I received a message on facebook recently from a friend who said he was relieved to find me there--he had gotten worried because my blog had not been updated in so long. I've been intending write an update--in fact, I felt almost a need to write several times this fall, but was too busy to get to it. It hadn't occurred to me, however, what not updating might imply. So let me state unequivocally and gladly that I am alive and reasonably well and living in Virginia.
Since only close friends are likely to find this blog, not to mention actually read it, I will give a medical update. Whereas a year ago, I required 12-14 hours of sleep per night in order to be functional the other 10-12 hours of the day, my health has improved slowly but dramatically since beginning treatment for sleep apnea. I'm down to about 9 hours per night, and am doing well enough that I have started working part-time. (More on that in a separate post.)
More specifically, I'm happy to report that I've had no recent episodes of visual distortion for some time now. Other symptoms continue to recur erratically. Digestive episodes accompanied by exhaustion were frequent for several weeks this fall, but usually less serious than in the past. My hearing and tinitis are worse these days (in loud rooms, it's sort of like listening through a tin can), and I had a knock-down, drag-out, awful vertigo episode on August 24, 2011, the day after our east coast earthquake. I've had several more since, but they have been minor, and I have slept them off in 2-4 hours.
I don't think we ever got to the root causes of all of this. Current suspects are hypoglycemia or food intolerances. My new insurance doesn't cover pre-existing conditions for another 7 months, so I've had to stop testing for now.
But I'm grateful that I'm so much better than I was even a year ago, not to mention when I first arrived back in the States in March, 2010. (One close friend in Virginia told me recently that he began a mental draft of my eulogy after he saw me shortly after my return here in June, 2010.)
I have lots of non-medical news, but it's time for my 9 hours of sleep. I'll try to write again this week.
