sleep study

About a year and half to two years ago I had a sleep study done for the purpose of attempting to identify what was causing me to have night terrors.

Since I was 18 years old, I have had night terrors. I wake up screaming, most of the time out of the bed attempting to get away from whatever is scaring me, sometimes even running out of the room, and a few times trying to run out of the house. I have tripped and fallen before because I was trying to "get away" so quickly. And... Matt has had to restrain me before, almost tackling me to keep me from hurting myself in my attempt to run out of the house. 99% of the time, I have no memory of this once I wake up.

After my sleep study 2 years ago, I was put on medication that has put an end to my night terrors - YEA!! I MAY have had a few since then, but not many at all, and not nearly as severe as they were before.

During that sleep study, they saw a few "seizure like spikes" on my EEG. The doctor said that he was NOT diagnosing me with a seizure disorder, because I did not have a seizure, just seizure like spikes on my EEG. SO... the medicine he put me on for the night terrors is also an antiseizure medication. My doctor also assured me that there was no need to worry about having a seizure in the daytime; that IF I had seizures at night, it was predominately a "nightime" event.

Skipping forward to today... I went to the doctor yesterday for a followup from a sleep study I had last week. This time I went because I have been waking up gasping for air, Matt has noticed me snoring loudly and sounding like I was trying to get air, and I have checked and noticed that my oxygen levels were dropping during the night. I have been extremely tired for the past couple of months - more so than my normal tired.

So... during my recent sleep study I had NO apneas, and my only drops in oxygen level were not considered to be substantial. My doctor said "you are not obese, you do not have cardiac issues, there is no need to worry about a few drops in oxygen levels - you are not at risk for respiratory problems. SO...it was kind of a "grrrr" moment for me. I "KNOW" I have had problems with breathing at night... it may not be severe by medical standards, but by "my" standards, it is enough to make me feel crappy; and I am not happy with that. But... my attempts to convince the doctor of this were useless...after all, I am only the patient, not the doctor - lol. (sidenote - Matt is convinced that I only like doctors who listen to me and do what I say. That is not ENTIRELY true, although I will admit it is PARTIALLY true) :)

What they DID find during this sleep study was that I had ONE episode of a seizure like spike on my EEG again. Again, I did NOT have a seizure; so I am not diagnosed with a night-time seizure disorder, but being treated for one just in case. And I asked again, and he assured me that even if I were having seizures at night, it is not related to a daytime seizure disorder, and I do NOT have to worry about that. But... I am thinking (which can be scary) normally after a seizure, even small ones, people are very tired... which causes me to wonder - is that why I feel so tired in the daytime??? Is it because I am having small seizures during the night??? It is at least a possibility.

The other thing they found was that I had a VERY poor quality of sleep. When the doctor looked at my report he said - I have no doubt that you are tired... my graph of the stages of sleep which should show long periods of time in each stage of sleep - actually look like a squiggly line with constant ups and downs. I never got into stage N3 sleep which allows you a deep rest; and I only had 37 minutes total for the entire night of REM sleep where you get the most rest. That really explains a lot as to why I feel so tired.

My doctor first suggested a medicine to help me wake up in the daytime, I told him I was already on the one he was about to prescribe. Then he said - well stop taking that medicine...lol. First he was going to prescribe it, then he told me to quit taking it. He said that it may be keeping me awake at night. Then he was going to prescribe a sleeping pill. I told him that I can't take Ambien - it makes me do crazy things that I don't remember. (funny story I will have to share later). I told him, I wouldn't mind, but my husband would protest greatly, because he has to fight with me all night long whenever I take it. The doctor agreed that it was NOT a good idea for me to take Ambien, he said that was dangerous. ;) So... he prescribed another sleeping pill and told me to try it for 1 month and then let him know how it goes.

Which leads me to why I am writing this today... I did not take my "wake up medicine yesterday" and I took my sleeping pill last night. Although I was somewhat tired, I was still up until 1:00 this morning; and I woke up with the baby this morning when he woke up about 7:45; and I still feel very tired. I will probably write several posts to keep track of my sleep so I can look back on it and hopefully figure something out. My oxygen levels did not drop below 86% last night (that I remember - I will have to ask our night nurse for the kids with medical issues if she heard anything, because sometimes I hit the mute button on the machine, and don't remember it).

