My body’s evident determination to visit more of Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center’s specialty clinics continued last week at the Diagnostic Sleep Center.
Located in the former Medical Arts Building on Rawls Drive, the center lived up to its name and diagnosed me with sleep apnea, the condition where you stop breathing for a brief time.
This wasn’t a surprise, and going into my two-night stay at the sleep center, I had expected the result. It’s paired with the atrial fibrillation that I’ve been dealing with for the past two years, and for which I will have a third outpatient procedure in a few weeks.
The sleep center was an interesting experience. I must have had 20 wires glued to my body, mostly on my head, face and neck, but some on my chest and even legs. It felt like “Young Frankenstein.”
Then, on the second night, when I slept with all those wires plus a sleep apnea mask, it was an obvious Hannibal Lecter moment. Sadly, I missed the opportunity to make a five-second video: “Well, Clarice. Have the lambs stopped screaming?”
It’s nice to report that I dealt with three pleasant technicians. Their job is to stay all night and monitor the electronic information all those wires send back from sleeping patients.
The first night, my technician was Angie, with Lauren, a trainee, along as an observer. They were fun to talk to, and told me how they like working at a place that literally keeps them up till sunrise.
As they were running wires all over my head and body, they answered all my questions. I appreciated their friendly demeanor and their professionalism.
They navigated me into the small room’s bed, turned out the lights and left. It probably was around 9:30, hours before I would go to sleep on a normal night.
Angie then came on a speaker and had me do some foot movements and eye movements. “Blink-blink-blink-blink-blink,” she ordered.
Afterward, she said if I just closed my eyes and breathed, I would fall asleep soon.
I was not so sure. She had told me to lie on my back. I like to sleep on my side to prevent my mouth from drying out. But I was a team player, followed instructions and was out before too long.
I woke up several times during the night, mostly because the back position was making me uncomfortable. The worst time was well into the night — there’s no clock in the room — and I just could not go back to sleep.
I probably was awake for 45 minutes. That never, ever happens at home.
Soon after, awake once again, Angie said I could roll to my side, and boom, it was lights out right away.
They woke me up at 5:30, unwired me, and I drove home in the dark, in a thick fog, arriving at 5:55. I watched TV for a while, then went on into work.
I repeated the process the next night, with Vickie as the technician. Angie and Lauren also were there because the center was full up with four patients. Vickie said they stay busy, so it’s nice to know I have plenty of company.
It was hard to get Vickie out of her shy shell. Actually, like Angie and Lauren the night before, she was a great conversationalist. They all made it sound like I was putting on a costume of wires for a joyous tour of Disney World.
My first time wearing the sleep mask was definitely odd. It sends a steady stream of air up your nostrils, and if you are inexperienced and relaxing, your lips pop open and that steady stream of air comes right out of your mouth. That is a very strange feeling.
After the movement testing, Vickie said I could sleep on my side all night, and I did. Despite the mask and the wires, I only woke up twice. Not bad for being in a strange bed. I was home at 6:10 a.m.
Anticipating my diagnosis was a good move. The news wasn’t a disappointment, and now I know what lies ahead.
The story is entertaining, but the main thing is that my adventure at the sleep lab was positive. Another good grade for local medical care.
