Hello my name is Shala & I had a car accident in 1999 that left me a
complete C-4,5 & 6 quadriplegic. Since then I've had a couple bumps in the
road but nothing major. Now almost 24 years later, I think some things are
taking a toll on my body & I've come to a crossroad & am looking for some
experienced advice. That being said let me tell you about my situation, I'm
sure most quads will understand when I say that bowel movements can be
tough, we need assistance. I've heard it referred to as "ditch stem", &
manual disimpaction. Well after doing things this way for usually 5 days
out of the week, I've ended up with some hemorrhoids. So when nighttime
comes I'm unable to lay flat on my back not only because of the hemorrhoids
but because of my bony coccyx. For the last 10 years I've used a pregnancy
pillow, and to keep me over on my side I'll use a wedge or a regular
pillow. After 2 hours I'm awoken in such pain in my back because of either
the pillow or the wedge, so I will switch sides and it starts all over
again. I'm wondering if anybody else deals with these two problems and has
a better way of staying off their coccyx and their butt area. Looking
forward to any advice, Shala.
