Studying Sleep

I was hoping to live blog it, but the fee wireless internet refused to be wireless, then free, and by the time we hit the internet part I just wanted it to be over. Last night I had a sleep study. For those of you playing at home, you should know I've been trying to lose weight for about 4 years now. I seem to be stuck just north of 300 (I've been less, but quickly went back up, probably if I had the time and energy to exercise regularly again, I could break back through).

Ever since I broke my leg nine years ago now (wow, 9 years), I've never been able to sleep well unless I've been totally exhausted. See, for 3 days after I shattered my left fibula, I was just in a wrap to wait until the swelling went down. It was very painful. This was also the time I found that I can't take Vicodin (I love that drug, but it makes me paranoid with delusions, not fun). I had to be careful of my ankle (with the break, and with walking upstairs afterward, my ankle was 5" out of position), so I would wake up to reposition (having to have my ankle elevated above my heart didn't help). And then when I was in a cast and brace I had to do the same thing (also had to have the foot elevated, but also had to be careful). I've just never relearned the trick to sleeping through the night.

Since then I've become a horrible snorer (I snored before, but not like now). So add breathing problems plus every time I need to roll over I come to full consciousness. Not a recipe for a good night's sleep. Have I mentioned that I'm now fairly tired all the time. I have black bags under my eyes (and I never had them before, even when I would work 72 hours straight). Sometimes driving home late at night, I have difficulty staying awake (which I'd never have a problem before, behind the wheel = awake in my life). I've also experienced the feeling of, "Where am I, how did I get here/get this far?" while driving. That's so not me.

So I took the sleep study. They wire you up like a Christmas tree with a bunch of goop to hold and transfer electrical impulses to the wires. They put a nasal monitor (actually 2, one for pressure, one for speed) on. And then tell you to sleep.

Well, they tell you to sleep on your back, which isn't my preferred position. So I tried laying on my back. For about 45 minutes. I did doze (it's about the only time last night I remember dreaming - mostly about the sleep study), but not fully. And then I said, "Screw it", turned on my left side and bingo! I was asleep.

You know, until I had to roll over.

Which then I must have pulled too much at a wire and they had to come in a reconnect my legs (they connect pickups to your legs to see if you kick or move too much). About halfway through I tried my back again, with the same results.

In the morning you take a very hot shower after they pull the wires off. They can't get the goop out, so you need to "melt it off." While finishing up I asked the nurse how I did.

Of course she couldn't tell me. That would be practicing medicine, or something.

But I was able to find out I "did well until around midnight." And while it wasn't bad enough for them to "split the study" (ie. half sleep study, half determine optimal pressure for CPAP machine), they hinted heavily that I would probably be back for that second part.

I should know in three weeks. I guess I passed the audition.