tinamarie1
Member
I have had anxiety & panic attacks for about 4 years now. I really thought that once I left my job (2 years ago) that it would all go away. But it seems that it slowly gets worse.
Last night I had to go to a sleep clinic so they could see how bad my sleep apneia had gotten over the past few years. I don't remember it being like it was last night.
It took the tech. 45 minutes to hook me up to all the wires, probes, etc. I had probably 6 glued on my head, a few on my hands, some on my chest with the wires running under my shirt and down through my pj pants to my ankles. The worst parts for me were these straps they velcroed around my breasts and my stomach. I told them they were really tight and he said they have to be to pick up the readings when I breathe in and out. And the kicker was wires they had to put up my nostrils to measure the temperature of the air I was breathing. I honestly thought I was going to have a panic attack. I kept taking deep breaths to try to calm down at night, but my breasts were pushed together so that it hurt to take deep breaths. I managed to go to sleep for about an hour but then woke up in a panic attack. I lied to them and told them the bed was hurting my back. I am so embarassed to tell people I don't have a relationship (ie: my doctor or counselor or psychiatrist) with that I have anxiety & panic disorders. Just because I have been in settings where medical people just dismiss it like its something I can control and its all in my head.
When I told them I wanted to leave at 4 am, they told me if I did I would have to pay the $750 right then and there for leaving early. (we have very good insurance that had approved this) well, I didn't argue, I tried to lay back down but couldn't. I felt like my skin was crawling. I sat on the edge of the bed for about 30 min. and they finally came in and unhooked me and told me I was free to go. I almost ran out of there, no kidding. Even when I came home it took me a while to go to sleep. I actually wanted to lay in husband's arms and cry. How weird is that??? I felt like it was torture.
Last night I had to go to a sleep clinic so they could see how bad my sleep apneia had gotten over the past few years. I don't remember it being like it was last night.
It took the tech. 45 minutes to hook me up to all the wires, probes, etc. I had probably 6 glued on my head, a few on my hands, some on my chest with the wires running under my shirt and down through my pj pants to my ankles. The worst parts for me were these straps they velcroed around my breasts and my stomach. I told them they were really tight and he said they have to be to pick up the readings when I breathe in and out. And the kicker was wires they had to put up my nostrils to measure the temperature of the air I was breathing. I honestly thought I was going to have a panic attack. I kept taking deep breaths to try to calm down at night, but my breasts were pushed together so that it hurt to take deep breaths. I managed to go to sleep for about an hour but then woke up in a panic attack. I lied to them and told them the bed was hurting my back. I am so embarassed to tell people I don't have a relationship (ie: my doctor or counselor or psychiatrist) with that I have anxiety & panic disorders. Just because I have been in settings where medical people just dismiss it like its something I can control and its all in my head.
When I told them I wanted to leave at 4 am, they told me if I did I would have to pay the $750 right then and there for leaving early. (we have very good insurance that had approved this) well, I didn't argue, I tried to lay back down but couldn't. I felt like my skin was crawling. I sat on the edge of the bed for about 30 min. and they finally came in and unhooked me and told me I was free to go. I almost ran out of there, no kidding. Even when I came home it took me a while to go to sleep. I actually wanted to lay in husband's arms and cry. How weird is that??? I felt like it was torture.
