cheap, easy heat therapy solution...

[Guest guest]

okay... for those of you using heat for swelling: don't buy some

expensive fancy gel pack or anything like that. go to walmart, buy a

pair of men's tube socks and a bag of rice (doesn't matter which

kind.) fill a sock with rice, not all the way, leave enough room to

tie it off in a knot. now you have your own heat therapy sock.

stick it in the microwave for NO MORE than a minute and a half

(otherwise the rice will burn). if that makes it too hot, try a

minute and 15 seconds. you can heat it up as often as you like... and

it smells like popcorn!!! my heat therapy sock has not left my side

in four weeks since my surgery, so i felt i should share this with

the group. it contours your face, its almost like a security

blanket, it feels good if you're in pain - if you have sinus

pressure, lay down and place it across your eyes - good lord, its a

life saver... and you can use later for sore neck muscles or cramps

(ladies). try it... you won't regret it. i made one for each of my

family members at christmas and they are all obsessed with them.

heather

ps: write me me back if you end up trying this and let me know what

you think!

[Guest guest]

> okay... for those of you using heat for swelling: don't buy some

> expensive fancy gel pack or anything like that. go to walmart,

buy a

> pair of men's tube socks and a bag of rice (doesn't matter which

> kind.) fill a sock with rice, not all the way, leave enough room

to

> tie it off in a knot. now you have your own heat therapy sock.

> stick it in the microwave for NO MORE than a minute and a half

> (otherwise the rice will burn). if that makes it too hot, try a

> minute and 15 seconds. you can heat it up as often as you like...

and

> it smells like popcorn!!! my heat therapy sock has not left my

side

> in four weeks since my surgery, so i felt i should share this with

> the group. it contours your face, its almost like a security

> blanket, it feels good if you're in pain - if you have sinus

> pressure, lay down and place it across your eyes - good lord, its

a

> life saver... and you can use later for sore neck muscles or

cramps

> (ladies). try it... you won't regret it. i made one for each of

my

> family members at christmas and they are all obsessed with

them.

>

> heather

>

> ps: write me me back if you end up trying this and let me know

what

> you think!

Hey, another here!

My 15yo dd is 2 days post-op and we have gone from the ice packs to

heat (her Dr said ice after 12 hours doesn't help the swelling, but

is OK for pain relief).

We tried the sock thing - I sewed two socks toe to toe and put rice

in each side - we found it was too heavy and the rice falls to the

bottom of the sock and it is difficult to secure on the top of her

head. Also the rice supposedly dries out eventually and doesn't seem

to hold heat as well as when it is moist. Does smell good though!!

I found the microwavable one at Meijer last night - compares to

Champ Hot Wrap it says - this is great!! It is soft and flexible but

not heavy, it heat evenly and the long tail wraps around her head

and secures with Velcro. I wish we had tried the cold version, tho

we would have needed two of them, to always have a cold one.

I do like the rice idea for other part of the body!

Are you wired? If so, what are you drinking from? I couldn't get

through to the ZNS people so we have been using Playtex sippy cups

without the inner seal. I have to strain everything through a tea

strainer though and hopefully we can find something for her to suck

the rest of her liquids through when she can use a straw.

Four weeks seems like such a long way away!!

[Guest guest]

heather... (good name!) the sock didn't work for you??? that

surprises me. mine works great - i've heated it up dozens of times

over the past several months and it still gives off good heat and i

didn't put too much rice in so its not real heavy either. i think

the general idea with the sock is that you can customize it to

whatever's comfortable. it didn't sew mine together either, i just

tied it off really tight at the top. oh well - it sounds like you've

found something that works well.

i AM still wired shut and its driving me insane. i have 12 more days

left. i am in nashville in the music industry... next week kicks off

GMA week, which is basically artist showcases and schmooze dinners

and i'm so bummed that i can't go to the dinners. the wires come off

the day before GMA week ends, so i think i'll get to attend one

dinner, but i don't know what i'll be able to eat.

anyway, i still have an opening in my front teeth. i had an open

bite and i guess the ortho will still have to close off this

opening. so i've been lucky enough to be able to use straws with

very little difficulty. as long as stuff is liquidy enough, it takes

very little effort. i never got zip and squeeze bags. i had a

syringe from the hospital that i gave up on after the first week. i

can actually drink normal from a coffee cup, but i only do that with

clear liquids, lest i mess up and spill soup down the front of my

clothes.

i really do feel lucky... i feel like i've gotten off easy compared

to a lot of other people. the little pain i did have wasn't

unbearable. and i've been able to find some tasty things to eat. on

easter sunday, i took my mom's mashed potatoes, turkey and sugar snap

peas, stuffed it all into a blender with a cup of hot water and

voila! Easter dinner! it was delish.

i think the thing that gets to me the most right now is that i FEEL

normal except for being wired shut still. i have energy, i'm not in

pain anymore, its spring and its beautiful outside and when i drive

around with my windows down i can smell all the yummy restaurants and

it just frustrates me that i can't go out with my crew and eat

dinner. i mean, i KNOW i will be able to do that soon... its just

frustrating is all.

how long is your daughter wired shut? my OS is one of the few who

still wires patients for the full six weeks... he's old school. i

love him though, he totally rocks.

well, good luck with your daughter... you'll get through it. keep in

touch!

heather

> > okay... for those of you using heat for swelling: don't buy some

> > expensive fancy gel pack or anything like that. go to walmart,

> buy a

> > pair of men's tube socks and a bag of rice (doesn't matter which

> > kind.) fill a sock with rice, not all the way, leave enough room

> to

> > tie it off in a knot. now you have your own heat therapy sock.

