Thursday, June 25, 2009

Inheritance

I wasn't kidding when I said that I've gotten so much from my Dad.  I couldn't be more proud.  However, with the good comes the not-so-good.  What am I referring to?  Sleep Apnea.

Yes, folks, you read it correctly.  I am being tested for Sleep Apnea.  I have sleep studies, nap studies and CPAP (the breathing machine) studies scheduled over the next few weeks to determine the extent and treatment for my sleeping issues.  

My dad was recently tested.  My reaction when he told me about the studies?  You don't have Sleep Apnea, it's for the elderly and obese.  Which my dad is neither.  I guess I'm eating my words now that he was diagnosed with it and wears a breathing machine to bed each night.  The positive side: he sleeps 7 hours each night and wakes up feeling refreshed, never needs naps and is a generally happier person.

I guess I noticed some irregular sleeping patterns last summer when I was unemployed (the bank I was working for went under).  I have always been a night owl -  would rather sleep from 12am to 8am than 10pm to 6am - but I realized that I could go to sleep at 12am and not wake up until 4pm that evening.  I may or may not have jumped out of bed upon hearing the garage door opening with Hubs coming home for the day a few times during that period in my life.  

The problem is that the above scenario has been repeated  a few several times on the given Tuesdays that I have off.  (Due to my schedule, I sometimes have the whole day off.)  On days that I am at work I take frequent 'cat naps' (20 minutes in the downstairs lobby) - sometimes up to 2x a day: mid-morning and post-lunch.  I've even fallen asleep (full-on head bobbing, startle myself awake) in the middle of a work meeting.  I basically walk through life in a haze.  

So once my dear ole dad was diagnosed and the treatment completely changed his life, I figured I had to at least start the process.  I'm now on my way to full nighttime sexiness: 



POOR HUBS!!!


The doctor sent me home with a 10+ page questionnaire, reminder card for my upcoming 4 appointments and this little gem:




I have a list of {good} books that I'm dying to get through.  This one doesn't make the cut.  Dad, wanna give me the Cliff Notes version?  Pretty please?  
 
xoxo
Miss E

9 comments:

Katie & Ryan said...

I think I have to get tested for this too. Let me know how your tests go! I wake up multiple times a night (6-8) sometimes with really bad coughing fits. I hope your tests go well! And hopefully they can give you things to make you feel a lot better!

E said...

Good luck with the tests. Sleep is so important and people don't realize it.

My boyfriend has a CPAP and the white noise it creates actually helps me sleep as well. When he is out of town, I find it more difficult to sleep because it is too quiet in the room.

And if anyone can make a CPAP look sexy I have feeling you can :)

Mrs Anne said...

I've been through a night oximetry test, a sleep study and was given a CPAP machine (prior to my weightloss)... thankfully I have come out of it (thanks to my weightloss), but I have friends who are skinny as a rail and still need their CPAP... if it'll help you get good sleep, who cares what you look like, right?

:) it's all about the good sleep!

xo

~M~ said...

HI! I just stumbled across your blog! I live in AZ and am a native too! :)

Wearing Mascara said...

Wow good luck girl! Keep us posted. This is very interesting and informative. I'm sure you will start to feel better soon. xoxo

Miss E said...

Hi ladies!

I'll definitely keep you all posted on the testing/results. And you are completely right, Miss Anne, as long as I'm getting good quality sleep, I don't care what I look like :)

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

I hope the test went well.

My dad, and step-dad have this and use the machines...and my MIL needs it.

They are totally different people when they use it.

Good luck.

Buzzings of a Queen Bee! said...

Wow, that sounds overwhelming! I am sorry you are having to deal with all of this!
Carrie

MissBliss said...

oh, my, good luck... would not do well with anything interfering with good rest!