I was skeptical, but desperate.
I found a leg alignment pillow from a company called Nourial.
Unlike the cheap memory foam ones on Amazon, this one used that high-rebound polyurethane foam—designed specifically to resist compression all night.
It arrived 3 days later.
The pillow felt different from the others I'd tried before.
Firmer when I squeezed the center. But softer at the edges. Contoured to fit between my knees.
That night, I placed it between my knees before bed.
It had a soft strap I could use if I wanted extra security.
I'll be honest—it felt weird at first.
But within 10 minutes, I noticed something strange.
My lower back wasn't aching in that familiar way.
I fell asleep.
And for the first time in MONTHS, I didn't wake up at 3 AM rolling over in pain.
I slept straight through to 6:30 AM.
When my alarm went off and I moved my legs, I braced myself for the usual shooting pain.
It didn't come.
I wasn't 100% pain-free that first morning. But it was 70% better than the day before.
I bent down and tied my shoes without even thinking about it.
Then it hit me what I'd just done.
I stood there, fully dressed, shoes tied, and I actually started crying.
Tom walked in and asked what was wrong.
"I just tied my shoes," I said, laughing through tears.
He hugged me. He knew what that meant.