
The prescription for the procedure came about when I
had week of postural dizziness that was quite alarming. I suspected , and it appears to be the case,
that for some reason medications I have taken for years to control my blood
pressure and my cholesterol eventually worked to lower my diastolic pressure
to a point where I was not getting enough blood to my brain.
A visit to my PCP, or more exactly a colleague of my
PCP titrated my meds and the symptoms have gone away. But a series of routine tests, searching for explanations seemed to show
an elevation in my Liver Function enzymes.
A referral to a GI specialist brought more tests and the discovery that
I was storing iron at an alarming level.
I was taking 70 mg. of iron a day, begun when I was discovered with
minor anemia several years ago.
Although I have discontinued iron, getting rid of
the stored amounts in my liver is a long process. I had an ultrasound and then the MRI to see
what might be causing the storage. Although
the good news is that I do not have Hepatitis A or B, cirrhosis, or diabetes,
there does appear to be a minor blockage in my Hepatic duct and a special
ultrasound and a biopsy are in my near future.
When I got the prescription for the first MRI, I went
to radiology to schedule it and was given a number to call. I called the number and got the appointment,
which I put on my iPhone. I listened to
the instructions, which included directions, but I didn’t write them down.
So, a few days later as I prepared for my
appointment I couldn’t remember where I was supposed to go. I called the office but had to leave a
message, pointing out that I had an 8:30 AM appointment. I went to sleep, hoping for the best.
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The Knight's Dream |
By the time the scheduling nurse called, I was in
the room and prepped for the procedure.
Other times, instead of directions I have remembered where something lost
could be found, what was the correct answer to a puzzle, or even the forgotten
name of a friend.
The interesting point of the article was that the
frequency of finding those answers can be improved. Studies, beginning almost 100 years ago, show
that focusing on a specific question increases the lucidity of the dream
process and even the detail of the memory.
Intuitively I guess I knew this. I have always been a detailed dreamer
including one time in college when I dreamt the entire script for a play I
never wrote, excluding the dialogue.
Dreams are poor on dialogue, probably because the REM sleep cycle is
relatively short.
An interesting sidelight, which might help you as it
has me, has to do with snoring. As a
dentist, and in particular a dentist working with medical and dental benefits,
one of the thorniest as to where there was a need, was the correlation between
snoring and sleep apnea. When I was at
WellPoint, a CPAP analysis was necessary to allow funding for a devise, often
constructed by dentists. I have an Oral
Surgeon friend whose practice is largely based on building these appliances,
which can cost up to $1,000. I also
played golf recently with a younger friend who bought a store-made devise in response to a girlfriend’s
concerns about his snoring.
Recently Mary made it known that I was waking her
with my snoring, almost always about 4:00 AM, my time of REM sleep. As a practicing dentist, I had counselling success with Behavior
Modification techniques where the partner wakes the snorer until the snorer unconsciously
chooses to sleep rather than to snore; and I suggested trying this technique. Success?
Not so much.
Son Tim, who watches the Science channels suggest a
second pillow to change the position of the head. For more than a week now, there have been no
snoring episodes.
Tim now calls himself “Doctor Tim”.
With Labor Day coming, I was reflecting on my
growing up and what part Band Concerts played in that endeavor. My next post was address both that history
and what summer Band Concerts have morphed into. Please join me.