A trip to the city...

[shadowkat]

I could go chronologically, but that's not how I think?

1. Sleep Study

Not what I expected. I honestly had no idea what to expect - but the forms on NYU Langone site worried me.

Apparently it's a disposable unattended at home study. And it's not for 30 days as expected but for one day. I have to complete it within 30 days of receipt. And no, I don't have to bring it back again. After I do it, they'll give me an address to send it for recycling.

I journeyed to Madison Avenue (Manhattan) from Jamaica, Queens, which is actually a quicker ride than my ride home. It's thirty-six minutes into Midtown from Jamaica, via the E train which goes express. Home from Midtown - it is more like forty-five minutes to an hour. Home from Jamaica it is an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. Don't ask. The MTA is wonky.

Anyhow, Madison didn't have many people on it. It's not filled with Christmas/Tourist attractions, just a few stores, and doctor's offices.

The doctor's office - Preston Tisch Center for Men's Health (weirdly all the patients that I saw were women?), is high tech. I do mean high tech. Also it's considered a hospital facility - which I thought odd. Anyhow, I waited fifteen minutes tops for the technician. Who brought me into an office, and within twenty minutes at the speed of light explained the sleep study technology.

He asked me a bunch of questions regarding whether I was going to fall asleep watching tv, reading, driving in a car, talking to someone, or taking a nap at the moment. No - I was too anxious to do that. Granted I had only four hours of sleep the night before and had serious brain fog, but still wide awake.

Then he explained how to put on the device, and the procedure. Apparently there's also a youtube video, and it's all written down in the app.

I'm not to push the "ready" button on the app until I put the thing on. They provide the triple A battery, and the surgical tape. I put on the watch first, not to tight, put a finger under the band, and make sure no jewelry on, no creams, no other watches and if right handed, put it on my left wrist. Then I take the little device and tape it to my chest, about a few centimeters (four) from the base of my neck, the wire is to run up my arm. Use surgical tape to fasten. (This is after the finger step). And I put the finger monitor on index, ring or pinky, whichever it is tight on, but not too tight, and doesn't provide a pulse. Put it with the top strip thing over the fingernail. When it's on a finger that doesn't provide a pulse and is tight, but comfortably so, then pull the strip. And do not take it off until I end it in the morning. When everything is on and fits properly, I push start.

Make sure earphones and all non-medical devices are unplugged from the Blue Tooth, to ensure no interference. Keep myself within range, and keep my phone charged. I can get up to go to the bathroom during the night - but take the phone with me. Do not get the finger thing wet.

Pick a night that I'll get at least 6-8 hours of sleep. (So Friday, or a night before the weekend, when I'm not stressed out and not getting up early. He said it's best not to do it during a weeknight or work night.
Don't want to be too stressed.)

Once I wake up in the morning, and am awake. Press end. And send a message to NYU Langone portal that you ended the study. It should upload to their site. And should get a reply of Thank you. Don't wait for a reply from their site itself - since they aren't there on the weekend. Once they get it - they'll send information on where to send the device for recycling.

If there are issues, do not remove the device. Keep going. Don't remove until you are ready to end. And put it on when you are ready to go to bed, not before that point.

I think I got everything. There is a Youtube video that helps, and it provides directions. So if I forgot something - it will be repeated.
Which is good, because brain foggy.


2. As promised, I decided to walk to Rockerfeller Center and along fifth and sixth avenue on the way home - and dear god, walking was an effort. I've never seen it this bad. And apparently it was worse on Saturday per my co-workers, which is hard to imagine.

Here's the Christian Dior Lit Up Clock on the side of Sak's Fifth Avenue, note how many people are standing around looking at it.



They even had people in costumes of cartoon characters and muppets...



The clock is beautiful and kind of a trip? It lights up in stages and sets off fireworks...



Then I walked past Radio City Music Hall on my way to Rockerfeller Center Christmas Tree. Rockerfeller Center is on 5th Avenue and extends all the way to 6th Avenue.



For a Monday night - there was a crowd of people lined up in front of Radio City Music Hall. Once the tree is lit - it's grid-lock alert in Midtown.
They started closing off cross streets to allow for better pedestrian over flow. And on Sunday's - they close off sections of fifth avenue.

Near the tree - a Salvation Army guy was having fun dancing to Feliz Navidad.



Two kids joined in...while a Giant Elmo looked on...



And here's the Rockerfeller Christmas Tree and the Skaters...



And the tree itself..






I don't regret seeing it, considering it was pretty and cheery - but it was really hard to find the subway for a bit there, and the crowd was insanely thick and unwieldy, partly because we had a lot of tourists standing about chatting, taking selfies or looking bewildered. You can always tell the New Yorkers from the Tourists - the New Yorkers thread through, might take a photo, but fast, and don't stand about.

3. I got home around 6pm, and went to pick up the package that I'd been texted had arrived today. But it wasn't there. I asked the Super's Wife.
They said it should still be there. It wasn't. She said, probably stolen. The package thief strikes again.

I proceeded to have a hissy fit or more appropriately a temper tantrum. Actually it may have been a panic attack. I am not proud of this. (And apologized profusely to Super's Wife.)

Backing up - I was operating on four hours of sleep. And had a tough day at work. So, it was the last straw so to speak - plus I was looking forward to it, and it was four pieces of clothing I got from Talbots in a Cyber Monday sale, and they may not be available any longer. And it was ahem nothing to sneeze at in the financial category.

[Mother almost made it worse - by stating that she was reluctant to send me any gifts or have anyone else do so. And that I might want to send stuff to my workplace. Nooo!]

Went up stairs, talked to mother, had temper tantrum, calmed down slightly after threatening to kill the thief. Then, a call interrupted my call with mother - and low and behold, by a strike of luck, it was Super's Wife calling to inform me that there'd been a mixup and a man on my floor had picked up my package by mistake and had brought it back downstairs. She would give it to me.

Whew!

I felt horrible about my hissy fit or temper tantrum.



4. Crazy Workplace

Sigh. I think my workplace is trying to kill me again? I had a panic attack last night at 3 Am in the morning. I'd woken up and couldn't go back to sleep, and felt like someone was sitting on my chest, making it hard to breath. It went away finally. But the tension had tightened my chest.

There's too much going on at work at the moment and I can't keep track.
I keep forgetting things, and worrying about making small mistakes.

But alas, I did meet my goals today. Basically I accomplished everything that I needed to accomplish - and let BYT know I was off to my doctor's appointment.

So all in all - a highly productive, if somewhat stressful, day?

Comments

[threemeninaboat]

We used to do those sleep studies and the sleep doctor is my good friend. I wanted to attach the sleep study to my dog and send it in. He would have laughed so hard. But now we just do the kind with the super bowl ring and I can't figure out how to stick it to the dog.

[shadowkat]

I wish I could have the one with the superbowl ring - that sounds easier.