h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So... slep a more reasonable amount last night, circa about 6 hours... although on top of the averaging about 3 or 4 hours (not very good), sleep for about.... Err however many days it was, that didn't really leave me feeling very buzzy, when I awoke at about 7...
I'd gone to bed early... well, early for me, and so waking up hours before I expected, wasn't... unexpected (re-reads that agian..... nope, I'm sure that does make sense).
Anyhow, tried to doze/sleep, and didn't or couldn't so got up a bit before 9 and built the coffee

Had the pot, before William arrived circa 11.30 or a bit before

Oh, before that... about 10, I had to call the GP surgery, and booked the appointment, which as I was a bit late phoning, wasn't until later in the day at 3.50
(No, I really coudlj't have called them earlier; even waiting as long as I did, the concentration and effort to do anything as organised or as err... whatever the word is I can't find, was must beyond my abilitys as it was, I was sure I'd managed to miremember/understand the time between talking to the sugery, and sending William an SMS... Luckily I had got the time right at least

Went on a mission into town... which had to involve another coffee, before delving into the palace of the one pound shop to find... something I could use for a purpose to which it was not intended No... i know what your thinking... and... although I did investigate several items in that 'way', I was after... a special baguette lifting 'trowel', err, or peel, or... spatular...

For when I've rolled the baguettes to size; I always mess em up when I pick em up to get em in teh trays; the middle sags down, as I hold each end...

Anyhow, found this strange thing... 'folding chopping board' I think it was called... though it is not a chopping board, and, indeed, as far as I can tell, not folding either...
It is lurid pink though... which is ... a bonus It is... as I pointed out to William... only a shame its not slightly thicker plastic... or it'd be... an amusing 'paddle'

Anhyow, perfect size for what I want; I'll just use it sideways on to rol each baguette onto it, and then from on it, roll onto the trays; (I might actually manage to position teh baguettes a bit more centrally on the trays too, using it, than I normally do)

NOt that I've got enough concentrateion to even consider making bread at the moment

Anyhow, after that, I bought us lunch, from the bakery, which, as according to the rules, we ate at the pie wall

Then we went for a walk into the old Victorian cematory opposite my house which is a loverly wildlife area really now (plus with fasinating old graves to look at; 'Dirty old bugger!', we figured out... after spotting one gravestone, with daughter and father listed on the same stone; they'd both lived very long lives, and we worked out he was in his 70s when he had the daughter )

Anyhow... the sun came out (it'd been raining too), and we were just sitting there... lots and lots of bird song about and the sun was so nice... and I was just sitting there... sleepily and eyes closed.... the sun shining down.... and William just touched my neck... and sort of under my chin... and I just blissed out so totally He had to say 'you are blissing out' twice I think, before it filtered into my head

Anyhow, then we went back to mine, to deposit the pink baguette peel and... err, I think I bought soemthing else... can't remember what (I didn't buy any food as I couldn't think what I needed, or might want, and I do have some stuff in anyhow)

and... Well... that wall in my kitchen.... I might have to insist it moves with me, if I ever sell the house but... but... I was so tired and I felt so guilty as I coudln't... recipicate in the way which I'd like for the attention... but.. Definately need some metal loops/hook on the wall though... I think... Mind... LIke that I just bliss out so quickly... not like I need* restrainting

Then we just had to go out... or I'd have definately fallen asleep, or sat down, and not been able to manage to move again... so we went for a walk right through the cemetry... and then over the railway bridge (Yes, I did insist we stopped on teh railway bridge... and I got to wave at the Kings Lynn train as it went past )

Then went over to the other end of that road, where I hardly ever go, and we found another cafe... so I got cafianted again... and then we walked back, though it was raining again, so we avoided the longer route through the cemetry...

and went to the GP surgery Hope to hear back from the GP soon, was told to chase him up if I hear nothing in a week (I explained waht I could to him, about non-24, as I'd done a fair bit of research... but its the sort of thing I should be able to remember and digest in my head better than I have been able too whilst this tired and he'd not heard of it, or the fact err... melatonin, that its, can be prescribed... so he's got to find out about it... but he seemed to trust in my diagnosis and my excluding certain other diagnosis on basis of observable patient history... he asked a few questions, and they didn't seem to alter the idea of it being non-24... so maybe my mind still vaguely works

Sadly... I really just was too tired... for... anything else... which is a pity... that new braided leahter cane.... its only had one proper outing so far but... and damnit... I hate being like this, when I can't be 'use' to William... as it were makes me feel so useless hmm...

