Cushion

[Angeles]

I need help with a cushion that will give the best possible relief to my perineal area. I have PFD, IC anb V V and I seat for 8 hrs a day at work. No option here, seating is just putting more pressure.
I have the ICN chusion and I use that one at home. I just got the geltech cushion which costed me a fortune and got very dissapointed that it was huge for me. I'm pettite and 100lbs or so. This $170 cushion was definitely not for my size. I know it is great for others though and I wished it worked for me. But I weight 100 lbs and the cushion felt hard for me, that shouldn't be the case. This was the smallest they offered: 16 by 16.
Doctor today recomended the donut cushion. Are there stores where you can go and see this cushions and have a better idea?
I need a cushion for work asap, can anyone point me to a thread or where to get a work friendly and efective cushion for a petitte girl. You can PM me is advertisement is not permitted but I'll really apreciate anyone's help.
Thanks!

[ICNDonna]

If the one you got from the ICN Shop works at home, you could order another one for the office.

Donna

[GriffsMommy]

When I first started having my pudendal nerve issues I spent a whole day at work trying to find stuff to sit on that didn't make me hurt so bad. I spent most of that day in tears or trying to fight back tears. Those office chairs just are not comfortable for us. I went to all kinds of stores looking for that stupid donought type cushion to try to help and everybody looked at me like I was crazy, even at places like Walmart and didn't have them.
So I struggled through that week and went and asked my dr if they had a cushion they recommended for people with pudendal nerve issues. He gave me a print out for the ICNshop with the cushion that is sold here. I just about laughed out loud because I knew about it but I was trying to find something less expensive that I could buy locally so I wouldn't have to pay for shipping. He said this was the best one and the only one they recommend. I went ahead and ordered it but now that I'm on disability I keep it in the car because that is the most uncomfortable place for me to sit most of the time.
I would agree with Donna, either buy another one from the ICNshop for work or until you can afford to buy another one take it back and forth. Of course that's a pain but it's better than being in pain while sitting all day at work. I think I will remember how much pain I was in that day and how helpless I felt for the rest of my life. I was emailing every co-worker I knew to see if they had any kind of cushion I could sit on to help with the pain. They were so nice about it, everybody started bringing things over to my desk to try. I just ended up getting up even more to go to the bathroom before I really needed to just so I could get up off my butt and relief some of the pain.
I really do feel for you.
If you still want to try a doughnut cushion though maybe check with a local dme supplier because I know alot of people get them at hospitals so they would have to buy them from a dme (durable medical equipment) supplier.

[Angeles]

Thank you. I need something that won't touch the perineal area at all if possible. I haven't tried the dunut one, but I've seen it at the IC conferend it was on a chair, someone had it, but that was a yr ago and didn't ask where she go it.
The one in the ICN shop works for home but I seat only momentarily at home. It gives me relief, it is good and affordable. So I'll take it to work and order another one for home.
However , at work I seat for 8 hrs! so I have to find something else. One of those cushions shaped like a "U" so that the perineal area is in the "air". Well...you get the idea. Doctor said in the meantime I can wrap a towel in a U shape and sit on it at work. I did that with a flennel shawl I use at work when it gets too cold. I folded it and then shaped it like a U. Sat on it. Wow. It actually gave me some relief b/c my legs were sitting on the shalw shapped like an U. Too bad it got out of shape after an hr or so and had to re -shape it and re-shape it. So it was a very short term solution.

It is true though that the same cushion won't work for all b/c we come in different sizes and weights. Gotta keep trying!

[Kathy in Canada]

Hi,

I'm in the same boat as you. I have tried the cushion on this IC site and it made prickling, tingling, and then numb sensation down both legs from pressure on my sciatic nerves. Used it for a less than a week - no use to me now.

I have ordered and sent back two of the Geltec cushions. One was a plainer one and the other had a part of of the middle out -like a square U. It was supposed to be good for people with IC, It didn't help at all. The part of me that hurts was on the cushion, not on the open part. I sent both of these back. Wasted a lot of money on shipping costs both ways for the two cushions.

I tried a rubber donut ring - that is only useful for short periods. Not for sitting 8 hours a work. It might be OK for someone who just had surgery and needed to take some pressure off the area for a short time\..

I tried a cushion used to support a baby when you are breast feeding - that didn' work either. The sore part is not suspended. I took that back.

At home & in the car I have tried various pillows and cushions to sit on for a short time. I have one on my chair in the dining room, one in the car, one at the computer (sometimes I put a pillow on top of that cushion as well) and sometimes I type kneeling on the carpet.

I have a cushion in a bag I take if have to sit somewhere with non-padded or little padding in the seating. Before I had to take it no matter what I was sitting on. Also it is winter, so I fold up my coat and sit on that in restaurants sometimes.

I have not come across anything yet that works well enough that it would allow me to sit at work for any length of time. I have a job that requires sitting all day as well.

Many of the specialty cushions are geared to people that are in wheel chairs and their needs are not the same as someone that needs something to sit on that keeps their whole crotch area suspended.

If I find something that works better that what I've tried, it will be a great day. Mostly what works is not sitting in an upright fashion so your crotch area has no pressure on it. Of course, this is not very compatible with sitting in an office chair. Maybe we need an office couch.

I don't know what I'll use eventually, I would like to return to work.

Kathy