Stitching and sleeping

A note from my stitching chair: well, I finished "Love's Journey," got out my "Wild Things" WIP and resorted its 54 bobbins of floss into my project floss box, and then haven't stitched a lick. I've been more inclined to read books in my spare moments as of late. Hopefully I will pick up a needle this weekend.

On the treating my sleep apnea front, I've been a hosehead since Monday. It's slow going, which is a normal experience. Luckily, after having spent days reading on sleep apnea message boards, I knew not to expect miracles right off the bat. I also knew about the most common problems and how to correct them. So when I encounter problems, I'm mildly vexed instead of seriously annoyed. I'm having to get used to sleeping in a new way (wearing a weird-feeling mask and having it blow air up my nose).

I now have a pile of equipment next to my bed and I've added to it over the week. I started off with my CPAP machine and humidifier. Then DH insisted that I have a surge protector plug strip. Next, after wrestling with my air hose for several nights, I bought a HoZer Levitation System - a goofy looking contraption the keeps the hose off you and your bed and hangs it up over near your face instead. It looks like a wimpy and limp fishing pole. But it works (and I stopped dreaming about hunting snakes). Here's what it looks like from the company's advertisement:

Due to the unpleasant experience of "rainout" where moisture condenses in your hose and runs down into your nose, I purchased a "Snugglehose" - a fleece cover for my hose. It helped minimally. I could turn down my humidifier, but I am not comfortable with a lower setting; the air is too dry. Living in a valley with high humidity doesn't help either as it increases condensation. So, I placed an order for a special heated hose that will eliminate this. It is made and shipped from Australia, hence its nickname of "the Aussie heated hose." People swear by them and I hope to, too. The sensation of being asleep and then suddenly inhaling water is not fun.

I have a new routine in the morning. I get up and clean my mask, put away my equipment and attempt to get the inside of my hose dry. Then I pull the data card out of my CPAP machine and stick it in the card reader hooked to my computer to get a readout of my sleeping statistics (cool, eh?). It tells me things like what pressure I averaged during the night, how well my apnea was controlled, and if my mask was leaking too much. My machine is data capable (many are not). It allows me to make educated decisions about my own treatment. Empowerment!