Score!!!!

I got the corner room. It's larger than my last room. Sleep Number bed, Direct TV, Wii... I'm currently waiting for my complimentary massage.

Take 2

Tonight is the night.  I'm having my second sleep study.  I get the "pleasure" of the study tonight AND a sleep latency test tomorrow.  I'll post after the fact and let you know how it goes.  

Here we go again-

I am scheduled for another sleep study.  I actually get the "pleasure" (hassle) of the overnight sleep study again. Yay me. I know it's what I wanted, but I am sooooo not looking forward to it.  (Expect more BEAUTIFUL pictures of me all electroded up)

So, following another night in hell.... I get to spend the day there and do a Multiple Sleep Latency Test.  Don't worry.  I will keep you updated.

Also, I every intention to start blogging about my actual dreams soon. Bear with me.  

    

The results are in-

It turns out NOTHING is wrong with me.  Riiiiiiiiight.

The doctor's office called and informed me that everything looked great from the sleep study.  I told them that I wanted to do another one.  I told them that things did not go smoothly that night.  The nurse informed me that she would talk to my doctor.

Phone rings......  "Ms. Neal?  I spoke with Dr. Blount and he agrees with the sleep study.  He says that the study shows you slept 84% of the night.  Therefor he isn't willing to sign off on another sleep study."

SAY WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I was pissed.  SOMETHING IS WRONG!!!!!!  I want a second test and a second opinion.  I went to my health insurance's website and looked up Primary Care Physicians that were accepting new patients.  I made appointment with one.  I then decided that I wasn't done complaining to my doctor.  I called the nurse back and asked why the doctor wasn't willing to help.  She said that if I was still worried about possible narcolepsy then he may be willing to let me do a sleep latency test.  So the test I just did didn't look for that????  Nope.  

Let me just say that the "diagnosis" of a form of narcolepsy was just something I ran across by doing my own research.  I've done a lot of research over the years and I have only seen it mentioned one time.  It mean it's a possibility I'm willing to explore. I want answers.  

I really wish doctor's tried to help nowadays.  I wish they were curious as to what your problems are and want to find the answers.  (I do have a doctor like that.....she's my gastroenterologist and she is AMAZING!!!) 

So that's where we are.  I'm waiting for the appointment to be made for the sleep latency test.  

Update-

I did get the results and I'm not happy.  I will post the details tomorrow.

Misery aka Sleep Study

You know how on TV they make sleep studies look fun and interesting?  The person is hooked up to a few electrodes...a two-way mirror is on the wall across from the bed... It's kind of "cool" looking.  I am here to tell you that it is hell.  They lie to you.  They make you think it's going to be an awesome experience, but it SUCKS!!!

Let's start with the room-

Not too shabby.  It looked sort of like a hotel room.  It had a Queen sized bed w/ a Sleep Number mattress.  I had a flat screen tv (w/ access to DirectTV).  There was a nightstand and lamp. Nothing over the top, but it was okay.  They watched me through a camera that was placed above the television.  There was also a speaker in the wall which allowed them to talk to me and me to them.  

The prep-

I have to admit that this sleep lab had a nice little perk..... a complimentary massage.  At first I was hesitant, but how often do you get a freaking massage?  Me?  Once every five years or so.  So that was a nice touch.

Once the massage was over I went back to my room.  There my "team" tested breathing apparatuses on me.  I told them that I wasn't there for any sort of sleep apnea, but they insisted that it was standard.  I was told that a lot of people didn't even realize that they stopped breathing.  Well, I let them to their job, but I KNOW I'm all good in the breathing department.  I wasn't a fan of the apparatuses.  I didn't like how they forced air and I certainly wasn't a fan of how I looked.  

The process-

First they measured my head and used some sort of red marker to mark my scalp.  Then they took a cotton swab (with what I assume was rubbing alcohol) and would scrub the marked place on my scalp (Uncomfortable, but not unbearable).  After which they used gauze to scrub the spot (Now THAT hurt- it felt like sandpaper). Once my scalp was "oil" free..... they used globs of this nasty gel/lotion/vaseline stuff to attach the electrodes (OUCH).  I had, I believe, 6 on my scalp, 1/forehead, 1/jaw, 1/chin, 2/chest and 2 on each leg.  I also had one of those finger pulse things.  Oh, and a strap around my upper chest and one on my rib cage (w/ electrodes connected to them).  And when I finally thought they could torture me no more..... they pulled out a tube.  It had little tube prongs that went up my nose and this strange thing that hung down in front of my mouth.  Let me tell you that I have NEVER been so uncomfortable.  NEVER!  

