Dude, you're getting a CPAP!

On Tuesday I went to see the sleep specialist and get the results of my second sleep study. This time, the diagnosis was moderate sleep apnea.

I'm getting a CPAP!

I'm actually thrilled that they found something wrong. Unlike the first study, I feel like they got good results. I had one episode of REM sleep, and the doctor said it was unusually long. (If I remember correctly, I think it was about 90 minutes.) This was a sign that I am having trouble sleeping. It's like my body has so much trouble getting to REM sleep that once it gets there, it doesn't want to leave.

In general, my sleep was disrupted a lot. I meant to ask how normal it is to have so many "spikes" indicating that I was waking up.

In the past, I've doubted it was sleep apnea, because I didn't have classic sleep apnea symptoms. That's because I'm mostly having hypopnea, partial obstruction, rather than true apnea, where you quit breathing. It makes sense with all the weird breathing I do.

Also, I dipped just below the ideal oxygenation level, which explains why I don't have the typical morning headaches.

In a couple of weeks I go back for a another sleep study, except this time they will focus on finding a mask that fits and the right CPAP pressure. Then a few days later I will go in and talk to a sleep therapist, who will send me home with the CPAP and all the necessary instructions.

I'm actually looking forward to the CPAP for the most part. Everyone I've talked to who has used one says they feel so much better once they get used to it. It's like a miracle cure.

Of course, there are downsides.

It's 2 a.m., do you know where your blog is?

I know my blog is way behind.

But before I go to sleep, I thought I'd mention that I'm going to be dreaming about the Decimal cardigan tonight. Perhaps in KnitPicks CotLin?

The Sewn Bind Off Saves the Day

I've had a busy weekend, including the Bell Choir clinic in Boerne. I haven't had much time for blogging or knitting, but on the bus I did have time to redo the bind off on the One Day Beret. I used the sewn bind off. Now it doesn't leave a mark on Lyndsey's forehead.

The sewn bind off always saves the day. It may not have the neat little loops that come with a regular bind off, but it's as stretchy as bind offs get.

Now I'm going to bed. I would be going to bed early, but thanks to Daylight Savings Time, I'm not.

Make Magazine on Knitting

I think everybody's first project should be a pixel.

Also, I find it amusing that they talk about the alternatives to knitting needles (as if they're hard to find), but never mention where you can find fiber optic wire.

Filling Space

Recently, I've felt like there is a lack of substantial entries on this blog. I keep reminding myself that a high word count does not necessarily make for a good blog.

The problem is that word count really does matter.

My sister recently wrote on her Facebook page that she was trying to eek out one more page for a paper she had to write. I recommended that she spell out all her contractions.

That's when I realized it. Whether it's a third grader's book report, a college term paper or a job in the "real world," we never quit worrying about word count.

In high school and college, my teachers started telling us that it's about quality, not quantity. I remember one music history teacher who told us he would be happy if our paper was a carefully worded haiku, as long as it got the point across. I knew he was exaggerating, but when it came down to it, he expected some sort of minimum length. (He just didn't define it.)

In journalism school, we were taught to keep our writing short. Space was at a premium. We even did exercises to reduce our word count.

But when I started working at actual newspapers, there was always space that needed to be filled. Occasionally stuff needed to be cut down, but I spent more time padding stories than trimming them.

Writing up information about prospective customers is part of my current job. Depending on the situation, sometimes we don't have very much information to write up. There's not a length set in stone, but if it's deemed to short, they kick it back to us to beef it up.

And what I find most ironic of all, is that half the time people aren't interested in reading all those words we struggled to write. Have you ever skipped an article in a newspaper because it was too long? What about a blog entry.

I think this is a good time to end this post.

Depressed Cat

I have all sorts of ideas for the blog tonight, but for some reason none of them feel like becoming coherent posts. So instead, I'm posting this video that represents the general malaise that seems to have settled into my knitting life.

Tom Selleck: Shepherd

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Tom Selleck

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

I was actually listening to The Daily Show as I was getting ready for bed, and when I came back, Tom Selleck was talking about his sheep. And while his intentions are good, it didn't seem like he was the best shepherd in the world.

Bonus: Tom Selleck didn't know that cows have to have babies to give milk? My class learned it on a field trip to Crowe's Nest in the first grade. Of course, I was ahead of the curve. They asked us what cows need to do to make milk. Everyone else said "eat", but I knew that had to make babies. It's the same with humans.