How We Live

 

 

everyday living

 

 

SHOWERING AFTER LARYNGECTOMY

 

You will be told by some that you cannot take a shower and by others that you have to be extremely careful or you will drown. In reading these hints, you will notice that many shower without any shield or covering, others use ones manufactured for this purpose and others have homemade devices. Most of us who like showering find a way to keep that as a basic part of our lives and it becomes normal again. We asked WW members to send in their favorite showering hint.

1. I make sure the water falls on my shoulders and do this by bending forward a little bit when I cannot lower the shower head itself. I do have a shower at home which can go up and down. That is a lot easier. I wash my hair by bending forward with head down under the water so it falls on my head and neck and won't go into my stoma. I use this since the day after my surgery. That is almost 14 years now and still counting. (Marianne Peereboom)

2. In order to save a few dollars I have recommended baby bibs which are terry cloth on the inside and plastic on the outer side. Of course this does no good shampooing but one can just bend over to do that. (Martha Reed)

3. I shower without a stoma shield, turn my back to the spray to wash my hair that way and tilt my head back to rinse. A shower spray that can taken down and held in the hand can also be used for rinsing. When I turn to face the spray, I occlude and step right into the shower stream. When I was a new lary, I used a shield every day and then only when I washed my hair until later I quit using it at all. (Pat Sanders)

4. I tried some sort of shower guard early on, but gave it up as too clumsy. Now I just keep a dry clean washcloth handy to cover up while getting that area wet. If I do get a little water down the pipe, well, it's only water and it's good for us to keep the plumbing moist, no? In other words, simple is good. Which is good news for simple folks like me. AND ... conserve water! Shower with someone you love! (Paul Sampson)

5. I haven't seen the showering tip that helps me avoid getting water into my stoma when showering---I leave the foam square on until I'm almost done with the shower. It gets wet, but so far in 4 and ? years it has served me well. One other thing, instead of a standard shower head I found an extension that drops the shower head down about 14 inches with a swivel head and a shut off right before the shower head. I found it at one of the home center stores..
(Al Keneda)

6. I found that if I stand under the shower and bend my head slightly forward when I'm directly under the spray, no water gets in my stoma, and I'm even able to wash my hair, with hardly a cough. Also, a hand held shower attachment (that screws in easily in place of the shower head) is much better. It saves a lot of fancy footwork on a slippery porcelain surface trying to get the right angle of water attack while avoiding direct hits to the stoma. I've tried the shower covers (the tie-on, bib-like things), but for me they were a lot more trouble then they were worth. (Tom Harley)

7. I have long hair -- below my shoulders most of the time, and I have long mutton chops which sometimes touch my chest. So a two handed shower is vital for me -- I need a shower guard. The ones that Lauder sells last forever -- I have one that is about ten years old and it is just fine -- and I have one in each bathroom of each house and one in each vehicle I own --just in case. (Paul Galioni)

8. Of the two types that Inhealth sells, I personally prefer the nylon one because the shape seems to conform better to the neck (and is more watertight), and the velcro strap is larger than the rubber one and lasts longer. It does, however, get dirtier because of the nature of the material on the inside, and eventually cracks at the point above your stoma. To cope with its getting dirtier, I wash my neck with a washcloth before putting it on. (David Blevins)

9. I do use the rubber shower guard and have right along. Because I have a small neck, I clipped off about 1-1/2" of the velcro and had it sewn back onto the collar above where the original velcro began. This allows me to have a snug fit and to stand straight up under the shower head while washing my hair. Since I'm often still waking up while showering, I don't have to think about moving at angles to keep the water out. It works for me. (Libby Fitzgerald)

10. I do not use a shower guard. Never have. If I stick my face full in the shower, then I use one hand to cover my stoma. Other than that, my chin tends to protect it. I occasionally will get a drop or two of water, then cough some, and don't worry about it. (Philip Clemmons)

11. All I do is lean forward under the shower to wash my hair and the water washes down over my chin and not into the stoma. If a little water gets into the stoma, a robust cough clears it , no problem. It took some time to get it perfect but time and patience works every time.
(Doris Gifford)

12. In Lauder's "Self Help for the Laryngectomee", he mentions a mirror -- and I did find that useful -- found one cheap in a second had store, plastic frame -- hung it right below the shower head. It helped me visually locate my stoma right after the surgery. Now I have it's location memorized. (smile) Also, a hook in the wall above the shower head -- I hang my shower guard there. I have just discovered the amazing properties of a nice new shower head -- it adjusts much better than most -- I think it was about $20 -- and a lever moves it easily from lots of small jets to three pulsating jets - I can simply reach up, turn the stream to the three large pulsating ones, put my thumb over my stoma, and blast away. I know that showering was an adventure in the beginning -- now I don't even think about it. (Paul Galioni)

