Persistent Chest Pains

It’s been 4+ months since the heart surgery. I was recovering fairly quickly in the first few months but everything has been about the same during the last several weeks. I still cannot sleep on my left side, even a little bit. When I do, it would hurt to breathe. Prior to the fistula surgery, I could sleep on my right side but the dialysis nurses told me to avoid sleeping on that side in case I put too much pressure on the fistula. It’s also hard to avoid the whooshing sound in my forearm when I sleep on my right side. That leaves sleeping on my back which I don’t really like. The adjustable bed helps a little but sometimes it’s still hard to breathe while sleeping on my back.

Also, it’s still very painful to cough or sneeze. That part is a bit better than before but I thought it would stop hurting at some point. I guess we’re not there yet.