All I Could Think Was...

What have I gotten myself into? I arrived for my sleep study appointment at 8:30 p.m. and found myself in the hands of two ladies who were originally from the Urkraine...heavy accent...I had to really pay attention to catch what they were saying to me...it was an odd feeling taking the elevator up to the second floor of this building and then being directed to my room for the night. I hope the look on my face didn't reveal what my eyes saw and registered to my brain thinking I was headed for the torture chamber. I have never seen so many wires laid across a bed...it almost looked like it was the end...I was headed for the needle. I had to calm my nerves by remembering the information I had read about the electrodes being hooked up to me...breathe, breathe. I was almost panicking on the inside. It's funny when I think back about it now...oh well, I suppose others have reacted in the same way or worse!

Anyway, I filled out some more papers and went to put on my PJs. After brushing my teeth, I was told to sit in the chair that was waiting for me in the room. I sat down and the main nurse told me it would take approximately 40 minutes to hook me up. (Oh My Gosh! It is the torture chamber!!!) Actually, it went really well. I had electrodes everywhere: on my head, in my hair, on my chest, on my legs, on my finger...first they had to clean the areas so the electrodes would stick, then dry the areas off, then apply the electrodes 'just so'. Anyway, after I was all hooked up, I was taken over to lay on the bed...but the one thing the forgot to inform me of until that moment was that I was to sleep on my back. Just when I was getting siked up that I could do this...on my back!!! I can't do that! I always sleep on my side! What am I going to do? Am I going to be able to sleep?

So, as my eyelids grew heavy and I closed them several times...I continued to sort of watch the TV which was at a weird angle and then gave up trying. As I settled in on my back...I couldn't get comfortable. I must have laid there for two plus hours trying to fall asleep. Finally, I began rotating my head...just my head...from side to side...to maybe fool myself into thinking I was on my side...I did dooze a few times...waking myself up when the snoring began...then evidentally I must have fallen asleep briefly.

I then woke up around 4:00 a.m. and was ask if I wanted to get up at 5 a.m. and I did. I was tired of laying there...basically in one position, although towards the end of the study I just gave up the ghost and retreated to my normal position on my side. At that point, I figured they had already gotten what they needed from me and I was right. The main nurse came in and told me "you didn't hear this from me, but you didn't stop breathing in the night and only had very light, quiet snoring..." Great! Just great! That is NOT the news I wanted to hear! I think she thought I wanted to hear it, but I didn't!!! I had hope in this study! HOPE! But, of course, they had to send the study to Las Colinas to be read and then I would get a phone call.

I was then released, got dressed and drove myself home in a semi-commatose state of mind. Upon arriving at the apartment, I hit the sofa and don't remember what happened for the next 4 hours. I was finally asleep.

Anyway, it took me almost 3 days of standing under the hot shower to get the crud out of my hair..the stuff they stick the electrodes on with. I have mounds of hair and it just wouldn't come out and now my head is all broken out because of it, but that is the least of my worries.

I received a call from my doctor's office that I am to meet with him on Monday at 10:00 a.m. for him to go over the results with me (luckily, he just had this same test done at the same location with the same nurse-she told me) about my upper airway obstruction. Now this may sound weird and I guess the brain tries to freak us out in this way sometimes, but the moment after i hung up with her...I felt as if I couldn't swallow. Now, I've been having swallowing problems for awhile now...which I expressed to the doctor prior to this study as well. So, now I am wondering if I do have a swallowing problem and not a apnea problem. Oh, who knows..I really can't worry about it until I talk to the doctor.

In the mean time, I was interviewed by another baptist church and have been called for a second interview on Monday at 1 p.m. So, keep that in your prayers!

I'll post more later! My fiance and future mom in law are waiting for me in the car!

Opps, almost forgot!

Sleep study tonight from 8:30 p.m. to 6 a.m....not really looking forward to the 6 a.m. part, but I just pray I can sleep in a strange place with little gadgets hooked up to me. Here is what the information I was given says:

-One of our caring staff (as opposed to one of your evil staff???) will measure and then place electrodes (small wires) on your scalp...
-Electrodes will be placed on your temple and cheek...
-Two electrodes will be placed on either side of your chin...
-A small sensor will be placed in front of your nose...
-A small band will be placed around your chest and one around your abdomen...
-A small sensor will be placed on one of your fingers...
-Electrodes will be placed on each leg...
-We know this sounds like a lot but the monitors are lightweight and you can shift positions while you sleep.

I imagine there aren't any mirrors in any rooms or the restroom, because if I saw myself like this at 3 a.m. I'd probably have a heart attack and then there wouldn't be any need for the study.

Impressions from God

As I was sitting in church Sunday morning at Grace Community (website) God was impressing some things upon me. First, I had always had this drive somewhere deep inside me to speak to women, but I always give God the excuse that I really don't have much of a testimony compared to other women. Well, this being a time of truly trusting God and going on faith I realized that God is constantly shaping our testimonies as Christians. Now some of you are probably thinking "that's really profound, JoAnna", but if you step back and look at your life you probaby don't realize how much that is true! I am convinced that God is going to use this time in my life as an example for someone else. If I face this with anger and resentment towards God, I will not be able to share that with others; but if I use it as a time of learning, healing and really seeking His face then what a testimony I will have!

