Zzzzzzzz

I asked my doctor about a few symptoms I'm having, and she suspected I have sleep apnea.  So, she set up an appointment for me to go to the sleep center and have a study done.

Here I am on October 10th:

They hooked me up with all of those wires - there were even more in my hair, around my torso, and on each leg.  The next morning I left there thinking that wasn't nearly as bad as people complain about.  I slept about like I do at home.  And I'm pretty sure I don't have sleep apnea.

I got the report Nov 6th - I have severe apnea.  🙄

If you wake up 5 times an hour because of apnea (your throat muscles relax and close and you aren't breathing, which is bad for your heart and blood pressure, so you roll over to breathe), you are diagnosed with sleep apnea.  If you wake up 30 times an hour, you have severe apnea.  Since my number averages 47 times an hour, I was diagnosed with severe.  (Some people have 100 or even 160 episodes an hour, so I am by no means off the charts.)  Oh, and those wires on my legs revealed I have restless leg - I woke up 86 times that night from kicking.

The next step was to go back and have another sleep study wearing the machine, which I did Dec 4th.  Again, it was super fun.  Seriously.  The sweet nurse and I were giggling and having a grand old time.  I slept REALLY well, with no dreams, which was wonderful.  I still came home and took a 3 hour nap, so I'm not sure just how well I slept.

The mask came later.  But here I am with
my wires!

I still don't have an appointment to see what was reported, and I still don't have my own machine.  I need to go to that appointment and have them prescribe me a machine (so insurance will pay for it).  I'll call them tomorrow to see what's up.

Dec 5th, when I drove home as the sun rose, I was full of hope that this would work well for me and would be great for my health.  I am looking forward to not falling asleep every time I sit still.  In the mean time, I am sleeping sitting up, which is helping me not feel like a zombie.  I'll be glad when the dreams stop too - 90% of them are anxiety dreams and I hate them!

But look at that sunrise.

There is hope.

Thank you, Lord, that your mercies are new every morning!