Recovery and raising left arm in sleep

Sling

by JoanneMT - 2020-03-03 02:13:19

First, I wish you good luck with your pm intervention.  After my op I woke up with my arm in a sling.  I had to keep it on during the first 48 hours and during the night for at least a week.  So problem solved, I hope?

Keep your arm down

by Domkin - 2020-03-03 02:14:33

I think you might be in enough pain from your surgery that you won't be lifting it. The sling will be good for sleeping, but you need to move it so you don't get a frozen shoulder 

Next question

by Theknotguy - 2020-03-03 10:19:58

I see from your note I'll be answering this while you're in the hospital getting your pacemaker.  Assume you'll be reading this with a new pacemaker and a sore shoulder.  Hope your adjustment to the pacemaker goes well.  

Next question is why you're raising your arm in your sleep.  A lot of people with heart problems also have sleep apnea.  So my question is if you've been showing signs of sleep apnea and haven't been aware of it.  Sometimes in an effort to get enough air people do weird things in their sleep like grind their teeth, get restless legs, and have other unexplained body movements.  If you aren't having problems with sleep apnea that's great, but I feel it's a question you can ask.  

As I said before, I hope your adjustment to your new pacemaker goes well. 
 

New PM today.

by TimMcCoy - 2020-03-03 15:29:40

Theknotguy, I wanted to tell you that I have had severe sleep apnea for decades and use a bipap nightly. 

They gave me a sling to use only during sleep. They didn't want to give it to me because they don't want me to use it during the day for fear of frozen shoulder. The sling doesn't fit so I'm trying to rig it up with a belt. 

My PM works "on demand". 

I used a scarf

by Teri - 2020-03-03 20:50:32

In answer to how to keep your arm down in sleep, I find the sling they gave me didn't work because it wasn't secured around my waist.  I ended up tying a long scarf around my waist and tying my wrist/forearm to that. It does work, and the one time my hand slipped out I woke up with my arm up over my head. I've had my pacemaker about 3 weeks.

Sleep

by AgentX86 - 2020-03-03 23:19:13

I slept in a recliner for a couple of months.  I got good at it after my CABG surgery a few years before.  A stable arm position is pretty much guaranteed while sleeping in a recliner.