Oh, and he told me to drink caffeine. SO by "doctors orders" I am drinking as much coffee and mello yello as I want ;) Actually, I told him that I "DO" drink caffeine, and he said, "well... take more". OK ;) Although that probably will not help with my desire to lose a few pounds. And while I am complaining, it really frustrates me that it is very hard to find "mello yello" here. In Miami, it is almost impossible to find mello yello. In central Florida, it is hard to find, but I do find it occasionally. Lately our Circle K convenience store has had them - YEA!! I like it MUCH better than Mountain Dew, although I will drink Mountain Dew if I can't find Mello Yello. North of here, it is very easy to find mello yello. Just in case you were wondering ;)


I have SO much that I need to do!! I have gotten so far behind on many of my responsibilities. I just have not had the energy to do much. My main focus of course is the kids; so they have gotten the only energy that I have. But... enough is enough; feel like it or not, there is SO much that I have to do. So pray for me today as I attempt to catch up on some of the things that I really need to do.

Oh, and yes... I do realize that I am whining; and NO, I do not like to hear other people while ;) LOL

Tina's Family!! :)

A few notes... we met at Downtown Disney. I thought it is neat that Disneys slogan is "where dreams come true" - Dreams definately came true that day as they saw their daughter for the first time, and she met her parents for the first time :)

AND... we did notice the mickey mouse stickers were not in a great place AFTER the picture, and we moved them then - lol.

need emails

After my computer crashed TWICE, we gave up on having it fixed, and Matt got me a new laptop for mothers day ;)

BUT... in the meantime, I have lost all my contacts for email. We plan on getting all my info off the old computer, but no idea when that will happen.

SO... if you read this, and I have had or need to have your email address, please send it to me. Thanks!

life4embryos@tampabay.rr.com


Life updates:

Matt - only 4 weeks left in school - YEA!!

Me - realized about 2 weeks ago that my oxygen levels are dropping often when I am sleeping; most likely sleep apnea. Explains a LOT of my symptoms and complaints. Planning on making a doctors appt tomorrow!!

Madi - has hit a QUICK growth spurt! She has outgrown almost all of her clothes in about 2 weeks!! Time to buy new clothes. She is now 5 ft 1/2 in tall. I am only 5 ft 3 1/2 in tall. She is 11 and 1/2 years old and only 3 in shorter than me. She will probably outgrow me by the time she is 13, if not before then!

Ty - Spent the night with ReRe and Papa Tom last night... poor ReRe was up till 3 AM with him, BUT... he stayed ;) Of course Papa Tom had to let him and Caleb sleep with him ;) My kids hardly ever spend the night with anyone, glad Ty had a good time and has people from church who love him like their own!! That is very special!

La - Took her first horse lesson the other day, and took off at a trot from the beginning, and never looked back. She cried when the lesson was over, and has asked me every day when she can go back. I am going to have to get busy getting our horse (thinking the name will be Dr. Pepper) ready for Madi and La to ride, because they are both busting a gut to ride him!!

Tina - spent all last week with her parents here in FL, and we ALL had SUCH a great time!!! One of those times when God shows me that HIS plans are perfect ;) Matt and I have some great and wonderful new friends, and my kids have a new "aunt and uncle", and Tina is SO VERY blessed to have her forever home with such wonderful, people. I can not tell you how happy I am about all that!!

Baby "T" - more updates to come soon, but he is doing well. Still has problems with his medical stuff... but oh my goodness he keeps me on my toes!! When David and Darlene (Tina's parents) were here, "T" would make a wrestling stance and then run full force at David - it was too cute ;)

Brindi (the dog) - still thinks she is a lap dog, and still won't allow strangers in the home.

Smokey (the cat) - sleeps in the sink (even our cat is crazy - lol)

Our Japanese fighting fish is not doing so well... trying to get him better, we have had him like a year and a half!!

Dr. Pepper (the horse) - is SO pretty, and SO sweet, but definately has a personality. I have ridden him twice, and have groomed him and picked out his feet several times. We have taken him carrots. Honestly, I think the last time we went to see him, he was mad at me for not bringing carrots. I had eaten cantelope before we went out there, and he kept smelling my hands and my pants and then getting mad at me - lol.

OK, I am off to bed.

Please send me emails so I have your contact info ;)

Tomorrow

Please pray for our family, especially me, around 9 AM Eastern Time Monday morning. I can't give any more details right now; but I would appreciate your prayers VERY much!!!!!