On Sleep

I had a huge scare yesterday. I have been kind of cutting corners on my sleep (which is actually scheduled in my Outlook calendar). I usually get up now at 4:30 to walk Buddy, because I typically leave the house at 5:30. And USUALLY I'm in bed by 9:30, but for some reason this week and the week before I've been pushing it to 10:30 and even on Wednesday night stayed up past 11:00. At first I was thinking "well, heyyyy look who's functioning okay on 5, 6 hours" and I was kind of proud of myself, because everyone's always sort of teased me about my claim to need 7-8 to function (and to tell you the truth, I am legit worried about the sleep deprivation that will accompany the having of little people in my life one day.) So each day I felt a little progressively tired, but I sort of felt okay and I was like "Maybe I don't need as much sleep as I think I do and I really have just been making myself THINK I need that much sleep."

WELLLLLLLLL. Famous last thoughts, right? Yesterday I was doing a coaching session at a Sbux across town - 30 mins from my house. On my way home, I was feeling really warm and started to get really sleepy. I was about 1 mile from my house when my head bopped and my eyes closed, and I nearly swerved right into a mailbox. It scared the crap out of me. I know I drove the rest of the way home shaking on adrenaline. MOM STOP PANICKING, I AM OKAY. But, definitely no more cutting corners on sleep. I'm still kind of shook up by it, but thankful that nothing happened. I actually slept on the couch yesterday from 5-7, then got up and walked Buddy, made dinner, and got back in bed at 9. I slept til 5:30 this morning and I'm starting to feel half-way normal again. You better believe next week I'm getting back on my regular 9:30 schedule.

In other news: I saw my husband a total of 15 minutes this week. Three 5 minute periods either when he got home at 6 am or I got home at 4:30 pm. So happy that he has the next 2 days off. We're having dinner with one of the new EM interns and his wife - who both went to Wake tonight, and no plans on Saturday except the Resident Spouse Association brunch for me. Sunday the crazy work schedule starts up again and my official week of Sleeping Normal Amounts resumes.

OH, must also update you all on Buddy, as I had a nice talk with a doggy behavioral expert here in Winston. (Like Winston's very own Cesar Milan!) Good News! Buddy is the worst case he's heard of in 20 years! I was like, hows about you just don't share that tidbit of info with me? He did give me a few more pointers but basically everything I told him I'm doing he said is what you're supposed to do for a dog with separation anxiety. He also said that he would recommend Buddy get on an anti-anxiety meds, and he also said that's the first time he's recommended medicine to a client ever. But he thought while I was doing the behavior modification, that would help him relax enough to be reconditioned. He basically said instead of 2-3 months like most dogs would need to get over this, Buddy will probably take 6-12 months. In a way, I'm glad to know I'm doing the right thing and it's just been too short a time to see a difference but I was sort of hoping he'd tell me I was doing something wrong and if I just did xyz this would get better. Oh well. He was super wonderful to take a half an hour just to TALK me, and share all his wisdom and experience. I know if this doesn't get better soon, at least I have an expert in my back pocket to call in for reinforcements! I told God this morning that since he gave me a difficult dog, I better have an easy baby. Either He said okay, or the voices in my head just agreed with that statement.