Wednesday, October 12, 2005

To sleep, perchance to have an allergic reaction

I had my CPAP sleep test night before last. Evidently, my breathing was much better than it was during my first sleep test, during which I stopped breathing around 400 times--and I thought I had slept well. The other night, I was wired up again, then the CPAP mask was strapped to my face and the machine turned on. The machine forced air through my nose, keeping my throat open. I had trouble all night long, in part because of really bad sinusitis and in part because I had to sleep on my back, which is something I never do. The deeper my sleep, the more the tech had to increase the air pressure, so, at one point, I had to work to get the air out. My face is broken out in tiny pimples today, evidently a reaction to whatever the mask was made of.

I had a couple of related dreams during the CPAP test. In both, I was working in a gigantic furniture/artifacts store. All of the furniture a decor was white, off-white, or cream color, except for the area that drew my attention. That area of the store consisted of black shelves and black wall-covering. On the shelves were African carvings. I walked back behind the area onto a loading dock, and watched as a large musical group of Africans marched into the building, playing native instruments. I was an affictionado of indigenous African music, and I was digging the vibe.

In the second dream, I was preparing the store for its grand opening, and somehow we were selling groceries. I was being a perfectionist, and I didn't think the store was clean enough to open, but I opened it anyway.

7 comments:

doug said...

I didn't think the store was clean enough to open, but I opened it anyway

Kinda like the mayor of New Orleans eh.

Randy said...

Hee!

I'm pleased to say I was wrong about the "repopulation" of Uptown and the French Quarter. It seems to be going okay down there, though fewer people have moved back than the mayor expected.

Ms-Chievous said...

I think the problem may be that you were wearing a CRAP mask, and you didn't want to breathe because it stunk too bad.
But, you may want a second opinion on that...Phoebe?
(OHH, cPap, not cRap!)
;o)

Phoebe said...

Ms C -- I'm apalled. You've never had to explain your jokes to me before. I laughed BEFORE you explained it, but now I'm taking it back.

With a snort sound.

Randy, there is no way I could sleep knowing people were monitoring me. Do you sleep so deeply because you stop breathing and you're having a string of near-death experiences that you've been mistaking as dreams?

That's my second opinion.

Randy said...

I LOL'd when I read Ms-C's comment. Phoebe--I didn't mind the monitoring, except when I woke up sprouting wood. Then I was glad that there were no electrodes near there.

As for the breathing, I have a tendency to push the end of my breaths so gently that it's hard to perceive. So I probably stopped breathing a mere 350 times instead of the 400 they measured on the first go-around. Much healthier.

Ann said...

Why did you have to sleep on your back? I'm guessing cause of the electrodes; 'cause DH has a CPAP (it changed his life) and he almost always sleeps on his side.

Randy said...

I think it was the electrodes. I tried sleeping on my side briefly, but the airflow was constricted. The doc ordered me a spiffy new computerized machine, so hopefully that won't be a problem once I get set up at home.