The NOT Sleep Study

So tired. My eyes feel like I've been crying for hours, when in actuality I haven't shed a single tear in weeks.

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Because of the Down syndrome, Thomas has small nasal passages. He snores like an old man. It is pretty cute on his 18 pound body. Cute in the sense that I don't have to share a room with him and can admire his cuteness when I go and tuck him in at night.

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Well apparently it's not cute for 11 month olds to snore. We're talking, ENT specialists, talk of surgery, and last night, Tommy's first sleep study to see what is actually going on while he sleeps.

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It all started out innocent enough. Tommy looked cute in his two piece jammies and was having a great time flirting with the nurse and playing in his new crib.

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Then we spent 60 minutes trying to attach a bazillion electrodes, straps, tape, and wires to his little body. He didn't love that so much. They mummy wrapped his head so he wouldn't pull them off (he still managed to get two out of the gauze) and told me after 60 minutes of him fussing to try and get him to sleep. Um. Ok. My child falls asleep alone in his room listening to piano music. Mommy rocking him while his body is being unnaturally probed isn't going to cut it.

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But, finally the exhaustion wins over and he falls asleep (his exhaustion or mine?). This was around...I don't know...10:30 maybe? We'd been there since 7:15. Tom's normal bedtime is 7:30. Right now all you mommys out there should be nodding you heads because you know what's coming. The nice, patient nurse then comes in and tells me they have to put a cannula on his nose and an additional sensor over the cannula to measure his O2 intake and CO2 output.

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Here's a little side note: Do you remember when Thomas had RSV when he was 6 weeks old? Ever since that week we spent in the hospital being pinned down and having his nose suctioned by strangers the poor boy has serious issues with people touching/looking at/wiping his nose. I can't blame him. So inserting the cannula did not go over well. Not only did he not like it there, but the additional sensor made it impossible for him to suck his thumb (I know, I know. Don't talk about the thumb sucking); the wires made it impossible for him to sleep on his stomach; the beeping/noisy machines and VIOLA! we have a perfect recipe for a disastrous night.

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Long story short (really, my mind is just too muddled with sleep deprivation to form too many more sentences), we will be really lucky if there is enough collective data from which to draw conclusions.

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He hated the crib, so we tried putting him in my bed with me (read: taking over my bed so I sat out in the hall and read my book). I am pretty sure I have scarred my little boy for life. And unfortunately he will have a lifetime of doctors, hospitals, and treatments. Early analysis of his results tell us he's going to have to be on oxygen while he sleeps.

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Sigh. I'm tired.