Amygdalia's Blog

Sleep study

Whata night!  I was so nervous when I got to the center.  The woman who took care of me (Stacy) was wonderful, though.  She was very chatty while she was hooking me up, she understood that I had sensory issues, and made sure that everything was an comfortable as she could possibly make it.  Loosened a few things that were tugging, etc.  I had electrodes everywhere, including several on my scalp with conducting gel on them.  I must have looked like Medusa.  I certainly did after she took them all off the next morning.   I had 2 bands around my torso - 1 high up on my chest, and another around my waist.  The velcro on the top one was rubbing against the inside of my arm until I shifted it a bit.  I also had a sensor thing under my nose . . . to sense apnea, presumably.  The cords went over my ears, and were taped to my face.  There were sensors on my face . . . on my legs . . . and a pulse-oxymeter (sp?) on my finger.  That one made my finger throb.   Trying to get comfortable was a challenge.  There was a nice steady fan sound coming from the heating/ac system, so that helped.  But there was also a car outside with its radio blasting, and I could feel the bass, for a while.  I'd brought a few different kinds of earplugs, but I knew they wouldn't help with the bass - they'd just enhance it, if anything, since I wouldn't be hearing the fan noise.  Anyway, I did eventually sleep . . . I woke many times.  I kept dreaming that I was awake from the sleep study.  Once I dreamt that Stacy had woken me at midnight and told me I was done.  I dreamt about coming home in the morning after the study.  And I also dreamt that Daren was at the house, at some point.  Stacy scared the crud out of me in the morning, when she came over the intercom to tell me I was done.  She came in a few minutes later, and unhooked me . . . said I didn't look as cute as I had when I'd come in last night.   I'd told her last night that I was hoping to take myself out to Dennys after leaving . . . so she suggested I use warm soapy water to get the goo out of my hair.  I'd not planned to shower there . . . but there was no way I was leaving with my hair as it was, so I tried.  Turned on the shower.  NO hot water.  I washed my hair in the sink, where there was at least a little warm water.  Then I put in my contacts . . . and wanted to cry!  There were very deep lines on my cheeks from the cord to the sensor under my nose . . . and a bruise under my nose from the sensor itself.   I couldn't see that without my glasses or contact.  Anyway, that was the end of my plan to go to Dennys.  I dried my hair the best I could, and drove home pretty close to tears.  I got home before anyone else was up, and just crawled into bed.  I'd looked at my phone after she finished unhooking me . . . it was 5:15 AM.  Ugh.  I got home around 6:10.  I slept until around 10:15.  Woke up with a sinus headache.  Thank goodness Bob is working from home, today! 

I don't know how long it will be until I get the results, but I'm really hoping there will be something in there that we can work with, so that I can get some help.

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