LONG POST: A feeling of being "tied down"

Now, don't get the wrong idea.  I really mean "tethered."  And contrary to what some followers of this blog might think, I'm not talking about Trudy.  Nope, I'm referring to yours truly.

In the winter of 2010 (if I remember correctly) I underwent a sleep study, and was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea.  Soon after the first visit to the sleep lab, I went back for a test run with a mask.  THAT night was a disaster. 

I have osteoarthritis in one knee, and it picked THAT night to really, REALLY hurt.  I don't remember now if it had been giving me significant trouble earlier that day, but I didn't have any pain medication with me that night.  Add to that the fact that the breathing mask I was trying out...well, just say that it didn't fit the contours of my face.  I'd start breathing ok, and all of sudden there was a "raspberry" sound leaking from the edge of the mask.  There was a good crop of 'berries from that mask.  Also, as I remember, the bed wasn't very comfortable.


I had been wired up and put to bed that night by 10 PM.  By 2:30 I'd had enough.  Between the pain and the raspberries, there was no way I was going to get any sleep in that bed.  Since there was a microphone in the room, I just spoke up and told the technician watching over me that I had to stop, too much pain, etc., and I needed to go home.  I got out and never looked back.  Sleep apnea, so what? It was said to be a mild case, and it wasn't affecting me.  Or, so I thought at the time.

I still don't know for sure, but it turns out it may have been having an effect after all...that, and having had a (very mild) stroke in the summer of '06 and surgery in the summers of '09 and '10.  Starting when I went back to work after the stroke, I've had problems retaining some information unless I make copious notes about a task.  For some tasks, I'm still referring to those notes 5 1/2 years later.  I also find myself asking my supervisors questions about procedures I used to be fairly confident about...sometimes every time I come across a similar situation. I hate it, but I just can't remember sometimes.

During my annual evaluation last fall, my director strongly suggested that I follow through with the sleep apnea diagnosis, to see if treating for that could help my cognition.  I agreed, but it still took me from October to January to make the appointment with my neurologist.  I finally saw him last Tuesday, and was able schedule my "follow-up" sleep session for last Thursday.

Again, I was fitted with a mask, but it was a different type, with only a nose-shaped "bubble" that rested around my nose.  Of course, there seemed to be at least 6 straps to hold the apparatus in the correct position on my head!   But I WAS able to sleep, at least for a few hours, which was an improvement over my previous attempt.  The next morning I was able to bring that mask home with me, and I will contact the director of the sleep lab on Tuesday to get the official results and, I presume, to order the machine that sends the pressurized air through the hose to the mask.

I don't know if using this sleep mask system will help me at work, clarify my mind, help me feel more confident, or extend my life.  But I've finally decided it's worth a try.  Trudy & the Rest of the Family are counting on me.

Cheri