Sleep, Interrupted

 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012 – Sleep, Interrupted

The good news – I finally had a chance to sit down and spend an hour looking through the latest “O” magazine.  The bad news – it was from 1:15 to 2:15 a.m. in the waiting room of the INOVA Emergency Clinic in Fairfax City.  The good news – I brought home a much more comfortable patient whose problems were easily resolved.  We finally got home and settled down to sleep shortly after 3 am.  Elliott kindly insisted on sleeping in the guest room so his 6 o’clock phone alarm (a medication reminder) wouldn’t awaken me. 

But that’s not the end of the story.  More bad news – While the plan was good in theory, Elliott didn’t hear the phone alarm go off at 6 a.m., although the phone was right beside him.  I heard it through the closed bedroom door and got up to turn it off and wake him up for his medication.  But good news prevails.  I went back to sleep afterwards and stayed asleep until my own alarm clock rang at 8:30.  I am so, so glad that I’m not working this week!

Like many people, I do not do well without a good 7-8 hours of relatively uninterrupted sleep at night.  The next day tends to be excruciating and I avoid looking in the mirror. On days like today, my poor visage needed help beyond the scope of lipstick, blush, and a good concealer.  I needed a minor miracle, or at least a product that provides full-face camouflage.  Oh, brilliant idea alert!  It just occurred to me that stores have already started to display their Halloween merchandise.  A mask is just what I needed.  Too bad we had to rush out for an appointment with the surgeon who did Elliott’s eyelid surgery.  We were already running late, so I grabbed my giant-sized sunglasses and Winnie (Elliott’s walker), and ran out of the house.

My sleep deprivation immediately manifested itself with a surprise slide down the front steps.  I was hauling Winnie at the time, and Elliott was waiting at the top of the steps for me.  You see, it’s my job to help him get down the stairs safely.  Hmm.  Do you see something wrong with this picture? 

Don’t worry.  There was no serious damage done to Winnie or to me.  As for Elliott, the doctor said his eyes are still showing some post-surgical inflammation and prescribed antibiotic eye drops.  After the appointment, we stopped at Wegman’s to pick up edible supplies for the upcoming California trip (cans and pouches of high-protein tuna and sardines for me; bags of high-sugar marshmallows for Elliott).  Do you think they have food in San Francisco?