Two nights ago, I got thundered awake. Last night I got hissed awake twice, but I'm surprisingly awake despite the slip-and-hiss games that have been going on lately, which I suspect could be due to the increased pressure.

Trying not to get too excited, but I think I might be on to something as far as why I've had fatigue that's been getting worse since moving here and why it's been really bad the last month or so. My eye drops and nasal spray both have steroids, both of which can cause fatigue, just like the topical cream my California GYN gave me. I pored through old journals, did some research, and made the connection yesterday. It was around 2022 or 2023 that my fatigue started getting really bad, and that's when I increased my use of the nasal spray because I had mistaken swollen turbinates for allergies.

These things certainly wouldn't be the only factors. There was still the sleep apnea and other things at play. But if I can drop the steroids for a while and keep my AHI score below five, which the increased pressure seems to help with, maybe, just maybe, I would have a little more energy. Can't wait to find out!

I'm skipping the drops today mostly because I go to the lab tomorrow and I don't want them or other things interfering with the cortisol testing. I'm not taking any supplements or having any alcohol either. After the lab, I read that one way to lower the chances of systemic absorption is to place your fingers over the tear ducts for a minute or two after applying the drops. Also, instead of blinking rapidly after applying the drops, it said to gently close my eyes.

Not sure if the fact that I've felt as if I've been living in the Arctic is connected, but I don't feel as cold today and I skipped my bedtime drops. I think it's more likely to have a hand in the fatigue, though, than in me feeling cold. The cold is likely due to my thyroid being bad again. I'll definitely be filling Rhonda and my glaucoma doctor in on what I've discovered. I read that fatigue from these drops is rare, but it has been reported. Same thing with the topical ointment I used nearly a decade ago. It was uncommon, but it definitely happened to me, and as we know, I'm very sensitive to medication.

Linda Ronstadt is now 80 years old! It will be interesting to see how much longer she lives.

Anyway, after the lab tomorrow we're going to Publix, and I'm going to splurge on the sugary treats I've been holding off on until after the A1C testing. Not all at once, of course, because we don't want to get sick, but I'm going to get some coffee ice cream, which I love, and then eventually we'll both splurge on Domino's. Instead of getting a pasta bowl, I'll get some pizza and definitely those lava cakes I love. The last thing I want to get is caramel chip cookie dough so I can bake some homemade cookies, and then I'll get my shit together again with the clean eating. Or at least mostly clean.

Maybe Toni hasn't been turned against me that much after all because she "liked" a couple of my posts. Or maybe it was because I "liked" a couple of hers. I don't know, and it isn't important. I'm just noting my observations.