Medical Issues as a Dr Who episode

It appears I've started something....

OK - the CPAP mask doesn't quite look like this - but if you are trying to give me nightmares.....



And in case you're interested in the stats - Severity of my sleep apnea - 31 episodes an hour, stopping breathing for up to 32 seconds, with oxygen levels falling to 74%. And they confirmed I snore - Dah!

Three Nights in Heaven, Two Weeks in Hell

So I got to keep the CPAP machine for 3 nights. During this time it sat beside my bed like a reverse vacuum cleaner and I slept with a mask like a fighter pilot's. Meanwhile the machine varied its pressure up and down as it thought I needed, and recorded everything, so that the nice people at the Sleep Unit can analyse it and recommend the ideal pressure for me, not to mention getting a baseline.

I had to hand it back yesterday. I considered running off with it, but that just wouldn't have been right. So now I wait for 2 weeks until I see the Doc again and get a prescription for my own machine.
Today the tiredness kicked in ten-fold. Now that I know what I can be like after just a few days (and not even used to the machine yet), it was hard to function today and so depressing realising just how tired I was, and there wasn't anything I could do about it....

Roll on the fortnight.

“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams.”

Just in case you hadn't heard...

We've bought a house.
Yep - we won at auction on Saturday.



It starts being a home come October.

Want to see more pics, email me and I'll send you the URL.
And just around the corner from a S'n'B in a Gluten Free Cafe! How more perfect could that be!

O sleep! O gentle sleep!

Yes, sleep. Something I hope to experience in its full joy soon. Apparently I haven't before, well at least not for a long, long time, if ever.

Just over 3 months ago I started the journey to see if there was yet another reason underlying my constant fatigue. There's been diabetes - now conquered, there's been coeliac disease - now conquered, and now, we have confirmation, there is sleep apnea.

Anyone who has slept in the same suburb as me, knows that I am a loud and chronic snorer. Campers have wanted my company as I can frighten wild animals away. It's been the butt of many a joke and I am sure housemates have rested easier in those brief periods when I stopped snoring. The problem is, those times when I stop snoring, I've also stopped breathing... but there is a solution. Come tomorrow, I am starting on a 3 night test of CPAP machines. These machines blow a constant air pressure down your nose/mouth so that the air passages can't collapse when sleeping. The tests should show what pressure I need. And then I get to have my very own machine! And hopefully, some blissful, restful, wonderful (and no snoring!) sleep!

Woo Hoo!

One week down, Five to go.....

Yes, after a review by the doc yesterday, it seems that due to the complexity and thoroughness of the operation and his surgery, there will be quite a recovery time involved.

6 weeks all up that I will largely be unable to use my right arm (must be in a sling), yet somehow I am "fit to return to work" Friday week. Hmmm, love to try my job with one, non-dominant hand! Fortunately work should be reasonable about it, I'm hoping to work from home so that I can go at my own pace and not wear out the left arm too much (about 30 minutes of slow typing is all it takes...).

Hopefully I'll be getting the stitches and splint off next week, but it could be an extra week. We'll (and be we I mean my doc) will assess next week.
At least my body is largely recovered from the op now and I am starting to relax and enjoy the time off work - helps that I have my folks looking after me too - all meals cooked, washing and ironing done, I tell ya it's just like living at home!

Anyway, thought I'd take a photo of the arm, so you can see it all wrapped up. I couldn't get it all in, but it extends down to about 2 inches above the elbow. Just colour me green and show me the tardis...


It looks kind of extreme, but there's little pain, just twinges, and general awkwardness...

If I should turn into a slug beast.....

Ever since my arm has been wrapped up - fingers to elbow - I've felt like an extra in a Dr Who episode. Perhaps you remember it? Here's some pictures to jog your memory....



Well the pain killers are officially finished - no more dreams of talking giraffes and flying beagles (those ears come in handy), luckily I have some left over from my kidney stone episode of last year. I haven't touched them yet, but they are a nice security blanket.
Today being Saturday we are off for some house inspections. Maybe. At least a drive with B.

One-Armed Bandit

Well, the op is over. And now I get to find out how challenging life is with only a non-dominant hand....
I'm doing as much as I can by myself and being told I'm stubborn and too independent :) Just like my Ma (according to my Dad) and just like my Dad (according to my mother) *s*.

Unfortunately I didn't get to watch the operation - they were worried I might involuntarily move my arm if I could see, and they didn't take photos :(
Apparently the cyst was multi-segmented and looked like a bunch of grapes. I gather it was quite complicated to remove as it took nearly an hour. Fortunately I was first up in the morning, so didn't have long to wait. I was home by midday.
I get the stitches out early next week, and then get to find out how long I'll have the splint on for.

Currently I'm just sleeping lots and resting.
And typing *very* slowly.... :)

Pre-Op Update

I know, It's been ages since I blogged. I've been spending my time reading other people's blogs, and of course working "insane hours" (that's a quote from my boss) and researching the real estate market (still).

Every weekend that I'm not working, and some which I do, we've been on the real-estate trail. I now have a sizable collection of brochures, floor plans, and weekly newspaper lift-outs of auction results. By the time we buy, it will be well and truly researched. It will be so researched I will never again want to buy a house. *Sigh*

But I have the month of July (potentially) off work! Woo Hoo! OK, most of it is sick leave, but given I won't actually be sick, just doing my best impression of a one-armed bandit I plan to enjoy it as much as I possibly can. My folks should be arriving tomorrow to "take care of me" - ie cook and drive. The rest of the time I plan to sloth around the house, read more WoT (currently on book 10), watch TV, watch BattleStar Galactica, eat yummy food and drink lots of tea. Unfortunately I won't be able to knit :( But after my wrist recovers I should be back to my pre-lump knitting speed. I'm sure there will still be some winter left in which to enjoy cozy knitting...

So, I'm off to get my wrist slit on Wednesday. Hopefully the Doc will avoid the radial artery though, take out the lump and repair the wrist joint and it will be happily ever after - full strength and flexibility returned.

Today and tomorrow are preparation days. Lots of washing, cleaning and tidying. Actually I've probably done more house work in this 3-4 days than I have in a year. Albeit all in small doses with a good rest inbetween and strong doses of pain killers. I've left the left-handed ironing until tomorrow, I don't think I've done any in the last 6 months nearly. It's truly amazing how creases fall out of clothes if left hanging long enough - well most fabrics, and then there's the fabrics which don't require ironing - I've been amassing a good wardrobe of them...

Well, that's my rest done - off to the next job....