or I guess they are just for any purpose you might need your feet/legs elevated above your heart. I'm trying to help a friend with Edema pick out a pillow and I find several on my Amazon, or Walmart but I'd like to hear from someone that has one, and a recommend, or "don't buy this one" I've seen the inflatables because he really needs something easy to store when not using, which I'm guessing he'll have to use it a lot of the time. I'll show you a pic, of his feet how bad they are. He is under a doctors care so today I need to make sure he calls and asks her if it's ok, or asks her nurse to ask her. Feedback so welcome. He is also on water-pills, one week on, one week off is what is doctor says. I don't see much difference in when he takes them or doesn't but I can't of course get into that at all:
I think raising the foot of the bed would work just as well as the pillow and, certainly, be more comfortable. That's what hubby's doctor recommended for him. We put a piece of 2X4 under the bedposts at the foot of our bed. The feet don't have to be raised much; only a couple of inches. Compression stockings help during the day but they are almost impossible to put on by yourself. I put his on in the morning and took them off at bedtime.
@Shirley Martin - speaking of compression socks. I am suppose to wear them ,but rarely do. They are a pain to get off. I wore them this morning because my right ankle and leg have been swelling some - it comes and goes. My feet hurt so bad later i had to take them off. So I googled it like everything else. The socks should not cause pain at all. I think one maybe the size is wrong, second putting the drier is bad I idea- I read. So in the market for some new ones. Any ideas? I have tv ones with copper in them. Plus I did not know that compression socks came in different um thickness depending on the nature of the problem.
Thanks all for your input. The Wedge Pillow works great for raising his feet while in bed at night, or for a nap/rest time. He did make an appt. with his doc so it will be up to her pretty much. I think he should have a hospital type bed, and the doc should sign for it but he says they won't ok it. He's a mess, won't go into it, but he just needs all the help he can get. He has compression socks but he says he can't wear them, I don't remember why. I think what @Hedi Mitchell says was the reason. So for now, the wedge-pillow can help for the time he's in bed but I asked him to snap a photo with his phone "before" he gets his feet out of bed so we can see the diff. it is making. I saw a change within 5 min. It just doesn't last as soon as his feet hit the floor pretty much I'm going to try and get another caregiver when the one he has gets moved. I think I mentioned already she is also moving out of town. It's really not a retirement heaven here like they boast as most retires need good medical care and it ain't here.
Because of my a-fib and heart failure, I sometimes have the swollen feet and legs, too, @Denise Happyfeet , and on bad days, I have to take the lasix for the swelling. I have found that there are diet modifications that help me a lot, and might help your friend as well. The main change with diet/food is to cut down on salty foods, avoid salty snacks like chips, etc. Even meals with a lot of salt can cause the water retention. Foods with sugar or sweet snack foods also cause water retention for me, but whole carbs like veggies are fine. The one food that helps me the most is fresh, raw/ripe pineapple (not canned !). Pineapple is very anti-inflammatory, so it helps stop the swelling and pain, it has a natural anesthetic that also helps pain, and when I go on what I call a “pineapple fast”, usually by the next day, I am much better. I just get a good ripe pineapple and don’t eat anything else, just pineapple and drink water. It works as good as the lasix mostly, and has none of the issues of taking prescription medication.
I can't get Tom to eat right, but I know he eats no spices or salt. No salt is not good for me, my body requires salt but he does follow his doc on not eating any. I am not one to blindly follow conventional doctors and I suppose I'll find out if that was a good thing or not one day. I don't try to introduce him to nutrition as I can't be there to take care of his meals. Tom can say he will do something but he mostly lets it go in one ear and out the next. Like I think I mentioned, he needs a full-time caregiver, not live in necessarily but that would be the best. He's had many heart surgeries since he was quite young, and I think he said the latest was to remove a vein in his leg to attach to his heart It's very overwhelming for me, and he really seems happy and accepting. I don't see any depression at all thank God. He really loves company and I can do that for sure. I go each evening now after Mimmie and I do our after-dinner walk. He loves Mimmie, and she always wants up on his lap. The rest is really up to God. Mostly, Tom is a dreamer and I think that keeps him going. He's always got a story from the past, or a new Gold map he's found and plans to go. His birthday card from me said "I hope all yours and my dreams come true".
You can get the non-medical compression socks that are designed for normal everyday wear. They aren't as effective, but are much easier to use and are more comfortable...and cheaper. They do help a lot, though, especially if you are reasonable active. You could also get something like this to help you put them medical ones on.
Ok Don, I will check into the others, non-medical, but also look at your link. Right now he is being so good to keep his feet up as much as possible, they start looking normal again!! Also he is getting feeling back in them when they are propped up. Today I got him his own wedge-pillow and found him sitting in his better chair with his feet up on his "walker-chair" with a pillow. I really bragged him up and told him he was doing soooooo good. I think he just needed someone to be there and encourage/show him something he could do to help himself So now he can watch his TV and have his feet up. I'll look for different socks for him if he can't wear the med-ones he has
The true medical ones I know about are 40 mm +, but you can get 20-30 mm, and these are low compression that might help and still be easy to put on. You should be able to get them locally as well, but stay below 30 mm if you want easy on socks.
I'm thinking about the socks and wondering if "rolling" them to put them on, then "rolling" them down to take them off. Wonder if that would work. Tom doesn't know where his are and his place is so crammed with stuff I'm not sure I can find them. But the non-medical I'm looking at. He says they are too hard for him to put on and take off, both. So yes, maybe roll them first, or the nonmedical. His feet are always very cold he says and too the touch, they feel kind of normal to me but it's what he feels that's important to me. He is faithfully doing his feet up, a lot as I checked pretty regular yesterday and last eve. As you can imagine, he can hardly get around. I felt so overwhelmed by his messy/hoarder like apartment but he needs thing moved so he can get his wheelchair into kitchen and/or his walker w/built in little chair on it. More later, thanks everyone. PS I do plan to get a couple of guys to help me, I just can't move that big desk, boxes, omg, can't think about it. Some seniors can't do much anymore, and it's so hard to find help in this area, doctors and otherwise.
Rolling them might help, but realize that when you roll them, the compression is magnified by the number of rolls. One of the sock-assist tools would be better, I think, but perhaps consult someone at a prosthetics supplier or physical therapist office to work out what is best for him.
yes, we have a physical therapy place in town, and I could stop in and ask Don. If I can find the med- ones in his apartment at all, or maybe try the others. I can only imagine the discomfort but wondering if that subsides after a time having the socks on? Do these or can these types allow him to walk around more? It's really all about circulation of the blood isn't it? He's missing a vein in one leg but both swell up and turn purple equally. I see the white coming back after a nap using his wedge pillow, I'll show you the both before and after pics, but I'll have to get the "after" from him as he snapped it for me on his phone. Basically they look less swollen, and less purple. Then there are white/his skin tone like maybe half or a 3rd of his foot/ankle after keeping his feet above his heart.
What are airboots? I looked them up but can't find a comparison between those and socks? I am excited, a young man and his wife have a bed and everything their parents are trying to give away, or sell don't know which yet!! He said they have everything for this condition!! I'll let you all know, it may be a God-sent, maybe not PS I also have photos, and a list of things to ask, if she isn't good at listening, I'll somehow get him to another "second opinion" doctor.