“You are Getting Sleepier…”

Published on October 22, 2012October 22, 2012 by hearingelmo1 Comment

— Oh for a patch of sunshine and an afternoon nap…

“You are getting sleepier…”

I could have handled a little hypnotic suggestion this past Friday. Thursday morning before going to work, my hearing assistance dog did just what she was suppose to do – sort of. I had just placed my breakfast of bacon and eggs on the table when Chloe alerted me to the front door. I went to see who was there to find the UPS man and a delivery for my husband. I should have been suspicious. Chloe normally wags and flirts with whomever is at the door, but she disappeared while I made small talk with the UPS guy.

Meandering back into the kitchen I noticed all three dogs sitting in a row, Chloe closest to the table of course. My plate was empty. As a matter of fact, it had been licked so clean it appeared to have come straight from the dishwasher. I fussed, even though I knew it was my own fault. Well-trained assistance dog – yes. Still a dog? YES.

I could have predicted the outcome, but was sort of hoping if I kept my hypothesis to myself it may not prove to be true. But my sensitive-tummy service dog was sick as a – ERM – DOG, by Thursday evening. As a matter of fact she was sick all night long. I was up every 90 minutes to 2 hours with her – for up to 30 minutes at a time. At 3:30 in the morning, I sent out an email to all my students cancelling classes. I was so tired I was hallucinating. Seriously. After taking Chloe out around 3:00 AM I was freaked out by the hundreds of mice running all over the yard – or so I thought since I was seeing things that weren’t there.

Being a person with disability, I require more sleep than an average adult anyway. It wasn’t until hound dog was feeling better Friday night that I finally got a solid nine hours of much needed sleep.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, average, healthy adults need 7-9 hours of sleep every night (National Sleep Foundation, 2011). While most of us very likely receive far less than that, the experts agree that this is the amount we should strive for every night. However, people who live with disability or invisible illness may actually require more. At the very least, these folks should make the 7-9 suggested hours a priority.

People with arthritis may need more sleep (Eustice, 2012), as do people with epilepsy (NYU Langone Medical Center, 2012). What can be frustrating, however, that for many living with invisible illness or disability, sleep disorders are often a co-morbid diagnosis. I know people with fibromyalgia, Lymes disease, and other chronic pain conditions that explain sleep is difficult to obtain. Your body may need extra sleep; however, because of the illness itself the person may have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.

Training along side of fellow clients at Fidos For Freedom, Inc., I have a new “family” of folks who have various disabilities and illnesses. Some have chronic pain conditions, some have MS, mobility issues, Parkinson’s, and hearing loss. Since getting to know them over the years, I have heard ALL of them explain they simply do not get enough sleep, or have trouble getting a full sleep cycle in each night. As a result, each have stories to tell of “things getting worse” and symptoms causing near accidents or actual falls, bumps, bruises, etc. I recall overhearing a conversation of one of the trainers talking to a newly matched client. They were falling more and having trouble with even cognitive functioning. The (wise) trainer asked them, “How much sleep are you getting?” The client explained that they were so excited about this new chapter in their life that they had trouble sleeping – night after night. They quickly surmised this may be increasing the severity of some of their disease’s symptoms. Sleep matters!

People with hearing loss may actually require more than the average 7-9 hours necessary for most adults. According to Healthy Hearing (2008), because our brain is actually more involved than our ears in communication, a tired brain can impair how well we hear. Even if we are “hearing again” with cochlear implant, BAHA, or hearing aids, sleep deprivation may impair our ability to communicate well and to maximize what we are able to hear.

People with hearing loss often forget how much harder they have to work to communicate effectively. As a result we actually tire out much faster than our normal hearing peers. If you must pay attention and concentrate wholly on a conversation to adequately understand and respond, your brain actually TIRES.

I also have Meniere’s disease, a vestibular and balance disorder. Because I have to pay attention to stepping up, stepping down, avoiding visual vertigo triggers such as ceiling fans, paying attention to my surroundings to avoid snags in carpet, etc., I actually “think my way safely” throughout each and every day. It can take a lot out of me to constantly remain on “high alert” to possible problems to avoid falls.

So Exactly How Do I get More Sleep?

There are NUMEROUS places online from which you can find information about how to get a better night’s rest. Some of these “tips” include:

1. Avoid caffeine 5-6 hours prior to when you plan to go to sleep.

2. Avoid complex carbohydrates such as breads, pasta, and sweets several hours before bed. Some experts suggest avoiding eating ANY large quantity of food before bed.

