9 replies to this topic

[Terrible Texan]

Has anyone used a geo-matt overlay on their mattress, & do u like it? I've used one since being paralized. its soft & mmade for pressure relief.

Whats the longest u've been healing a pressure sore & where? outside lower legs, took 3 yrs. 1 1/2 yrs - present on bottom...most of time in bed for bottom.

Has anyone actually done the recommend turning times in bedc? i did at 1st, but havent for 12 1/2 years w/ only 1 sore on bottom, up to now. i wasnt turning at night & my body was ok. my plastic surgeon is telling me i should every 15 min, yeah right, your lucky if u get a nurse to check on u every hour.

Your opinion: If you've used both, What do u think is better, the geo-matt or air mattress?

[Stand]

I've only ever used an air loss and mattress and get turned two or three times a night, depending on what time I actually go to sleep, and I've never once had a pressure sore. Obviously everybody's skin integrity is different. Maybe I've just been lucky?

[Ratticis]

No
About 2 years on my tailbone
Nope
Flying

[qbounce]

Who could sleep if they were turned every 15 minutes? That's crazyness!
I turn when my shoulder starts hurting, maybe every 3-4 hours a night.
I also sleep on a 2" memory foam overlay on a regular king size mattress. It's worked for me going on 7 years now.

I had an air flow overlay once, but I seriously hated the noise that machine made and had a hellofa hard time falling asleep.

[Ratticis]

I can't sleep on my left side for more than about an hour at a time nayway, cus of the illiostomy

[Terrible Texan]

qbounce, on 01 June 2011 - 04:01 AM, said:

Who could sleep if they were turned every 15 minutes? That's crazyness!
I turn when my shoulder starts hurting, maybe every 3-4 hours a night.
I also sleep on a 2" memory foam overlay on a regular king size mattress. It's worked for me going on 7 years now.

I had an air flow overlay once, but I seriously hated the noise that machine made and had a hellofa hard time falling asleep.

Heres an article on the Geo-Matt: The Geo-Matt® style foam topper is a high density, medical grade foam. The unique geometric design consists of over 800 individual cells, each of which acts individually to redistribute pressure, to reduce heat and moisture buildup on the skin, and to reduce shear to underlying tissues. This foam overlay is 3.5” in height

[Gabi&George]

Terrible Texan, on 01 June 2011 - 12:39 AM, said:

Has anyone used a geo-matt overlay on their mattress, & do u like it? I've used one since being paralized. its soft ....
<snipped>
Your opinion: If you've used both, What do u think is better, the geo-matt or air mattress?

Don't know what a geo-matt is. Did have a "memory foam" overlay though. It wasn't enough to help a bedsore from progressing for George. (Bear in mind he was very, very ill at the time with multiple issues post multiple surgeries and was almost 60.)

Longest to heal a bedsore was on his coccyx. Was about 3 months two years ago 'til it progressed to Stage IV and started to tunnel. It had to have surgery. After the surgery it cleared quickly and hasn't returned. Currently fighting a Stage II on one buttock. It's been the same for about 2 months. Of two others one on each heel, both "unclassifiable", same length of time. One is as good as gone, the other well on the way to same.

I ply George with OTC extra protein "muscle builder" drinks because he's so run down. Also extra zinc, E, C & D and he can and now does, upper body exercises every day.

Currently using a Clinitron air something-or-other mattress. I like the fact that I can adjust the firmness setting. Changing the setting seems to distribute support, almost like turning which is something he has trouble doing on his own. In hospital, where he developed the first bedsore, he was lucky to be turned once every two hours. "He's such a big man", I overheard one nurse tell another. Perhaps that was why.

Doc told us a bedsore could get started in just 20 minutes, but for sure, that must depend on the person - their age and condition. (I wake in exactly the same position as when I went to sleep 5-7 hours earlier and sleep on a normal mattress but I'm very healthy.)

All the best, Gabi

[qbounce]

Terrible Texan, on 01 June 2011 - 06:35 AM, said:

qbounce, on 01 June 2011 - 04:01 AM, said:

Who could sleep if they were turned every 15 minutes? That's crazyness!
I turn when my shoulder starts hurting, maybe every 3-4 hours a night.
I also sleep on a 2" memory foam overlay on a regular king size mattress. It's worked for me going on 7 years now.

I had an air flow overlay once, but I seriously hated the noise that machine made and had a hellofa hard time falling asleep.

Heres an article on the Geo-Matt: The Geo-Matt® style foam topper is a high density, medical grade foam. The unique geometric design consists of over 800 individual cells, each of which acts individually to redistribute pressure, to reduce heat and moisture buildup on the skin, and to reduce shear to underlying tissues. This foam overlay is 3.5" in height

TT, I looked up the Geo-Matt, and realize that I have used one at the hospital for a two week stay before. To be honest, the Geo-Matt didn't feel that much different from my 2" memory foam mattress overlay. They both serve the same purpose, after all. Many mattresses come with a memory foam top already attached, with no need for an additional overlay. I suppose the whole thing boils down to what works best for you and your skin, keeping in mind any existing or previous pressure sores.

[edlee]

I was started out on a low air loss, alternating pressure matress in rehab,, and have used the same ever since. Only the one sore,, from injury to two year mark. On my tailbone. I don't turn at all,, the matress changes from cell to cell every twenty minutes,, and like Q says,, it can be noisy. I've learned to live with it,, lack of sleep isn't a problem in my case,, the reverse is probably closer to the truth.
ed

[goose]

I did my rehab at Shepherd Spinal Center 24 yrs. ago. They weaned me off any kind of special mattress and had me build up my roll over time to once or none a night. IT's been 24 yrs. without any skin problems [knock on wood].They wanted me to be able to sleep anywhere without worrying about my skin. Thank goodness it has worked. I have slept 12 hours on one side without a problem.

It wasn't easy getting trained and I didn't like it then but glad now.

Edited by goose, 02 June 2011 - 05:05 AM.