> > stick it in the microwave for NO MORE than a minute and a half

> > (otherwise the rice will burn). if that makes it too hot, try a

> > minute and 15 seconds. you can heat it up as often as you like...

> and

> > it smells like popcorn!!! my heat therapy sock has not left my

> side

> > in four weeks since my surgery, so i felt i should share this

with

> > the group. it contours your face, its almost like a security

> > blanket, it feels good if you're in pain - if you have sinus

> > pressure, lay down and place it across your eyes - good lord, its

> a

> > life saver... and you can use later for sore neck muscles or

> cramps

> > (ladies). try it... you won't regret it. i made one for each of

> my

> > family members at christmas and they are all obsessed with

> them.

> >

> > heather

> >

> > ps: write me me back if you end up trying this and let me know

> what

> > you think!

>

> Hey, another here!

>

> My 15yo dd is 2 days post-op and we have gone from the ice packs to

> heat (her Dr said ice after 12 hours doesn't help the swelling, but

> is OK for pain relief).

>

> We tried the sock thing - I sewed two socks toe to toe and put rice

> in each side - we found it was too heavy and the rice falls to the

> bottom of the sock and it is difficult to secure on the top of her

> head. Also the rice supposedly dries out eventually and doesn't

seem

> to hold heat as well as when it is moist. Does smell good though!!

>

> I found the microwavable one at Meijer last night - compares to

> Champ Hot Wrap it says - this is great!! It is soft and flexible

but

> not heavy, it heat evenly and the long tail wraps around her head

> and secures with Velcro. I wish we had tried the cold version, tho

> we would have needed two of them, to always have a cold one.

>

> I do like the rice idea for other part of the body!

>

> Are you wired? If so, what are you drinking from? I couldn't get

> through to the ZNS people so we have been using Playtex sippy cups

> without the inner seal. I have to strain everything through a tea

> strainer though and hopefully we can find something for her to suck

> the rest of her liquids through when she can use a straw.

>

> Four weeks seems like such a long way away!!

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

> heather... (good name!) the sock didn't work for you??? that

> surprises me. mine works great - i've heated it up dozens of

times

> over the past several months and it still gives off good heat and

i

> didn't put too much rice in so its not real heavy either. i think

> the general idea with the sock is that you can customize it to

> whatever's comfortable. it didn't sew mine together either, i

just

> tied it off really tight at the top. oh well - it sounds like

you've

> found something that works well.

>

> i AM still wired shut and its driving me insane. i have 12 more

days

> left. i am in nashville in the music industry... next week kicks

off

> GMA week, which is basically artist showcases and schmooze dinners

> and i'm so bummed that i can't go to the dinners. the wires come

off

> the day before GMA week ends, so i think i'll get to attend one

> dinner, but i don't know what i'll be able to eat.

>

> anyway, i still have an opening in my front teeth. i had an open

> bite and i guess the ortho will still have to close off this

> opening. so i've been lucky enough to be able to use straws with

> very little difficulty. as long as stuff is liquidy enough, it

takes

> very little effort. i never got zip and squeeze bags. i had a

> syringe from the hospital that i gave up on after the first week.

i

> can actually drink normal from a coffee cup, but i only do that

with

> clear liquids, lest i mess up and spill soup down the front of my

> clothes.

>

> i really do feel lucky... i feel like i've gotten off easy

compared

> to a lot of other people. the little pain i did have wasn't

> unbearable. and i've been able to find some tasty things to eat.

on

> easter sunday, i took my mom's mashed potatoes, turkey and sugar

snap

> peas, stuffed it all into a blender with a cup of hot water and

> voila! Easter dinner! it was delish.

>

> i think the thing that gets to me the most right now is that i

FEEL

> normal except for being wired shut still. i have energy, i'm not

in

> pain anymore, its spring and its beautiful outside and when i

drive

> around with my windows down i can smell all the yummy restaurants

and

> it just frustrates me that i can't go out with my crew and eat

> dinner. i mean, i KNOW i will be able to do that soon... its just

> frustrating is all.

>

> how long is your daughter wired shut? my OS is one of the few who

> still wires patients for the full six weeks... he's old school. i

> love him though, he totally rocks.

>

> well, good luck with your daughter... you'll get through it. keep

in

> touch!

>

> heather

>

>

Thanks for your reply!

I think we were putting too much rice in the socks! We could have

used them to ward of burglars!

I think my daughter is in a honeymoon stage! Eating (or drinking)

is fine, almost still a novelty, and the pain and fatigue of post-op

is just a memory (now that she is 6 days post).

Hey, you are down to 8 days now - hang in there!! You should be

eating sweetcorn by July!!

All the best,