It seems as if I’ve been searching my whole adult life for the perfect bed for my aching back. It has been a very difficult search since my hubby has to sleep on it also. For about 15 years we used a Soma Waterbed System. It looked like a regular bed and used a regular bed frame set. But when you lifted up the "mattress" it was just a small bit of foam rubber covering 5 blue tubes containing water in the "box springs". It was fine with both of us until the tubes broke and could no longer be repaired and the foam rotted out from leaking water over the years.
We still would have kept it except we could no longer get replacement tubes. There was one other problem for me—I could barely get over the "hard side" to get out of the bed. So I bought a regular mattress and springs. Hubby complained but I was happy to have all of my back supported again.
My hubby snores. I mean he really snores. He snores for a few minutes then he quits breathing. Suddenly his whole body jumps, he grunts and starts breathing again. He will breathe normally again for a few minutes then repeat the process. He always said I was waking him up and no he has never talked to a doctor about the problem. Getting hit in the ribs with an elbow or hit in the back with an errant knee wasn’t any fun.
But then the situation changed. I started having "jumping" spells only mine was not confined to bed and snoring. Mine would happen any time of the day or night.
- If I was sitting I ended up slouched down in the chair. If I was in bed my legs went in all directions.
- If I was standing or walking I would fall. Neither one of us could get any rest so he went to the spare bedroom to sleep.
One night I had one of my jumping spells while standing up. Even though I was holding onto my walker (with 5" wheels) I fell backwards. I landed flat on my back but I knew immediately that my right arm was broken.
Hubby called 911. The two women paramedics that came with the ambulance had to straighten out my arm before they could move me. I never knew any acute pain could be that bad to begin with. But when one of them held me down, with the help of hubby, and the other one adjusted my broken arm I screamed loudly and for a long time with just one breath. I almost blacked out from the pain. But as quickly as that pain came, it left and my arm did feel better.
The arm needed surgery. It was done and was doing OK when I fell again.
This time they replaced my right shoulder joint. I went to a nursing home for rehab. Medicare pays for 20 days of rehab for certain conditions. When the doctor came to check me out of the NH he asked me if I could get out of bed by myself.
"NO".
He said, "Dear lady, if anyone deserves an electric bed it is you".
He wrote me a prescription for Medicare’s version of a hospital bed. I notified my son to come get his bed that was in the spare bedroom his father was using. He got it. Then my local pharmacy brought me a bed as prescribed. I used it for a few days before calling them for a new mattress.
They don’t have new mattresses. They take the old ones, sanitize them, put them in a special covering and reuse them, over and over again until they literally fall apart. They brought me a better one. That was laughable.
I ended up buying a Leisure Bed Mattress. It cost a bundle but it was worth it. However over time it gave in and molded itself to my body. It sagged in the middle. I put foam pads on it. They helped for a short period of time. Still it wasn’t that uncomfortable until these past few months with my new pains.
Last night I went to Wal-Mart determined to buy a memory foam topper. They had one twin size memory foam topper but it was nearly $50. Next to it there was a memory foam/eggshell pad combo that cost about $30. But they only had a full size. We bought it and hubby cut it down to fit my bed.
I went to bed at my regular time and didn’t wake up until almost noon!!!! It’s been years since I slept through like that and today my back isn’t hurting as bad as usual. I sure hope this continues and the new pad doesn’t sag like the old ones did. The bed feels totally flat and even now. Wow! I’m glad I finally listened to people who told me memory foam works wonders for bad backs.
Sleep well, Wanda
Congratulations on a full night of sound sleep. It is an amazing feeling of wellness to wake up after a good nite's sleep and something that I took for granted when I was younger.
I have had similar sleep problems. The situation improved when I decided to get rid of our virtually new mattress and replace it with a European sleep bed system. The European sleep bed system has no box springs just a set of adjustable slats running widthwise down the length of the bed. In the store, they individually adjust the slats on each side of the bed. These adjustments are custom-set for you based on your preferred sleep position so that your back is supported in the proper alignment when you sleep.
This has helped me sleep much better although Chip still snores!
Posted by: Dorothy Gantenbein | October 06, 2006 at 12:53 PM
Wanda writes wonderfully. She can always make people understand what she is saying with simple English. She doesn't beat around the bush but tells it like it is. This is an honesty that we need more of. Janice
Posted by: Janice Morris | October 07, 2006 at 03:48 PM