56) Sleep Patterns - 23rd December

Pain medication for cancer affects your sleep pattern.

After a while the patient finds it hard to sleep at night and easier to sleep during the day.

This has happened to Leigh-Ann. 

Leigh-Ann this morning

Dr "Z", (a doctor with an unpronounceable surname), her oncologist, warned us about this change weeks ago when we got her prognosis.

It happened slowly but got to the point where Leigh-Ann would go to bed and sleep for 3 or 4 hours and then be awake until the morning following which she would "cat nap" all day until the cycle started again.

This was very frustrating for her. There's not much going on at 3:00 am in the Legault household... She did a lot of reading.

It was also difficult for me. My sleep was regularly interrupted and we rarely woke up together.

Earla and Leigh-Ann
(I have no idea which is which!)

The problem seems to have been solved, however, by a magical drug that we simply call "Sleep" that helps Leigh-Ann sleep for 7 - 8 hours.

Despite the above the sleep patterns in the Legault household are strange or unconventional to say the least (to me anyway).

Earla and Michel like to retire early and wake around 5:00 am every day. The coffee goes on and the smell percolates throughout the house (that's a good thing).

Leigh-Ann now wakes later at around 7:00 - 8:00 am. I wake 30 - 60 minutes later and Sarah, well, to tell the truth I have no idea.

Michel and Earla then have "naps" during the day. Leigh-Ann dozes on the couch and I stay awake all day.

To say that we are not in sync is an understatement.

Quote of the day: When asked "how are you feeling?" Leigh-Ann replied: "Well, everything is a bit blurry." She then put on her glasses!