On my second day in the hospital, my nurse gave me a heart pillow. The heart pillow was made by a group of three women who call themselves Take Heart. They donate their heart pillow creations to children in the pediatric cardiology ICU. The pillows come in all sorts of sizes and fabric patterns. The nurse who chose my pillow said she tried to get the biggest and least childish one…but you’ll notice it does have two patches of Disney’s Cinderella and–not going to lie–it’s a bit ugly.
But what’s important about this pillow is that I press it against my chest when I stand up, walk around, or cough, it makes the incision feel a lot less painful. When we go out on walks or take a trip in the car, I shamelessly bring along my pillow. It’s like my security blanket. Thanks Take Heart!
Here’s a photo of me with my pillow:
