Leapfrog's Journal: boy, it's quiet in here

It's been a while since I posted. Maybe an update for the sake of updates is due?

Well, anyway, some things are different. I'm getting along much better with my wife. She's also working now, so she has those critical interactions with people who aren't me. I also found out (through a ridiculous process which assured me that the problems in customer service which I ranted about earlier are not entirely unfounded, especially in the medical services business) that I do, in fact, suffer from a sleep disorder. Apnea, in fact. My wife thought it was just really bad snoring.

The polysomnography was a night of completely restless sleep. The sleep technician attached the EEG wires to my head, some wires to my legs to detect kicking, and a pair of straps around my chest. Then, around 4AM I was discharged into a bitterly cold world, smelling of cyanoacrylate glues and acetone solvent. It was two months before I heard anything else about it. I never even spoke to the neurologist who happily charged me $350 for the pleasure; the results went to my family doctor, and then finally trickled down to me. Severe obstructive sleep apnea, causing me to stop breathing around 50 times an hour and depressing my blood oxygen level to 80 percent of normal. No wonder I feel so tired during the day.

So the next step is another sleep lab test, called "CPAP titration," where they try out the treatment. I already knew what to expect (foul-smelling glue and unrestful sleep) so it wasn't too bad. The bad part was waiting for it. The sleep lab is backed up with patients, so there's a waiting list for almost a month until a patient can actually be seen. Then the only neurologist in this half of the state has to process the results, which can take up to two months. To recap; my doctor suspected this in October. I had the first study in November; the results came back early in January; my second study was in February, and it will probably be March before I am treated for this disorder.

In the interim, I have a short list of the effects of my illness. Frequent headaches at all times during the day, constant fatigue and sleepiness every day, high blood pressure, depression, heartburn, weight gain, and increased risk of stroke and heart disease. The treatment is simple; a small machine provides positive airway pressure though a facial mask to maintain an open airway. The treatment is efffective in 70 to 90 percent of patients. I may have been suffering from this for years. It is very difficult to know how long I have had it. I do know that it will be six months between suspecting it and getting treatment for it. An illness which affects all aspects of my life and has been a tremendous detriment to me will take six months to even begin treatment. Something is seriously wrong with that.

My motorcycle is still not running. The winter here has been every bit as cold and bitter as the last one. I am somewhat more accustomed to it now, but the -10F temperatures keep me out of the unheated garage and therefore unable to work on the bike. I am moving to a different apartment soon. We have suffered too long under the oppressive tyranny of our current landlords.

I haven't talked to Neal in such a very long time. He deserves a call soon. He should at least know my new address.

My how the time goes. I suppose I should get back to the salt mines now. Take care, dear readers, and be well.