Your husband's life will be a series of adjustments for the rest of his life. Twenty-five years ago my GI Doc said "humans are not designed to be lying flat and we all should be sleeping with our sleeping surface on a continuous tilt, higher at the head and lower at the foot". I didn't pay enough attention and ended up with esophageal cancer and had my esophagectomy over ten years ago. I've been taking omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor PPI, 40mg, twice a day for years. Additionally, I chew two Tums (calcium carbonate) prior to reclining for my, hopefully, eight hours of night-time sleep. The PPI works via your bloodstream to reduce the production of acid and the Tums helps to quickly chemically neutralize the acid in the throat and the after-surgery feeding tube. I'm a side and stomach sleeper and the pillow wedges never worked for me. I've spent a lot of money on special devices and electric beds and the best option has been a specially-made incline base that is permanently installed on the bed under the mattress. In incline needs to be a straight surface that is about 6" to 8" higher at the head but pivoting at the foot.

Jump to this post