O.k., I know I said I was going to be more faithful about posting since I added my third reader recently. I haven't been doing such a good job keeping up, but I plead....sleepy!
I have been sleepy for about 20 years now. Coincidentally, 20 years ago is when I gave birth to the first of the five little eaglets. Daniel was not a lethargic baby by a long shot. Then, when Sam came along 18 months later, things really got rough. I can remember staying up with them until midnight, and then they would wake back up at 4 or 5 a.m. ready to go again. Folks, I can't make it on 4-5 hours of sleep a night. 10 is better, and 12 is more like it. I took them to the pediatrician for help, and his summation was that when they got to be teenagers, they would sleep. They do. However, I have always had babies in the house, too. And babies do not sleep! At least, mine never have!
The only problem is that when you sleep 10 or 12 hours a night, you don't get a lot more done. I have been fighting incredible fatigue for years. Finally, my internal medicine guy, being the genius that he is (this is the guy that asks me what dosage of medicine I want--good thing I am honest and not a drugie) figured out that I needed to have a sleep study done. Having ruled out heart disease and most other physical things that could cause tiredness, I decided to give it a shot and see what we would find.
So, a few weeks ago, I go in for part one of the sleep study. I did not know what to expect, because very little had been explained about what they would do. I was just told to pack pajamas and show up at my doctor's office at 9:00 p.m.
I arrive and am ushered back through the typical medical building hallways, through the exam room area, and down a hallway to a series of suites. Walking into one of them is like walking into a high-end hotel room--better than Best Western, though not quite as good as the Hilton! The decor is lovely! I have my own queen-sized bed, with comfy pillows and linens, a flat-screen t.v., and my own private bath. I also love the recliner chair. In fact I love it so much, I may have to find two for my own house. It is the most posh leather chair, with a high back that must have been filled with down. I could not have asked for a more comfy room.
It kind of goes down from there. Two nurses appear, and the wiring-up begins. First, they part my hair and make dots on the scalp with an ink pen. Then, while one begins putting all this goo in my hair, the other one is scrubbing parts of my arms and legs with alcohol so the electrodes would stick. For this reason, I would not recommend shaving one's legs just prior to going to a sleep study. I ignore the inferno-like sensations on my legs and try to focus on the cool dippity-doo that is going into my hair.
The nurses make small talk. "Do you think you can sleep here?"
I smile fiendishly. I want to say, "I have five children who never sleep. I have not slept in 20 years. Usually, there are at least two kids in the bed with me and my husband. I am all alone here in a posh room with every comfort. What do you think?"
Instead, I reply, "Yes, I think I will sleep very well!"
In about 30 minutes, I am wired. Then the fun really begins.
It is kind of disconcerting to hear a voice from above. (Just ask Moses.) The voice out of the ceiling says, "Dana, please close your left eye."
Easy enough.
"Now, close your right eye, while looking to the right with your left eye." (HUH?)
"Point your toes at the ceiling 10 times." (Ouch, toe cramps)
"Now, make the loudest snoring noise you can." (O.k., this is weird)
(The real indignities now begin.)
"Hold your breath and move your stomach in and out." (long pause, and just before I pass out....) "You can breathe again."
The "tests" continue. Finally, when I am entirely frustrated and having leg cramps, the voice says, "O.k, Dana, you can sleep now. Good night!" So, I grab my pillows and situate them the way I like and attempt to sleep, though the oxygen sensor clipped to the bottom of my nose is pinching and I want to pull it off and throw it.
I am just drifting off into dreamland, when the voice awakens me. "Dana, could you try sleeping on your back?"
I never sleep on my back. It makes me feel like I am choking. I guess that is a good sign that I have sleep apnea. I try to comply with their wishes. I am so sleepy now. It has been a long day, and I am two hours into being here. Then, the two nurses come back in. Something is wrong with the wiring. It is not picking up correctly at the desk. I am so tired that I think I will fall asleep in mid-sentence with them. They discuss whether they need to get me up and re-wire me with another set of wires. (NOOOOOOOOOOO!) Finally, much to my relief, they find the problem.
They leave, and I immediately start to fall asleep. The voice wakes me again! "Sleep well, Dana. We will leave you alone now!"
The rest of the night is uneventful. Occasionally, I wake and realize that, in order to turn over, all the wires have to come, too. Finally, thankfully, morning comes. I am a free woman.
The next week, I got my results. When on my back, I stopped breathing 72 times an hour. It was not as bad on my side, but I think I still stopped breathing about every 3 minutes on average. When you stop breathing, your brain puts out a hormone which tells your body to "WAKE UP!" You cannot ever get into deep sleep with this happening all night.
It is scary hearing all of this. I think of people who died in their sleep for no apparent reason. I feel fortunate that they have discovered my apnea.
So, part of the mystery is solved. It remains to be seen if the treatment (wearing a cpap
I went back after church Wednesday night and did part II of the study. I wore the mask all night. It hurt somewhat, and it will take some getting used to, but I had an excellent night of sleep. One of the funny things I have found from all of this is how many people have this same problem and sleep with the mask. They would not do without it now!
One guy I know said that he woke up in a hotel one night unable to breathe. He was determined that he was not going to die in that room and maybe be found in several days, so he got up and crawled outside onto the walkway. He eventually started breathing again, but he got a cpap and would not trade it now for anything. I hope I will feel the same way.
Meanwhile, I am convinced that a certain husband and a certain father I know need this, too. However, each one has to get to the point where he or she cannot endure feeling badly another moment before they do anything about it. Maybe they just need a night out at the spa! Just check your sleep study place out before you go. A cousin of mine said his room was like a cot in a storage facility. You have to be careful these days. I heard an "OB-Gyn" was running his business out of a storage facility, too, and his "patients" were not smart enough to figure out that something was amiss.
Sleep well, all! I will be soon!
1 comment:
I'm glad you found out about your apnea...hopefully you will be sleeping sweet in a few days!! I'm with you...the more sleep, the better. I never wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go. Maybe I need to get checked out?
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