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Cinders meets an alien
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Hash: SHA1 I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea. This is a medical condition where you periodically stop breathing. There are several possible causes, but, in my case, I apparently have an inherited tendency for my windpipe to "relax" too thoroughly when I am asleep, collapsing all of the way shut. The result is that I cycle between normal breathing, not breathing, and rapid breathing (forcing the windpipe open again). This doesn't happen when I am awake. The main problem with this is that it prevents me from getting deep sleep, and the resultant stress aggravates other medical conditions such as high blood pressure. This used to be treated with surgery, but they now prescribe the use of a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine, which blows air into my nose to keep the air pressure in my lungs high enough to keep the windpipe open. When I go to bed, I have to wear a mask, somewhat resembling a blue rubber pig snout, that fits over my nose and is connected by a hose to the CPAP machine. A net of elastic webbing fits over my head to hold the mask on, and makes me look somewhat like the villain in a pro wrestling match. I got the equipment about a week ago, and Cinders was understandably rather wary of my new appearance for a couple of days. She would get up on the bed, but only at the foot end. Now, she has resumed coming up to the head end of the bed to be petted, and I just hope that she doesn't ever get ideas about playing "hunt the snake" with my breathing hose. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGPfreeware 7.0.3 for non-commercial use http://www.pgp.com iQA/AwUBQU5XTzMYPge5L34aEQLEIwCeMOJIsVtkYoX9yU167/RWT3DSrugAoJ8M gmM3tMepcZQG36NOlMkHvbG9 =D8+l -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- John F. Eldredge -- PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria |
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