Help Shawna Get an Air Mattress

Hi,

I’m Shawna (Shoshana) Forester Smith. A soon to be 42-year-old chronically ill and disabled ojibwe woman who lives on a chronic care unit at Deer Lodge Centre because of complex medical conditions and the treatments and care required to live.

I am bedridden, unable to walk, sit up, and transfer to a chair or wheelchair. I can’t even move myself in bed. I am basically stuck on my back. My spine is collapsing from over 20 compression fractures in the past 8 years. I have three kinds of scoliosis and spinal stenosis. I have a recent compression fracture from coughing — this is how severe my osteoporosis is.

A long time ago, I asked occupational therapy for a special air mattress to prevent pressure ulcers. Because I knew I would get them eventually. I was told that they didn’t give air mattresses until you got pressure sores. I said that was the stupidest logic I had ever heard. Why on earth would you not prevent them? The OT mumbled something about limited resources.

Three weeks ago, we discovered I had stage one pressure ulcers on my buttocks. I got reassessed for an air mattress again. OT agrees that I do need one but there are none available. There’s also people in line ahead of me to get one. And when one does finally become available it may not even be the right or best one for me. So, that’s why I’m asking for your help.

I need to purchase my own air mattress. There’s lots of different options and kinds. The best one for me is one that eliminates the need to be turned every two hours (it’s extremely painful and it puts me at risk for more fractures). It has other benefits too with regard to my circulation and helping prevent blood clots which is a concern for me. It also helps reduce the amount of moisture created by the sleep surface so that skin integrity is better. Most hospital mattresses make people sweat. This causes skin breakdown and pressure ulcers happen. This mattress actually wicks moisture away.

I have a number of health issues, including being on TPN, intestinal failure, chronic pain, respiratory issues, Addison’s Disease and I am immunocompromised (I’ll stop there) which make pressure ulcers extremely dangerous for me. They could lead to bone and muscle infections and even sepsis. I am at the point where if I continue getting sepsis constantly, I will die. We need to do everything in our control to prevent infections. This includes preventing more pressure ulcers.

This will greatly improve my quality of life. I know it seems like a lot of money for a mattress, but it will help me a lot. I hate having to ask for help.

I appreciate any help people can provide. Every little bit helps. I do plan on donating the mattress to the facility when I die so someone else doesn’t have to worry about buying one like I did.

I appreciate all the love and support. I appreciate if you would share this with your contacts.

Shawna