\Felt exausted all evenign... but luckily I did force* myself to make some food, which again, I nearly didn't...

Just had coco... which is nice... even if it might not have the sending me to sleep effect I hope it may

felt nearly tired enough for bed, at about 9. more awake now, just emptied the bins, and put new bin bags in, and swept the kitchen. Possibly a bit late now for any actuall supper... and don't think I'm hungry... anyhow some reading I think may try sleepies about 1 Again... nothing to be up for tomorrow... so if* I could... I could sleep in I'm sure I had a sleep in once... an dslept more than eight hours.... sometime in the early 90s I think it was

Mind... if I'm going to make a habit of having coco, guess I'll have to invest in a pipe and a cardagan .. mmmmm... maybe If I can recapture the blissing out headspace... when I try sleep... it'll make me fall asleep *t *thinks*

Oh. I've a visitor on Thursday... hope I'm awake by then... he'll be staying overnight, so I ogughta oughta try clean teh spare room tomorrow... if I've the energy

This is sorta off-topic, but...

When I was reading that it struck me what a lucky guy you are, in that it's highly unlikely you'll ever find yourself "up shit creek without a paddle".

*goes back to read the rest of the journal*

From where I am... laying on top of the bed... I can just about reach one paddle!... and a flogger... and... My Brother's stolen my actual paddles... err, that doesn't sound right... I mean, the actual paddles for the canoe... but as he's got the canoe too, taht makes sense I guess

I'm not a doctor (just a doktor), but from what I've seen in the recently frequent advertisements for some new drug that is introducing the US to the idea of this "Non 24", I doubt that's your issue as that specifically affects people with total blindness. The ads suggest it's a failure of one's circadian rhythm due to having no visual clues as to day and night.

Now, that said, I would not be surprised at all if you have some other issue with your circadian rhythm. You don't keep a schedule very well. In recent months, just watching your posts here and on twitter, it's common for you to talk about how you should, but aren't, going to bed when I'm still up late 6 time zones West of you.

Some good advice I was given when I had pretty bad insomnia was to stick to a very strict waking time. There were further suggestions that may not be as pertinent, but I'll explain it anyway. The idea was to determine how many actual hours one gets in a night on average, then stay out of bed until that many hours before one's set waking time. The idea was to gradually build up sleeping session durations over several weeks.

I still suggest taking caffeine at all in your condition is a bad idea. You may have developed a hypersensitivity to caffeine. I did that about 15-20 years ago. One night I woke up trying to kick my cat off of my water bed because her scratching was causing waves. Then I realized the cat wasn't even in my bedroom and that I was just shaking that bad or maybe my heart was beating that strong.

Whilst not entirely 100% blind, I am classified as being withing the 1% of the 'blind' population who are actually classified as totally blind; Hence one reason that may be a possibility;

Also, given that the neurones responsibile for transmitting information from the retina, to the (trying to remember name.....) Supachiasma nucleai (which set the sercadian clock; or more accurately help reset it to 24 hours, from the bodies inbuilt not-quite 24 hour inbuilt cycle), are actually seperate nurones, from the retina, from the rods and cones involved with light; so, although I do get some light/dark preception; this is o from rods and cones firing, and so many the few fibres, forming the optic bundle/nerves, connected to the part of the brain that resets teh clock, might be non functional; Also, as I had the major head trauma, that may even be pineale gland damage (where the malatonin is produced), in a simular way to my almost certainly having diabetes Insipitus (not at all connected to 'normal' diabetes (diabetes Melitus), which I spoke to a consulatant about years ago, and he thought I probably had the diabetes Insipitus, due to damage to the pituitary gland (but they dont' worry about, it, as it has few if any problems associated with it)...

