoulder pain that means he is constantly moving around and fidgeting to try and get comfortable - standing up, sitting down, trying every bed in the house, kneeling on all fours, new one today - lying flat with his legs up in the air...nice...- nothing is working for him today.
What can we do to help him sleep??? Am looking at reclining bed with memory mattress (thanks for advice Libby) but what can I do to help in the interim? Can anyone offer any advice?
His bad is obviously pay-back for my smug post of yesterday boasting 2 good days in a row.
FormerMember
Hi Julie,
What a pain. Is he able to get out and about? Maybe he's not getting enough fresh air and exercise during the day? Just a thought. What about a wee dram before bed? I'm sure it's not what the docs would recommend but it might relax him. Have one yourself.
Since you mentioned Acupuncture in a prior blog, have you heard of Trigger Point Therapy? It is hugely successful for old and new aches and pains of all varieties. Please look it up online, and check with the doctors, it may be a wonderful answer for the inbetween-shoulder pain and shoulder-blade pain (as well as any other pains either he or you may have now - or in the future).
I have 'The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, 2nd Edition, Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief' by Clair Davies, NCTMB, with Amber Davies, NCTMB (New Harbinger Publications) USA
I'm not sure if this will help as the situation wasn't quite the same. My brother was a long term sufferer from this, despite trying lots of different remedies ie sleeping with an open window, sleeping upright, using a dehumidifier, using the sleep mask that the doctor provided (like an oxygen mask) the only thing that actualy worked for him was an operation to shorten the length of the clacker that hangs down at the back of his throat - not sure what the proper terminology is.
If this a bit of a drastic rememdy so if the doctors think this is a short term thing hen maybe the sleep mask wil work better for him.
Thanks so much for your reply to my blog - will definately look up trigger point therapy and the book details you gave me. I have a feeling my doctor is doing this at the moment with David. He could see by the lack of response to the needles he was placing that David had a complete lack and block of energy, he then placed two long needles deep above and below David's abdominal wound area. Immediately David's face flushed with blood as the energy block was released and reached it (the central point of all meridean lines). Was enough to convince me having been a little sceptical prior to the needling.
Thanks for your reply. Yes, he is getting out and about 2 or 3 times per day at the moment. He is able to walk a little afurther each day and is doing really well so we can't put it down to excess energy I'm afraid. Good idea re the wee dram however, he is not allowed spirits anymore (much to his disgust!) - BUT have bought a supply of Guiness and am encouraging him to drink it - strange, normally he would bite my hand off for one but his new oesophagus has changed his taste buds as well as his appetite. Sure it will come back eventually if I keep waving it in front of him. Am gonna speak to doctor on Tuesday re sleep - if not, gonna visit a horse vet and see what sedative he can give us! Speak soon... Julie xx
