I just received this question via email.
He has a haol and I was wondering if any one has ideas on how he can sleep in a bed. He cannot afford a hospital bed so he sleeps in a chair. Ipurchased him a donut to sleep on abdomin, but that doesn't work either, nor does a towel rolled underhis neck to help support him. The halo is very difficult, but thank GOD it was not complete fx. He is fx at c1,c2, c7 and t1. His halo will be worn till atleast 6 more weeks! Thank you
It is important that if you have a halo brace that has a ring going all the way around the head that the halo ring itself not be allowed to touch the bed. If it does, this can cause loosening or even dislodgement of the halo, which could be disasterous in a fracture such as this.
We recommend putting pillows behind the shoulders to keep the ring off the bed. Never put pillows on the neck either. If the person feels drafts around their neck, a towel can be lightly placed around the neck to decrease this. If laying on his side, he will be more comfortable with a pillow under his side from waist to armpit, as this will take some of the pressure off the shoulder.
Sitting part way up in with pillows, or in a recliner chair is OK as long as the precautions above are observed, but if there is any sensory loss, this should be done with caution as it significantly increases the risk for pressure ulcers in the sacral area.
Unfortunately halos are made for stability, not comfort, but they are certainly preferable to what we had before they were invented, which was 3-4 months in traction on a Circle bed or Stryker frame!
(KLD)
KLD, thanks. Wise.
i had one for 13 weeks , only way i could sleep was with a atavan and a ambien. the other problem in the hospital was aides and some nurses thinking it made a great handle to move you. then the day in rehab they dropped me on it and pulled 3 pins outthat was some pain. so be very careful handling him.
i only wanted to have some fun
When I had my halo, I was most comfortable laying on my sides with several pillows under me, including my head, shoulders, and neck. The pillows need to be really puffy to not put pressure on the halo. I, too, could not sleep without a double dose of Ambien.
Yes--be careful staff doesn't use the halo as a grab bar for re-positioning. That was a problem for me, too.
Originally posted by kenf:
i had one for 13 weeks , only way i could sleep was with a atavan and a ambien. the other problem in the hospital was aides and some nurses thinking it made a great handle to move you. then the day in rehab they dropped me on it and pulled 3 pins out
i only wanted to have some fun
kenf,
my son had a halo too and I know how much pain it caused him when he had to have a pin replaced and some retightened....but I can not imagine what kind of pain that must have been for you when they dropped you? Unbelievalbe!
Some ships sail east, some ships sail west, both by the same breeze blown. It is the set of the sail and not the gail that determines the direction blown.
Hi,
I was injured over 10 yrs. ago, at the age of 15, and can still remember the sleepless nights. I was lucky enough to be able to afford a hospital bed but still had to sleep sitting straight up with pillows behind my back and shoulders and under my arms. With the help of late night T.V. and tylenol I made it through. I had to wear mine for 3 1/2 months so of course it became loose and had to be retightened several times. I can still remember the pain of having the screws retightened but having them tight felt a lot better than them wiggling around each time I was moved.
Tell your son to hang in there it'll be off in no time and be but a colorful memory.
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