There is also a posbility that if I did indeed have pituitory gland damage, that TSHRH (err, think I got the name wrong... err....) thyroid stimulating hormone, release factor... or ... oh, eck whatever its called... the thing that makes the thyroid secret thyroxin and triodothyrine, might be 'off', and the doctors gona 'give me a little prick*1' and do bloods for thyroid function too, as that could impinge on sleep.

The caffine thing... yeh... maybe... but... How on earth to reduce/stop cafine intake; I can't barely function at the moment at all, from when I get up, until late evening, when I start waking up (its stuff like that being so utterly the worse tired, immediately on waking that is hinting towards the non-24, I think).

Also, although the non-24 is kinda new; its been about and reserached about since the 80s, and to an extent the 70s, although it never had a name back then, and due to inital problmes with treatments, no one kinda did anything with it, much recently, until latly...

I've a lot of blind friends who 'self medicate' for sleeping; alcochol, cannibus, other 'herbals' etc... and, well basically I dont' much care for treating myself with half a bottle of vodka before bed No... honstly I don't

Every other sleep condition/problem I looked at just doesn't fit my profile, has really common symptoms associated with it, I just don't have, and I tic virtually all on the non-24 list (the only potential differential diagnosis realy, is depression, and I'm pretty damn sure I've not got that... I've never been happier in my whole life, since I've been with William )

The caffine thing... though... yeh... I should probably do something about that... though I only useually have four cups a day... well, that's a litre... but... that isn't that* much surely?

err.... I think I had more, but forgot

nearly 1 AM now. more awake than just about any point all day. of course. I was going to try for sleep again, at 1.....

I'm fairly good at having regular getting up times; I am rarely out of bed later than 10, and aim for 9 most of the time, despite having nothing to get up for work/etc, wise, I've always tried to keep a regular getting up time, as that's also pretty important in setting the body clock (more important than going to sleep time, from what I recall)

I recall, years ago... maybe nearly 10, talking to friends, and they commented on my never sleeping much, and I recall back then, way way before I ever heard of the new fangled 'non-24' thing, that I said, 'its not my sleeping that's wrong, its the day is just the wrong length'.... which, of course, if* it is non-234, is actually the case, at least as far as my body is concerned

Hmmm... maybe I should look at the caffine thing though... somehow... maybe... only have three cups tomorrow morning? (and I rarely drink much if any coffee in the afternoon, cept for days I'm out in town, and have one in a cafe) anyhow, I can see what the doc says when he gets back to me, and, if nothing else suggested, I guess if I can get scripted the melatonin, give it a go, see if indeed it does anything or not

may try for sleepies in about half an hour (1.30 AM)

Actually... yeh... gona try for bed now I think... feel like I might be tired enough... err... able to sleep again... now...

I have read that eating an apple can wake one up more than drinking a cup of coffee.

Not as satisfying, but much better for you.

+=

Never let an either/or get in the way of a both/and

apple flavoured coffee



Well... gosh... I feel.... sort of of awake Got into bed about 1.30 I guess... I woke up, feeling awake.. but then.... rolled over and looked at the time... and saw it was only 3 AM but then went back to sleep and awoke... feeling kinda sleepy but now I'm feeling kinda awake may actually utalise the energy and do my first exporation of the loft, since the roof work was done, and think about moving some of the junk back into it today Just not felt up to that task for weeks but... I feel... kinda... like my brain is actually working today so, 2 6 hour nights sleep seems to have restored me, to some sembalance of 'normality'

Went to bed early... before 1 am! so woke up at just before 7 and then coudln't fall asleep My yesterday soon disappeared, and I was just tired the rest of the day, so didn't get anything done marganly better though, past few days, in terms of being vaguely awake during the day

Clearly not that awake though. Think I may have just broken my little toe. I really should know where the walls are, in my own house by now well... at least it was the little toe on my right foot... and not on my left (which was the main body part affected by the wall collision in the kitchen, a few days back )

Off out for walkies soon with William and looks like the sun might be out Was gona get fish, again today, from the fish stall, but then I remembered I've supposidly got this visitor coming over tomorrow... so I won't need to get fish, otterwise it probably wont' get eaten up quick enough