20240811 - Bubbles on the back

Ever since I have had my stroke and became bed ridden, I sleep on a mechanised hospital bed so that I can be inclined and reclined to different levels and heights. It is needed both for me (as my muscles don't support me and I can't get up on my own) as well as the nursing staff to be able to do many things needed for my care).

The hospital bed, as you may have noticed in hospitals, has a mattress which is made of rexine upholstery (usually blue in colour - I don't know why). It needs to be a non absorbing upholstery to be able to wash/ wipe the mattress clean as it is very common to soil it for bed ridden people who are in diapers. That makes it hard unlike usual mattresses.

Most importantly, I have been lying on an "airbed" on top of the mattress since my stroke, the airbed is also a very common feature for bedridden people (especially strokes like my case). Since we have absolutely no ability in our muscles on the back, waist, hips, etc., we can't turn around or adjust our position while lying down. This inability puts a lot of pressure on the back, reduces blood circulation to the muscles and it will develop sores due to it. It is a very miserable thing for folks who develop sores on the back as we can't lie on the back with it, we can't turn to the side by ourselves so the carers have to move us. We can't be fed whilst lying on the side, can't have a change while on the side, etc., etc. 

So, the "airbed" is a godsend for folks like us. The airbed is also made of some rubbery synthetic material which can be washed and wiped as well and is on the hospital mattress. 

It is a lattice of big air pockets. Which inflate and deflate every few minutes. There is a controller (air pump) which allows controlling the air pressure (stiffness) and few other things I imagine (come to think of it, I have never seen it in real life - as it is kept on the floor below the bed. I only know what folks like Amazon tell me 🙂)

This lattice of air pockets, do their inflation-deflation dance alternatively. Since the air pressure keeps varying this way, it allows blood circulation better and the pressure is not on the same spot on the back and keeps changing hence relieving the constant pressure and reduce chances of developing sores. 

How do I know all this? Thanks to websites and Amazons of the virtual world where I mostly live - because I have not felt a thing on my back since my stroke. 

I occasionally have someone who visits and sits or feels the bed remarks on the feeling of the bed (the weird inflation deflation change and feeling the vibration, etc. I just nod in acknowledgement  cause I don't know what they are talking about. 

I remember throwing a fit once in the hospital many years ago because the airbed was not inflating properly. I wonder what caused me to think it was not ok because I have realised I have no feelings and no idea how it should feel on my back. I knew theoretically what will happen if it doesn't work properly, but in practice why I felt it was not ok - I have no idea. Maybe I was hallucinating. 

Anyway, the positive development in the past few days is that I have felt the airbed air bubbles on my back few times. The feeling is not consistent and comes and goes, but a positive thing I reckon. 

The negative thing is I can now feel the bubbles on my back. The plasticky feeling of inflation and deflation. It's not exactly uncomfortable, but weird like hell to feel the bubbles on the back!