13. For people who wear a shower guard and have small necks. The velcroed opening may be too roomy even with adjusting it down as small as it will get, so I cut off about 1-1/4" from the part that hangs off the latex. That cut-off part can then be sewn back by machine onto the same side above the pre-attached velcro and you now have a snug fit. (Libby Fitzgerald)

14. My wife found a 99 cent Foam Sun Visor at the dollar store. It has the shape of the visor like any baseball cap, only it is made out of soft rigid foam, 3/16" thick with an elastic coiled cord in the back to hold it firmly to the back of your neck and is adjustable. I tried it today in the shower and the very light foam kept its shape and preformed as I hoped it would. I could breath very easily, and it is waterproof. [Jack, Michigan]

15. For those of you who use the old style InHealth HME filter holder, I found a cheap solution to the shower guard. The fitting costs 25 cents at Home Depot. It is located in the plumbing aisle, sprinkler fitting section. It fits snuggly into the holder and you can either put the little sponge disk in or leave it out. The fitting information is as follows:

Manufacturer = NIBCO
Item No = 4707-2
Description = CPVC Street Ell
Size = 1/2"
UPC = 0 39923 10776 3

It is not FDA approved and is not patented or guaranteed by me. It just works for me. (Jody Ann Black)

 

Below Are Some Assorted Shower Guards

That Are Available From Various Vendors


InHealth ATOS
Bruce Medical MedMart
InHealth InHealth
Lumanaud


 

GETTING YOUR HAIR CUT

The girl that cuts my hair puts the cape over me backwards, allowing me to adjust it over my stoma for easy breathing, then folds it over my lap to protect my clothes. Works well.
(Mary Glyn Spivey)

 

PILLOW TALK

Am I just dreaming or are there pillows that can help us larys get a good nights sleep when so many of us have neck and shoulder problems? What do you use?

Wedge Pillows – There is one with about a 12" rise and another with a 7" rise. When I was first home from the hospital, I used the high one, later the lower one but I raised the head of my bed on wooden blocks.

Bed Wedge. Available in 3 convenient heights: 4", 7 1/2", 12". Complete with one percale fabric zipper cover. Bruce Medical

This wonderful inflatable pillow wedge lifts your upper body a full 6" and cradles it in a comfortable position all night long. When deflated, the complete wedge and pump is only about the size of a folded shirt. It is the ideal pillow for travel. Bruce Medical

Ideal for travel, camping, the beach, When fully inflated pillow is 8" high. Washable cover included. Inflated size 8" H x 24" L x 27" W. Bruce Medical

Feather pillows so you can shape them the way you like.

I use the formed pillow - I have always used a foam pillow but since I have a chronic problem with my neck, the dip in the center keeps my neck more stable because my head is kept level. And I travel with it, all the time. We bought a select comfort bed a few years ago and it is great (the air bed). I like my side firmer than my husband does. So now we are both happy.

Best of all are the Sobakawa type pillow filled with buckwheat hulls. You can push them around into any position, pull them up under your neck and they shape to you. I had one of this type pillow that I loved and was given another. It was a heavier one, too thick, so I opened one end slightly (be careful, it can make a mess), and removed about a quarter of the seeds. I used those to make a little neck pillow for travel or to use for my neck when I use a wedge pillow. It works.

I have one for acid reflux that helps me get a good nights sleep. They are not cheap.
The Positional Therapy Pillow Company

There is a blow-up travel pillow that you don't have to blow up. (A little problem we have). It is made by Samsonite and when you open the plug it fills with air.

I bought one of those travel pillows that you don't have to blow up. I found it at Target. They do work quite well. I keep it inflated at home when it is not in use. It seems to help fill it faster after I have to deflate it to take on a trip.

When I travel by car, I use a Samsonite neck pillow which I can blow up. Yes, we can blow up a pillow. People with a TEP can close it after a deep breath and use that air. I use the air that is in my mouth because I don't have a TEP. It just takes a little longer. When I had my operation, my Speech therapist made me blow cotton. To include my kids in my therapy, we also had little Ping-Pong balls, made some goals on each corner of the table and played table soccer by blowing through a straw. Believe me, we have more air in our mouths then we think we do.

 

BEDS

 

Can your choice of bed help you sleep?

Raise the head of your bed with wooden blocks. About 6 inches should give the proper slant to help keep stomach contents from washing up. You'll also breathe better.

Just prior to surgery I splurged and bought an adjustable bed which I think has been a great help from Day 1. Seems like the change of position in elevation of head is very helpful for a good night's sleep.

We bought a waterbed. It is stabilized for 90 % so not soft and since then, I only need one pillow. This because the bed adjust to your body. It kind of curls up around it. Very comfy.

 

 

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