The Sleep Chronicles Ch. 1

“There is no magic pill,” are the words we all hate to hear, and they’re coming from Dr. Haase’s mouth.  It’s something we say often to patients at MWC, but now I was hearing it in my direction.  You see, the monkey on my back is not food, or physical activity, or any number of other things…it is sleep, or rather the lack of it.  I know that medication is the quick answer, and in the PharmaWorld of today, there are many magic pills, borne on the wings of iridescent moon-moths who float by promising a quick trip to Slumbertown.  It’s a classic oxymoron, a nocturnal creature as a messenger for sleep…not to mention that most Luna moths end up dead in the parking lot the next morning.  I want to fix this, not medicate it.  My grandmother slept like a rock until she died in her sleep at 94 years of age.

Ever encouraging, Doc reminded me that I’ve addressed so many of the underlying causes of “what the !@#! is wrong?,” but pointed out that now we were down to brass tacks.  Using my theory that I’d been busy fixing other mind/body/spirit issues, I had felt free to haunt the house all night long as was my lifelong habit, to work and worry when I should rest; to fool myself into believing that I could keep this pace up.  The lab results we reviewed reminded me…the body does not lie.  Now I am told that the hormonal imbalances could be fixed by WHAT?!?!  Sleep.  Free, but not easy.  I know what you’re thinking…you just didn’t ask enough questions.  With persistence I asked, “So what else could cause this?” and with insistence Doc answered…”You need to sleep.”

So, here I will tell the tale of trying to board the daily 9:04pm train to Slumbertown, or at least make it to the platform…It’s really no different than the struggle to kick junk food, or sodas or any number of things that you do or don’t, but wish you didn’t or did.  In other words, I feel your pain.

Diane