Sleep Deprivation

I haven't been doing much lately in the way of my blog, or my writing, or much of anything else.  For those of you who don't know,  I use a CPAP to sleep with.  I was diagnosed with sleep apnea 15 years ago and have slept with one of those machines ever since.  It changed my life.  I went from not sleeping to getting rest and energy back again.

A few weeks ago my CPAP started acting up, and finally died on me.  My husband dug out my old machine from 15 years ago (and set for California's sea level altitude) and I've been using that.  The problem is it no longer works well, and I am exhausted.  All. The. Time.

My insurance said I had to do a sleep study before they would give me a new machine (they cost about $1500 so I cannot buy one myself).  At the sleep center they said I had to take the test without a CPAP to prove I still had apnea.  Since it's been so long for me on a machine I cannot sleep without it, and I never have slept without one at this altitude.  I failed miserably.  I am now waiting to redo the test.

In the interim I am so tired, always tired, and everything seems like a chore.  I feel weepy all the time and cranky and short tempered.  My arthritis, which is usually controllable to some extent, is going crazy since my body never really gets to rest fully, so now I'm figgity all the time trying to get comfortable.  My doctor gave me a prescription for some sleeping pills and they are helping a little, but now my husband and sons are telling me my eyes are puffy with blue circles under them.  Lovely.

The reason I'm whining about all this is to ask for your indulgence.  I'm not around much, not doing much.  I'm hoping this doesn't last too much longer and I'll soon be out there getting involved again.  In the meantime, don't forget about me!  I'm still here!  And I hope you are all out there kicking it up and have fun for me.