Okay, I'm finished with my mini-sermon now...anyway, I had a job interview today...well, really it was just a "let me show you around the office and talk a mile-a-minute and see if you can retain all this information in a matter of ten minutes" time. It's a part-time weekend job, in which my resume stuck out to this guy because I worked for a Baptist church..he was so impressed because some realtor there (yes, this was at a real estate office) used to be a Music Minister and the front desk girl, whom I wanted so badly to call "Michelle" because she looks like my best friend back home, is a Baptist. Okay, God, what is your intention here? It was really an idea job for the weekend...about 16 hours and a good way to get my "foot in the door" to be a full-time admin asst. in a realtor's office. So, I will continue to seek God in this. Considering he had to pick 4 or 5 resumes out of 160, I figured it must have meant something for me to be a 'chosen one'. I'll post back when I have more info.

So, I came home from the interview and decided it was time to call the car insurance...yes, back on Friday the 13th, a member of the church where I was working, opened her car door and the 35 plus mph winds of the blustery day ripped the door from her hands slamming it into my driver's door leaving two lovely indentions and taking the paint off. So, after figuring I was not going to have time to run around and get estimates on it I decided to let the insurance company handle it. They are a nice couple and I felt so sorry for her...she just kept apologizing to me...and I kept telling her it was okay, beyond her control. It does get quite windy out here...blows over little bushes and trees...and feels as if your car is going to blow right off the road! So, I now have a claim number and will be awaiting the call to drive it over to the estimator's office to get a check. Fun, fun, fun!

I also had to call the Annuity Board about my health insurance which will become null and void at the end of the month if I don't request an extension. I think they are willing to extend it for up to 18 months which is really cool! However, I am going to be needing it with all the health stuff I have going on and coming up in the near future.

Jeff started his training for his new car salesman job today. He was very excited and nervous which is to be expected. He has called me twice to say it is going really well, but having to sit for hours on end is making his circulation issues a nuisance. He said his legs and feet keep falling asleep, so I told him to tell them he may need to get up and walk around some during the training since once he is on the job most of his time will be spent standing anyway.

Well, that's all I can think of for now. I am getting ready to list a bunch of clothes and stuff on ebay so we'll have a little income during this transition!

Ta, ta!

New Year, New House, New Jobs...well, I Once was a "Newman"

Well, I haven't been around much lately...I mean, I've been around, but I've either been sick, out of town, or just busy. Since it is the New Year, I decided I should at least catch individuals who actually read my posts up on my current life. As of today, I am unemployed. It was a decision that had been coming, but yesterday kind of summed it up for me and I decided to move on and look for other work. I really felt 'underworked' there. I made okay money, but I was paying my own benefits and I was bored. I expressed by boredom on many occassions...but I never seemed to get anywhere.

On top of all that, I went to the doc again on Monday for a follow up to an increase in my Zoloft meds...which didn't do me any good. I couldn't tell a difference at all! So, the doc switched me to Effexor and I've been on a rollercoaster ever since...it's one of those meds you have to be weened on to...so, this is my second full day on it and I've gone from crying fits to moments of happy splendor...i feel like I'm suffering from 'mania', but I'm not...it's just the meds settling in...I hope this feeling doesn't last much longer. Right now my head is about to explode and I'm getting sleepy again.

So, while visiting with the doc, and explaining my whole theory of how I've gotten to the point where I am...always tired, snoring, headaches in the mornings, extreme fatigue, falling asleep at my desk, on my lunch, etc...we reached the conclusion that in addition to my new meds, I would be going for sleep study. As fun as that may sound, I really hope it repairs me! It has actually given me great 'hope' although no one would be able to tell that today...i look like i'm either coming off of being hopped up or I haven't slept in months. The thing is that I do sleep...in fact, last night I dreamt...the first time in a while that's happened. It's just that because I snore (obviously loudly since I keep Jeff awake in the other room) I don't real rest...so, I probably have obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive because I am overweight and my air flow is blocked. So, next Tuesday night I will be hooked up to machines to monitor my sleeping. I don't think I'll have a problem falling asleep and I am actually looking forward to finding out if I need a CPAP machine. Anything to get me out of this fog!!!!

The house is still being built which is exciting! Jeff got a new job at a local Honda Dealership as a salesman and will be starting next week. I am looking for a job/career change. I think I would like to get into real estate. I really enjoy helping people find places to live by using the internet and I think God put that idea in my head. So, I am looking to find a admin position with either a builder or a real estate company.

Well, I think it's definitely time for me to lay down for a little bit before my contacts fall out due to dry eye...lol. I'll be sure to post some pics of the house and check back in about my sleep study.