3. Avoid exercising within several hours of when you plan to go to bed.

4. Limit “light” – especially those created by many types of technology and electronics. Computers, iPads, televisions, etc., all may stimulate your brain activity and make it more difficult for you to sleep.

5. Worried? It can keep you awake. Try writing down things you need to get done the next day so you do not lay in bed worrying about remembering to do them. If you are worried about things you cannot control, try talking to someone. It doesn’t have to be a counselor – even a close friend or family member may work.

6. Try going to bed at the same time every night. Many stay up later on Friday or Saturday nights. This can actually disrupt our sleep schedule. Our bodies like routine – especially when it comes to sleep. Or, you may love sleeping in on Saturday morning. This too, can disrupt our sleep schedule. Try waking up and going to bed at the same time – no matter what day it is.

7. Many people sleep better in a dark, cool room. Do you need to purchase room darkening blinds? Maybe purchase a fan for just the bedroom?

8. Depending on who you read, opinions vary about whether or not taking an over the counter sleep aid like Tylenol PM or even Benedryl can be helpful. There are also medications specifically FOR sleep, though most warn they are not to be taken long-term. There is a new drug to hit the “over the counter” scene called “ZzzzQuil” believe it or not – made by NyQuil. It has been getting fairly positive reviews. Some may find they need a prescription sleep medication. Discuss with your doctors any risks associated with the prescription.

Do you think you are “getting by” on what sleep you are able to get? There are too many articles (written by medical experts) that show links to very serious, even life-threatening health problems for those who are chronically sleep deprived. Check out this great article by Dr. Stephanie Schupska at WebMD: Click here. “Not Enough Sleep: 7 Serious Health Risks”

Please feel free to comment and share how sleep deprivation has posed problems for you; or, ideas about how to get a better night’s rest!

Denise Portis

About.com Arthritis and Joint Conditions (2012). Arthritis patients need more Zzzzzz’s. Retrieved October 22, 2012 from http://arthritis.about.com/cs/betterliving/a/needmorezzzzzs.htm

Healthy Hearing (2008). Sleep your way to better hearing. Retrieved October 22, 2012 from http://www.healthyhearing.com/content/articles/Hearing-loss/Treatments/24201-Sleep-your-way-to

National Sleep Foundation. (2011). How much sleep do we really need? Retrieved October 22, 2012 from http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need

NYU Langone Medical Center. (2012). Sleep and Epilepsy. Retrieved October 22, 2012 from http://epilepsy.med.nyu.edu/living-with-epilepsy/epilepsy-and-lifestyle/sleep-and-epilepsy

What I SHOULD Have Said

Published on October 15, 2012 by hearingelmo7 Comments

I’m not really a history buff like some of my siblings, but I do like to watch the occasional autobiographical movie or read books on real people. I have, however, always been an Abraham Lincoln fan. I’m so excited about the new movie coming out and hope it does not disappoint. (Lincoln – the trailer). Needless to say, I’m also a big fan of President Lincoln’s quotations. Many of them I have memorized from my childhood and throughout my life.

In preparing for this post, a quote of President Lincoln’s came to mind: “I will prepare and some day my chance will come.”

I’m a big fan of using hindsight to our advantage. One of my favorite training exercises at Fidos For Freedom, Inc., is role playing… actually putting ourselves in scenarios where we face incredulous, doubtful strangers, belligerent business owners, or even just curious but nosy bystanders. These exercises have allowed me to practice what I need to say – not IF – but WHEN I need to have the words to explain my need for Chloe. I know I may need to defend my right to mitigate my disability with an assistance dog.

Experience Can Be a Harsh Teacher

Did you ever have something happen that was totally unfair? Feelings of righteous indignation and self-preservation well up and literally choke the words right out of you? I’m one of those poor folks who rarely says what I should have said at exactly the right moment. Instead, my feelings are hurt; or, I’m madder than a wet hen. Not… that I’ve ever seen a wet hen despite my childhood experiences of owning and caring for chickens, but I digress..

Ever replay a hurtful or confrontational conversation over and Over and OVER again in your head… thinking about what you SHOULD have said? Well I take Abraham Lincoln’s advice to heart. “I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” Now I’m the first to admit that one can perseverate on a past hurt and be much worse off than if you just let it go. I’m a planner though (at times to a fault).

If my feelings are just hurt and it is someone I don’t know well, I just let it go (though I may replay the entire horrible episode to my patient husband). If it is someone I have a relationship with, I may decide to let them know that I didn’t like how the conversation went and came away hurt and would like to discuss it some more. However, most of the things that hurt my feelings or ruffle my – erm – feathers, are comments from total strangers or mere acquaintances.

