Well, now...where to begin? I have been complaining for about ten months that I am unable to sleep at night. I go to sleep for anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours and then I may be awake for as much as four hours before I can go back to sleep. Going to sleep isn't the problem...staying that way is. I don't have to use all of my fingers and toes to count the number of nights I have slept through the night in the last 9 months to a year. In addition to that I have been feeling "shaky" for several months now...like electricity is constantly coursing through my body. I have to force myself to relax or the tension in my muscles causes my legs to jump or my jaws to "hum" at night. The biggest change I have noticed is my handwriting. What was once pretty nice swirls and swoops is now a jagged nightmare. My writing now looks as if an axe wielding psycho attempted to scrawl some clue to lead the cops down a false path. So I decided to take action. Last week I spent about 45 minutes with my primary care doctor "getting to the bottom of all this." A battery of blood tests, EKGs, x-rays and "neuromuscular stimulation" tests have given the following information...they still don't know what's wrong with me. Talk about frustrating! Especially after the neuromuscular testing where I was slathered with goop and something like a stun gun shot electricity into my arms and hands to see how high I could jump and flinch. That, however, was nothing compared to the incredibly long (about 2 to 2 1/2 inches) and threadlike needle that was repeatedly jabbed into my muscles for delivery of the same delightful "stimulation." Today my doctor tells me that I have the blood results of an 18 year old Olympic athlete. So why don't I feel like an 18 year old Olympic athlete?? Hhhhmmmm????
What have I learned in the last week? Let's see. I know that I don't have...ALS, a pinched nerve, carpal tunnel syndrom, any type of degenerative muscle disease, anemia, thyroid issues, liver issues, kidney issues, etc. So, what the hell do I have??
Dr. S now believes that I am suffering from hypoglycemia...something the blood tests don't check for. I have to go in next Monday and have a two hour glucose tolerance test (yum-o) to see if that is the problem. Oh, yeah, and I also have to see an ENT specialist because he says he reread my sleep study report and there was an indication that I would get worse with time (it's been two years since the study). I am now hypoxic...meaning that I am not getting enough oxygen and the carbon dioxide is building up in my blood...waking me up and keeping me awake until those levels drop and I can fall back asleep. I'm probably going to have to have some nightmare inducing mouth device made for me that will keep my throat open and allow me to continue drawing in oxygen during the night...with my luck it will cause me to drool so badly I will drown during the night in my own saliva. I can see the headlines now :shaking head sadly::
The good news...maybe we will find out what is wrong with me. A girl can dream, can't she? Not if she can't sleep! My doctor is the best at giving samples of meds he wants you to try. Today I left with a whole plastic bag full of a medicines he wants me to try for my allergies! Better yet, I left with a prescription for Ambien. Yes, I know that it's not a long term solution, but if I can just get three or four nights of sleep in a row I am convinced that I may feel human again. If not, get the heck out of my way because I am tired, grumpy AND frustrated!
If you're reading this, be praying for some answers early next week. I don't care if I'm hypoglycemic or not...that's treatable. If I'm hypoxic...fix it. I'm ready to move on and enjoy my "golden years!" ::sarcastic snicker::
Honeymoon/Birthday!
9 years ago
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