You know, other than in childhood (and those were 1. Big Bird and 2. the brick wall guy from a spiderman sketch on Electric Company,) I don't think characters or actors have ever been in my dreams. Not memorably so, for sure.

I liked my new psych so far. He gave me Xanax for the anxiety I am dealing with, and I'm trying an old-school insomnia med I've never tried before...Halcion? ANyone have experience with it?

My dad's Alzheimer's getting worse, trying to sell the house, the possible/probable relo to PA, my car's transmission crapping out a week after I finally got it back after 10 months of no car, basement flooding, kidney stones, financial problems, ex-wife problems...

I was like "Man, yoga and journaling ain't cutting it right now." And I've been on Ambien for 12 years and my tolerance is crazy high for it. Here's hoping for better sleep and anxiety control!

Hope the meds help, Strix! You certainly have enough stressors.

Hey, it's my dad'd birthday, so I know it's also Polter-Cow's. Many happy returns, Mr. Cow!

I was like "Man, yoga and journaling ain't cutting it right now."

Yeah, you think? That's some big shit! Good luck w/ new drugs.

I'm trying an old-school insomnia med I've never tried before...Halcion? ANyone have experience with it?

My oral surgeon gave it to me before my cyborg implant procedure -- it's your basic benzo that has amnestic effects, so the idea was that it would not only mellow me out for the procedure, it would make me not remember it. But I have a will of steel, so I remember...some of the procedure. And some of the ride home. And then I slept for another 4 hours once I got home so I think it was pretty effective as a sleep med.

Tim also took it for oral surgery (I almost typed "augury," which is kind of awesome), and it affected him the same way.

But I haven't take it on an ongoing basis; it was just that one time.

Last night I was in an auto race, where there were two auto races going on simultaneously, where each race was going around the same track in opposite directions. I had to keep swerving to avoid the oncoming traffic.

Better than the usual anxiety dreams I usually get this time of year.

(I almost typed "augury," which is kind of awesome)

I will be more diligent with my dream journal, then! I'll be Prophecy Girl!

Thanks for the info. I've tried so many sleep meds, and so few have worked for me. I'm going old-school, as my psych said.

Some folks do in fact take drugs to enhance their augury, so not the kookiest idea out there.

Why is it that right when I feel like I am totally falling apart, my job is asking me to take on more and more big responsibilities? When do I get to turtle down and hide from the world?

Better than the usual anxiety dreams I usually get this time of year.

It's exhausting when it feels like your only dreams are anxiety dreams.

Man, nurse not-Woo and I are developing a weird relationship. I don't know why I'm surprised, but our interactions always feel like she's looking for something--I feel like she's lonely, whereas I would think she sees lots of patients, but there's a vibe where I keep wondering if she describes herself as friends with all of them.

Why me? Shared immigrant experience, maybe? Well, she certainly knows how to make a person feel valued. But I feel like we're both relying on each other for social stimulation, which has got to be weird (like how she reassured my parents we were friends when I Skyped a treatment so they could see what home treatment (and she) was like). In a good way, pensive I guess, but weird. I gotta wonder if she's like this with all of her patients.

Okay, I need to call UCLA and have them tell me the job is closed. This is killing me. The hope is not healthy.

....left message. PEOPLE. Someone, employ me before I go crazy. I could be crazy nurse lady who collects relationships with nurses--I was almost pathetic this week at the ER to keep up stimulating conversation while dilaudid-ed out of my noggin.

Why is it that right when I feel like I am totally falling apart, my job is asking me to take on more and more big responsibilities? When do I get to turtle down and hide from the world?

MY QUESTION EXACTLY. I think I might be a shark at work: as long as I keep moving, I'm OK. But then I stop, and I'm screwed. NO BREAKS EVER.

I feel like she's lonely, whereas I would think she sees lots of patients, but there's a vibe where I keep wondering if she describes herself as friends with all of them.

I would imagine you're the most relatable-to-her? I mean, I don't know what kind of people usually get at-home nurse service, but I bet a lot of them are not so chatty. (Not at all actually related, but there was a while when my regular doctor was at a walk-in clinic, and she was always so excited that I could get myself up on the table unassisted! Most of her other patients were old and/or unwell.)