                How you think you'll look                                            

How you really look

Time to sleep....or is it-

Let me say that I have no idea how anyone does anything while hooked up.  I brought a book and always had the tv available, but I was so miserable I just wanted to get it over with.  Lights out!  A voice over the speaker, "Ms. Neal, one of the electrodes isn't picking up a reading.  We'll be right in to try to fix it." Well great.  The lady comes in and wiggles the damn thing.  The voice says, "Still nothing."  She "rips" it off my head and tries to reattach it.  We wait in silence.  "Nope.  Why don't we use a different electrode?"  So she leaves the room and returns to replace the faulty thing.  PROBLEM.  That electrode is bundled with all of the others.  Oh well.... she just leaves it hanging, but still bundled.  "Got it!  Now Ms. Neal, we are going to start your calibrations."  Mmmmm-k.  I basically did a series of "tasks" while they studied what came across their monitors.  My "tasks" included things like blinking 5 times and holding my breath with my eyes closed.  I just wanted to go to sleep.  

Zzzzzzzzzz-

I played on my cell for a bit, but was able to fall asleep after awhile.  I'm not sure how long I had been out when the door opened.  "Ms. Neal.  We're having problems with that same electrode."  Okay, how is anyone supposed to even pretend like this is a normal sleeping arrangement???  She got it taken care of and back to sleep I went.  I was FREEZING!  I guess I could have asked for another blanket, but I just wanted to be done with it all.  I woke up 3 times during the night and checked the time.  Around 5AM I woke up and sat up. "Ms. Neal.  Are you ready to get up?"  HELL YES!!!  Okay, I didn't say that, but I wanted the heck out of there.  (I should mention that I usually don't get up until 7-ish)  A few minutes went by and she came in to get everything unhooked.  She then had to take a step out of the room because it was too cold for her.  I said, "You think its cold....try sleeping in it!"  Here comes the blanket statement.  I walked right into that one.  I could have had ten blankets and I think it still would have been cold.  I like to sleep with it cold, but not THAT cold.  Anyway, electrodes come off and I am offered breakfast.  As much as I like the idea of free food....I wanted to go home.  You better believe that I left that place in my pajamas and drove straight home to shower.  The goop in my hair was more than I could handle.  For a brief moment I contemplated dreads.... not really.    

So that was it.  My experience with a sleep study.  I'm patiently waiting for the results and will post them as soon as I know anything.  My biggest fear is that nothing read abnormal.  I'll admit that I didn't have that intense of a dream, but I did dream....so that's something.  Worst case scenario.... I have to do it all over again.  At least I'll know what I'm in for.

The 1st one I remember...

I'm not sure if it was 1992 or 1993.  All I remember is I was in the 7th grade.

The dream started in a hospital.  My Mom was admitted for some reason.  I was in the waiting room with my sisters.  (I only have 1 sister in real life...an older sister).  The new sister, a younger sister, had blonde hair and blue eyes. (My sister and I have brown hair and eyes).  This younger sister also had braces on her legs.  We were waiting for news on my Mom when we decided to go for a walk.  I'm not sure where my older sister went, but the younger sister and I were out in the middle of nowhere.  It appeared to be the country.  There was snow on the ground.  We were surrounded by hills.  The sky was clear and the moon was bright.  We could see for miles.  Far off in the distance we saw a barn with a warm glowing light.  We were able to make our way to the barn and the best way I can describe what was going on... a "hoe down".  There was music and dancing.  People were sitting on hay bales, but soon after we got there everyone was ready to leave.  My sister and I asked for a ride, but it was like we were invisible.  People walked right by us.  No one ever acknowledged we were there.  So as the lights turned off and the last truck pulled away we began to walk again.  I was making my way up a really high hill when suddenly I turned around to help my little sister.  She was gone.  I panicked.  I began to cry.  There I was, alone and cold on a snowy hill.  Then as I looked out across the land I spied a figure.  I thought he was possible a Shepard.  He had one small lamb next to him.  He was glowing blue.  It was as if the shine of the moon was focused directly on him.  I called out for help.  I yelled that my sister was missing.  The very next instant, I was laying face up in the snow and an ice sculpture looking, blue glowing, face of an old man was nose to nose with me.

Then I woke up.  

That's what started it.  That's where it began.  Almost 20 years ago and I've had vivid dream every night since then.