floatingleaf | just a quick newsflash this time :)

1) My vacation request for September was approved. Now I need to find cheap airline tickets from Chicago to Toronto. Any pointers on where to look for best deals, anyone?

2) I made an appointment for a sleep study. For July 20th. Which is right smack when I'm supposed to get my period. And the lady on the phone said not to have any caffeine before the appointment. Of course. But what if I have to take painkillers, which usually contain caffeine? (at least I think Advil does, and that's what works best for me; if I take Midol, I will be totally knocked out & scared to drive) Besides, I will be tense and nervous enough just because of having to spend the night at an unfamiliar place, with strangers watching over me; if I am also premenstrual, I probably won't be able to sleep at all, caffeine or not. Still, I don't want to cancel it and pick a later date. I want to get it done and over with as soon as possible. Just because I am nervous about it, and also because I can't wait to find out if there is actually a chance of me being able to sleep like a healthy human being again...

Another reason to get very nervous is the financial aspect of the whole thing (like I mentioned before, I still have hundreds of dollars to go before I meet my deductible, and I won't be surprised at all if this one overnight hospital visit takes care of the problem, so to speak :/). So... would any of my dear flisters happen to have at least a vague idea how much I might be charged?

carynita?... Anyone?...

3) It suddenly dawned on me last weekend that I have actually been living in the US for five years already (I arrived here in May 2002) - and therefore I am legally eligible to apply for citizenship. The whole bureaucratic hoolaballoo will last many long months, I am told; but the sooner it starts, the sooner it will be over, and there's no reason to postpone the inevitable (my permanent resident card expires in May 2012, so there is time; but I've heard that people who delay the 'naturalization procedure' are sort of frowned upon, and have to explain to the authorities why it took them so long - so I think I'd rather do it sooner than not). Still, it's gonna be a hell of a hassle, and I'm not very excited about it (just don't tell the INS... lol).:|

We had some new operating system installed on our work computers over the weekend, and I had to call this woman from the IT department yesterday, to help me set up my desktop icons and stuff. And she asked me for my network password. So I spelled it out to her nicely... and it was 'Lestat666'.:D And she sort of chuckled and went: 'Oooh, I think I know what that means'. And we both laughed. Only some time later did it hit me that this was actually one of my 'safer' passwords... and how lucky I was that it wasn't 'lestat4louis', for example.:P Or 'Viggo4evah'. Or 'Viggorli'. Or 'manelfslash', or something like that. *wipes brow* Close call, that one.:D

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I don't honestly know how it will work...I didn't have to pay anything because I have really amazing insurance through my job (I know I am lucky). I never saw a bill or anything. :/ It's worth it though, and hopefully they will bill you rather than your having to pay it upfront.

I had my period for a sleep study too. You can take painkillers (excedrin is the only one I know of that has caffeine) and any other normal medications. I also took benadryl before mine in order to be sleepy. Even so, it did take me a while to fall asleep, because it is sort of weird to be all hooked up and whatnot. You might want to bring your own pillow, and make sure you have socks and layers in case your room is cold and/or hot. Anything to keep comfy.

As for passwords, omg, I have a story on that. I once cancelled an AOL account and they had to ask my secret question to confirm it was me (the one you establish along with your password). I stupidly made it...who is Viggo's true love? :| The guy laughed at me and said he would never see LOTR the same again. *cringe* From then on, I used the old "what street did you grow up on?" question!

You might want to bring your own pillow

Yes, they did tell me to bring a pillow... and I was like: 'what? they don't have pillows at that hospital???...' LOL

But I see now that it might help make me more comfortable. Not that I believe it's actually possible to feel comfortable with some strange stuff attached to your body.:/

The guy laughed at me and said he would never see LOTR the same again.

Ooops. *cringes with you* Yep, it's definitely safer to use "mother's maiden name" or "city of birth" for this kind of thing... boring as it may be.;)

Hope I can reassure you a bit about the sleep study (though I don't know anything about cost, sorry - I don't live in the US). I've been having sleep studies on a regular basis for the last eight years, and yeah, it'll be a little weird, and a little uncomfortable with all the wires around you, but it's really no big deal. Don't expect to sleep as well or as quickly as you do at home, and don't worry if you seem to be lying awake - they'll get enough data; you will eventually fall asleep. If you have a favourite pillow or stuffed toy, or even something you're used to having around at bedtime like an alarm clock that ticks, don't be shy; take it along. And you'll have access to a bathroom, that's a given, since they use a sort of goopy paste to attach the tiny little electrodes to you, and they won't be mean enough to send you away without letting you wash it off, I'm sure! You're doing something good for yourself by investigating this - well done, and I hope the information that you get turns out to be useful to you. In my case, it literally saved my job and my mental health - I wouldn't be functioning at all if my sleep apnea hadn't been diagnosed.

Re: Chicago to Toronto - don't forget to check Air Canada as well as the U.S. airlines. Sometimes they have reasonably good seat sales. I hope I'll get to meet you when you're here!

In my case, it literally saved my job and my mental health - I wouldn't be functioning at all if my sleep apnea hadn't been diagnosed.

A hearty AMEN to that! I'm only 3 weeks into CPAP therapy after years trying to figure out what was wrong with me and having no luck and my worklife and social life deteroriately badly... a literal lifesaver and worth all the annoyances of the sleep studies, no question.

you'll have access to a bathroom, that's a given

Good to know.:) But what if I have to go pee during the night??? (I ALWAYS get up at night to pee, at least once) What about the wires then?... *panicks*

You're doing something good for yourself by investigating this

I do hope so, and I am going to comfort myself with that thought when I start getting the bills.;)

I hope I'll get to meet you when you're here!

Oh yes, I'd love to! *beams*

Thanks for responding. You did make me feel better. *hugs*

Good to know.:) But what if I have to go pee during the night??? (I ALWAYS get up at night to pee, at least once) What about the wires then?... *panicks*

The wires are all plugged into a box about the size of a remote control and that box is hooked up to the machines with one big wire. They just disconnect the big wire and you go into the bathroom holding the little remote thingie that keeps all the wires together. I don't know if that made sense, but believe me, since sleep apnea often makes patients get up to go to the bathroom at least once or twice a night, they are prepared for it. I got up THREE times during one of mine. :/

I'm so glad you got the vacation time in September! And a good caution about the passwords, I'm discreet at work but I would have some of the same issues if I had to reveal my home passwords to anyone.

I'm so glad you got the vacation time in September!

So am I.:D Btw, do you think it's safe to book my flight already?... I can probably hold off for a few more weeks, but the cheapest Chicago-Toronto return trips I've seen online so far are about $370-380, and I certainly don't want to pay any more than that.:/ (I'll have to be careful and make sure I even have that much credit available on my card at the time of purchase... lol)

I don't know, I'm waffling myself, I wish I knew for sure which weekend the premiere will be - since it's going into "wide release" (whatever that means) on the 15th, part of me thinks they'd have the gala premiere the weekend before - so I'm not sure what to do. So right now I'm doing nothing and hoping we'll get some news before the TIFF announcement which isn't until August.

since it's going into "wide release" (whatever that means) on the 15th, part of me thinks they'd have the gala premiere the weekend before

Hmmm. If that happens, I will have to change my vacation request to a few days earlier... and I'm not sure how my boss will like that (I asked for Wednesday the 12th until Tuesday the 18th). *bites nails*

Why in hell do they have to wait till the last minute with announcing their schedule??? *grumbles*

just a quick newsflash this time :)

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