Another medical test
The hospital called yesterday. They’d canceled my sleep observation, which had been scheduled for next week.
This was hardly surprising, what with the pandemic.
Still, it was dispiriting. Had it not been for a clerical mishap, I’d’ve been observed in January.
Who knew when the next opportunity would arise?
The hospital called again in the afternoon. Would I come in that night? Yes, I would.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Karin and Samuel dropped me off at the hospital. I was led into a room with a large, comfortable bed and left alone to read Cold Comfort Farm until 10:00pm. Then the technicians fitted me with a CPAP mask. They attached many, many wires to my torso, legs, and head.
They turned out the lights, left the room, and instructed via intercom:
Look up and down ten times.
Look left and right ten times.
Grit your teeth.
Emit three loud snores.
After I’d done enough calisthenics, they let me sleep.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The bed was much lovelier than my bed at home, and I didn’t mind the air blasting through tubes into my mouth and nose. What I did mind were the wires. They kept me from rolling over naturally.
But I did manage to sleep. Later, the technicians told me I’d achieved some periods of deep sleep.
(The previous test showed I’d been averaging 67 disruptive episodes for each minute of sleep.)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
I finished Cold Comfort Farm. Next to read is Chocky. My reading cycle runs from May to April; I need short books to fill my quota for the year.
I got a refund for the surplus copy I’d received of vol. 2 of the Strangers and Brothers omnibus. I again ordered vol. 3.
On the day of vol. 1’s arrival, I was all too eager; but when I tore open the package, it was a (now redundant) copy of vol. 3.
This was hardly surprising, what with the pandemic.
Still, it was dispiriting. Had it not been for a clerical mishap, I’d’ve been observed in January.
Who knew when the next opportunity would arise?
The hospital called again in the afternoon. Would I come in that night? Yes, I would.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Karin and Samuel dropped me off at the hospital. I was led into a room with a large, comfortable bed and left alone to read Cold Comfort Farm until 10:00pm. Then the technicians fitted me with a CPAP mask. They attached many, many wires to my torso, legs, and head.
They turned out the lights, left the room, and instructed via intercom:
Look up and down ten times.
Look left and right ten times.
Grit your teeth.
Emit three loud snores.
After I’d done enough calisthenics, they let me sleep.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
The bed was much lovelier than my bed at home, and I didn’t mind the air blasting through tubes into my mouth and nose. What I did mind were the wires. They kept me from rolling over naturally.
But I did manage to sleep. Later, the technicians told me I’d achieved some periods of deep sleep.
(The previous test showed I’d been averaging 67 disruptive episodes for each minute of sleep.)
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
I finished Cold Comfort Farm. Next to read is Chocky. My reading cycle runs from May to April; I need short books to fill my quota for the year.
I got a refund for the surplus copy I’d received of vol. 2 of the Strangers and Brothers omnibus. I again ordered vol. 3.
On the day of vol. 1’s arrival, I was all too eager; but when I tore open the package, it was a (now redundant) copy of vol. 3.