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!
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!
posted by JoAnna at
1/28/2006 12:04:00 PM
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