Scary Sleep Paralysis

So, until last week, I hadn't had any sleep paralysis episodes since my last post on the subject. That's a long time!

Anyway, About 7 days ago I had my first Sleep Paralysis episode in weeks (maybe months?). I hallucinated that my husband was trying to choke me. Several times I woke up from the Paralysis, but I didn't move quickly enough and fell back asleep, back into the same episode... It was exhausting. I felt like I could barely breath as I hallucinated his hands around my neck. It was scary, even though I knew it was the Sleep Paralysis.

The next night I had another episode. This time my husband was again wrapping his hands around my neck, but he wasn't trying to choke me... he was whispering things in my ear. I don't remember what he was whispering, but at the time I thought to myself that he was whispering "evil" things. I fought and fought to wake up from this episode, and perhaps I did wake up once, but it seemed to go on for an eternity! I kept trying to get away, always failing though.

Last night I had another episode. This time it was just my regular Sleep Paralysis stuff: Wake up; can't move; can't scream; can't get a good breath of air; struggle; struggle; struggle... Same old, same old.

Slacking

I've been seriously slacking in the blogging department... I've been so busy lately that I completely forgot about this blog! Oops!

I've been sick for 5 days with a sore throat and a fever.

• Day One: I woke up with a sore throat... but I felt okay, so I went to the gym for BodyPump and Cardio Kickboxing. As the day progressed, I started getting weaker. By the time I was ready for bed I was running a fever over 100º F.
  
• Day Two: I woke up feeling horrible. Still with a fever. My husband called my doctor and scheduled me an appointment. Even though I tested negative for the flu and strep throat, the doctor prescribed me Penicillin and Tamiflu. He said he didn't know what I have, so he was going to treat me for the things it seemed that I have... even though I tested negative for them. ANYWAY, I only filled the prescription for the Penicillin because the Tamiflu was going to cost me $87 after insurance!
• Day Three: Still felt weak... still running a fever. I tried to rest all day.
• Day Four: Still weak, feverish, and throat very soar. Now I have a new symptom: coughing. I know that I have three classes to teach at the gym tomorrow, so I asked my husband to get me some Tylenol Flu/Cold, honey, and lemon. I drink hot lemonade (water, lemon juice, honey... easy!) to help my throat feel better.
• Day Five: Feeling better today, but I'm still running a low fever (99.6º F) my throat is still sore and my coughing seems to be worse. I took the Penicillin and Tylenol Cold Severe after breakfast, which resulted in extreme nausea! Ugh... it was horrible! Fortunately it subsided before my first class (step aerobics) at 8:30am. After Step Aerobics, I taught "Totally Toned." It felt so good to have two hours of gym-time in after such a "lazy" weekend of being sick. I think the Step Aerobics class strained my voice though... When I arrived back at the gym at 3:30pm to teach Hip Hop Kids, I was having to "scream" to have myself heard. By 5pm my voice was completely gone. Now, midnight, it's still very gone.

Hopefully my voice will be back tomorrow... or at least by Wednesday, when I have two more classes to teach!

Onto related matters: I haven't noticed that my illness affects my sleeping and/or dreaming.

Finally

Finally! I don't seem to have a headache this morning. I've had one every day for the past 4 or 5 days. Nothing seemed to help.

I haven't had any Sleep Paralysis episodes since my last post on the subject.

Dr. Wu contacted me about the sleep study. He'll be sending me (and my family) some questionnaires and such for the study.

I've got lots to do today.

Tension Headache

Hmm.... I have a horribly bad tension headache today. I was almost in tears earlier. Excedrine Tension Headache only helped for a few minutes. I'm supposed to take it every 6 hours. Well, it's only been 1 hour and my headache is back with a vengence. I don't know what I am tense/anxious over. I wonder if that is why I had Sleep Paralysis last night....

Undercover Research

My dream last night:  I was helping do some undercover work which took me to some shady parts of town where I was ducking in and out of abandoned buildings, spying on drug dealers, and trying to avoid getting shot.

Then, I was going up countless flights of stairs to find several different researchers and retrieve their research binders.  I had my oldest son in tow, but he was only about 2 or 3 years old in my dream.

We stopped for Asian food in the lobby of one of these buildings.  The server suggested some things but then the chef ran out the door.  The server asked if we wanted to come to the kitchen to see how the food is prepared.  We agreed, went to the kitchen, and started preparing our own food.

We received word that someone was looking for us.  It was not someone good, so we quietly and casually left the building.  Once outside on the sidewalk, we tried to act as normal as possible as we were approached by the bad people.  Fortunately they did not know what we looked like, so we were able to walk away after a brief chat.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just prior to this dream I had two back-to-back episodes of Sleep Paralysis.  They were just small ones.  Very short in duration.  Nothing scary in them.  I was just trying to wake up and I couldn't.  Suddenly I did wake up, but I didn't change position fast enough and fell right back to sleep, back into sleep paralysis.  I was trying to awaken myself from this second episode of sleep paralysis when I heard my husband enter the room, as he had been watching television in the living room.  As he got in bed he touched me and it woke me up from the sleep paralysis.\

Usually I am scared during sleep paralysis, but these were so short that my heart wasn't even racing when I woke up.

Locking him out

I took another nap today.  It was around 3pm I think.  I woke up at 5pm.

Just about an hour prior to my nap, my husband and I had a little argument.

So, my dream:  At first I was on a speedboat in a lake with my sister, her boyfriend, and a few other people, maybe family members.  My sister's boyfriend was someone whom I have never met before, I think I've seen him on television.  Anyway, we stop at a dock in the Caicos and discuss how we had been to the Caicos many times, but never had we taken this particular boyfriend with us.  I laughed to myself and said aloud, "Funny how we get our memories confused... it feels like you've been here with us before, but you haven't."

Then, suddenly, I am inside a house.  It was a familiar house, but I've never been there before.  I was trying to get away from my husband.  I wanted to lock myself in my room, but every time I tried to lock the doors they wouldn't lock correctly or the door itself would fall off the hinges or the actual wall would start to fall in.  I wasn't upset with him though, I just wanted him to think that I was still upset.  Then I woke up.

Been tired for days, but no SP

Strange how Sleep Paralysis hasn't reared it's ugly face lately. I've been so tired for days and just feeling generally "blah." Maybe it's just menstruation that's causing me to feel like this. Maybe my body is giving me a break from Sleep Paralysis while I menstruate. Awww... isn't that nice?

I didn't fall asleep until almost 2am this morning because of that nap late yesterday afternoon. I didn't want to get up at 6:30am though.

Oh, something else strange happened last night. Around 1am I was reading about sleep paralysis and parasomnias when I suddenly started gagging! This immediate, intense nausea overwhelmed me, causing me to gag on nothing at all. I quickly ran to the kitchen and grabbed some crackers to settle my stomach. After a few minutes the nausea died down. I awoke this morning still a little sick to my stomach.

Also, I don't remember much from my dreams last night. All I remember is that I was walking around without a shirt on and kept seeing myself in mirrors. But the reflection wasn't quite right. Strange.

I sent Dr. Wu an email today with regard to the University of Pennsylvania Sleep Clinical Trial that I mentioned in a post yesterday. I'm awaiting a response.