How many of you have heard these comments? :

But you don’t LOOK sick.

You were just fine yesterday. What’s wrong today?

You are feeling poorly AGAIN?

Are you ever well?

You seemed to hear me fine the other day on the phone.

Don’t you get tired of being so lethargic?

I think you are just low-energy.

You are such a drama queen!

Are you sure it isn’t all in your head?

I love my dog too, but I don’t self-diagnose a disability just so I can be with them all day.

Maybe you should see a counselor…

I knew you the first 20 years of your life. There was nothing wrong with you then!

Is this all for attention?

Don’t you worry how your family will feel having to pick up the slack?

People with invisible disabilities, illness or chronic conditions often LOOK just fine. Being late-deafened, I speak with little or any “deaf accent” or enunciation issues. With a cochlear implant and hearing aid (a bi-modal, hearing again peep with BLING), I often hear voices well unless there is a lot of background noise. If it is a sunny day, I not only may have very little “wobble” in my step, I may actually be able to move fast. So to look at me – well, I look fine! But on rainy days or in environments with tons of LOUD surround sound, vertigo can hit me like a freight train and cause me to walk as if I’m intoxicated. I usually clam up because if I speak I may vomit. (I’m serious…)

I have friends here in Maryland, and cyber friends I have come to know across the nation – many of whom are fellow bloggers. They have fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue syndrome. Some have assistance dogs, some do not. Some have been diagnosed with Lymes disease. Have you ever thought about how difficult it must be to have a chronic pain condition? And oh my goodness… talk about your invisible conditions! If you don’t know the person well enough to see the pain-filled eyes or pinched expression, you would never know that every step is excruciating – that even their clothing rubbing against their skin actually hurts.

Prepare – it Empowers

Those of you who live a life described above or know someone who does, my advice is to prepare. Use hindsight to your advantage. Think about an encounter that really hurt you – or made you squawk. Chances are, you will hear it again. (I know – GROAN – right?) Plan and prepare, even practice what you will say in the future should that same thing happen again. This can actually empower you to face that “next time” with a little more certainty and courage.

But Be Careful…

I do have some warnings, however. Even good things can become bad things.

1. Don’t be consumed by the preparation.

If all you think about is being prepared for a calm but meaningful/careful reprimand, you may unleash it with venom or saccharin sweetness. Your intent becomes a premeditated choice to wound. You end up saying the wrong thing or say it unkindly and in an offensive, war-like manner.

It could also become a set-up or scenario of revenge. Trust me. You do NOT want to live that way. (Tried it – not a winner any way you look at it).

Use your time wisely in reflection and preparation, but then let it go. If you are thinking about it constantly it should “wave the red flags” for you that it has become an obsession instead of a tool to develop positive responses.

2. Don’t look for what is not there.

After wobbling into the edge of the stove and spilling my coffee, I heard my husband sigh beside me. I turned (aimed) and yelled, “What? You think I like spilling everything I carry? You think I enjoy getting burned? Do you think I…”

He cut me off with a gentle squeeze of my arm. “Denise. I sighed because someone ate all my Lucky Charms.”

OH.

If you are reading this and KNOW someone who has an invisible condition, may I give you some advice? I know it must be frustrating to not ever really understand HOW to help or WHEN to help. But the best thing you can do? Listen and believe.

Denise Portis

Turn a Deaf Ear

Published on October 8, 2012 by hearingelmo2 Comments

One of my favorite things to do to unwind from the pressures of my week is to read a good book. Last week I read, “Turn a Deaf Ear” by Janet Fiore Horger & Linda Fiore Sanders. These two sisters have a a terrific website as well. You can check it out at www.turnadeafear.net or click HERE.

I’ve read a number of autobiographical books by authors who were Deaf, late-deafened, or hard-of-hearing. “Turn a Deaf Ear”, is the first time I read about a love story between a young woman with normal hearing and a man who is culturally Deaf. Linda’s brother, Nick, worked with and became friends with John, a culturally Deaf man. One day, Nick brings John home for dinner. This begins the friendship and eventual relationship of Linda and John.

I have never thought about how friends and family members may view a couple in which one is hearing and one is not. “Turn a Deaf Ear” does a terrific job of not only explaining the potential problems, but also how love finds a way through those problems.

I highly recommend this book and think it is a “great read” for even those who do not have hearing loss. You see, the underlying theme within the book is how differences can be overcome with patience, compromise, understanding, and love. We all have differences. I hope you will check out the book! It’s a “keeper” for me!

Where to buy a copy of your own? CLICK HERE

Denise Portis