(cats, dawg, sleep, health, adhd, f&f)

[elainegrey]

Tuesday's brief clarity of breathing was a delight (and so i posted from the car as Christine drove me home). But then i was wiped out by the appointment. At least this time i closed my eyes to not see the pliers.

Tuesday to Wednesday night was the first with the CPAP. I had switched to an unheated tube, but the humidity meant condensed water and gurgling half the night. The other half the night everyone else in the house kept waking up: at one point i realized Christine was up looking under the furniture. She believed Marlowe had brought in a third skink and it was loose. Two others had been rescued on Tuesday and removed to the area Beyond the Pets, where hopefully the colony of traumatized skinks is thriving. Carrie barked sharply several times. Edward picked on Luigi. On the 5:30 am screaming of Luigi from the living room, i stalked out and Edward raced to the kitchen. I closed him in there. No rewards for picking on Luigi (except usually it's just before time to feed them anyhow).

Yesterday i saw my sister who has been struggling to get her ADHD meds -- it was so good to see and chat, i've missed her, and it's clear how hard it's been for us to get together -- then grocery shopping, then three hours having highlights put in my hair and bangs cut. (I like our stylist and we chat most of the time. Which is very tiring at the end.) I have to wear a strap around my head with a hook on which my glasses rest for the next month to protect the nose. I figure if i hate the bangs, i can tuck them out of the way with band. But the bangs soften the impact of the stupid strap.

Today first day back to work. I don't think i've been away this long since the move in 2016? The work issues of May 1st still bring up shame for me now when i think of work. I know that two weeks is an eternity and everyone has probably forgotten.

Comments

[amaebi]

May the day bring you ease and grace.

[elainegrey]

Thank you!

[tamena]

OK I'm sitting here imagining a tiny skink bunker set up under the roots of a tree with them all sitting in a circle - Hi, my name is Bix and I was teleported here by the loud giants after the razorclaw captured me and brought me to the facility and the rest of the group chiming in - with their itty bitty cups of swamp water in hand, munching pill bugs like donuts - Hi Bix!

Wishing you a smooth return to work and better night's sleep

[elainegrey]

I will admit to imagining more of an after-life sort of thing: "Cousin Flicktail! Mama! Uncle Striper! I missed you, and here you are!" But yours works too!

Turns out it was a field mouse. Someone caught it, stunned it, and left it by the water bowl this morning. Christine has now taken it outside, given it a cap full of water and a cracker with peanut butter. I hope it either survives or gets carried off quickly so Christine can imagine it having a happily ever after. She's so sad she didn't rescue it.

[tamena]

I'm with Christine - lil mouse is all good after noshing on peanut butter crackers and has wandered off to preach the blessings of the Loud Giants.

[oracne]

I hope work goes well.

[elainegrey]

Thank you!

[dewline]

Welcome to CPAP life. I didn't know that unheated tubes were an option, as I've been using heated tubes from day one. By the way your account explains things, that may be something I'm better off sticking with what I have.

[elainegrey]

I have been stopping the heated tubes in the summer because ugh. (We don't run the air condition to maximum levels in the summer.) But i hadn't been allowed to use the CPAP after the nose surgery, and i need high as possible humidification now. Depending on your humidification level and your room temperature the heated tube may or may not be necessary.

[ofearthandstars]

I am just now reading back over the past few weeks and catching up - glad your surgery has been improving your breathing, albeit slowly. (You're the second friend to undergo an ENT type surgery recently so I am familiar with the gauze and pliers routine). Sorry for the uncomfortableness of clots and straps.

I have been thinking about bangs, which is usually a very bad decision for me, unless they are very long/swept back. I hope yours settle nicely.

I hope your Dad is doing better. I am also hoping the mouse is okay.

[elainegrey]

Dad came through COVID quickly and with apparently no repercussions.

I haven't tried bangs since.... college? I don't remember them being a good idea, but i feel my face looks so severe with my hair pulled back (which is is almost all the time). On the other hand, i haven't been motivated to do anything about it in the past eight years of working from home. The biggest issue is maintenance which... i don't do.

[ofearthandstars]

Ah, see, this is why we are friends - I am terrible about any sort of maintenance.
I pull my hair back to go to the gym, and it's really not a great look. But I also don't think bangs flying around my face would feel any better. So maybe I will just lean in to looking terrible at the gym since I'm already there sweating and huffing and turning red in the face as it is.