I was talking to a friend of mine the other day about the medication we both are taking to help us sleep. I haven't had a good night sleep without the assistance of something since I gave birth to my first child, so that's only 28 years. You just get so used to sleeping with one eye open (which is really creepy if someone happens to be watching you sleep) and one ear open for all those things Moms get carried away about after you have children. We were laughing about things we had done while under the influence of our medication and how our husbands tend to get offended about things we say, or don't say, remember or don't remember. The other day my husband was acting all pouty and finally I asked him what was wrong (because I hold sole ownership of poutiness in this relationship). He told me he was a little hurt about something I had said a few nights before. Well, it was just silly, because I would never say that and I don't remember saying it so I shouldn't be held responsible. Let me add, if the tables were turned on that situation, this blog would have a whole different tone than it does today... Nough said bout that! I've blogged before about my tendency to sleep eat... No I'm not kidding I actually sleep eat and when I do I tend to eat A LOT!!! You know those silly warnings they add to the end of a commercial about a medication... Sometimes those warnings are for real. This is the warning that comes with my sleep medicine...
"Rarely, after taking this drug, people have gotten out of bed and driven vehicles while not fully awake ("sleep-driving"). People have also sleepwalked, prepared/eaten food, made phone calls, or had sex while not fully awake. Often, these people do not remember these events. This problem can be dangerous to you or to others. If you find out that you have done any of these activities after taking this medication, tell your doctor right away. Your risk is increased if you use alcohol or other medications that can make you drowsy while taking (insert name of med here)."
And yes,I have experienced more than one of those "rare" side-effects
but this isn't a tell-all blog (it's an almost tell-all blog) so you'll just have to figure the rest out on your own, or better yet, use your imagination:-) The one thing the label doesn't warn about is sleep blogging. This my dear friends truly is a serious and possibly deadly side effect. The year after my injury I blogged a lot more often than I do now. It was for me what art is for others who are recovering from an illness or in my case a TBI. It wasn't necessarily healing for others, but it was great therapy for me. My husband made checking my blog his top priority in the mornings and on more than one occasion he would wake me up and have me delete, delete, delete or edit the heck out of something I had written in the middle of the night. I'm way better now about sleep blogging (although he still checks me out first thing in the morning)... Hmm, he reads my blog first thing too (LOL, you know that's funny)! I've learned not to generalize post so friends don't assume I'm talking about them when really I'm not. I sometimes link my post to a friend, if I really am talking about them or text them and wait for their approval. Also I've learned that dark, twisty poetry may be therapeutic, because well... It just is, but it can only be dissected by the person who writes it otherwise it becomes logical which totally ruins the whole point of poetry coming from a mind that is frantically trying to heal. I have a friend who is a lawyer, and think I should have him write up a contract so if I'm doing something that is absolutely bloggable, I can have whoever I'm doing it with (assuming I'm awake and conscious of what I'm doing) sign it so I can blog about it and they can't get mad at me for blogging embarrassing stuff. Instead I just created my own warning label...
Note: This post has been approved by all person/persons to whom it is directly related.
Several years ago I abandoned scrap booking for blogging. I had spent hours and hours and hours, plus tons of money on scrape booking every second of our lives, only to have it washed away in a flood. I was heartbroken. When I discovered blogging, I found I could use it as a journal, a therapist and photo album. Ooh-la-la, solving a plethora of needs all in one big swoop! I didn't like the journaling part of scrape booking because I have such bipolar handwriting. Now at the end of the year I have my blog printed in a hardback book, saving myself both time and money. PLUS, I can give a copy to my Mother for Christmas, since she swears I never tell her anything that's going on, and because I never have a clue what to get her :-) So I am multi-tasking on so many levels, IT IS mind-boggling. When I did scrape book I used to put all of the graduation pictures and Christmas card photos in my scrape books. This is the first year that I thought to do that with the blog.Next year I'll include the graduation pictures, so I can look back and see how much you've grown over the blog:-) Our family is so blessed by the many friends who have wrapped their arms around us, loved us, played with us, prayed with and just been a HUGE part of our lives and hearts. I can't imagine what life would be like without you in it. So from our family to yours may you have a very blessed New Year and thank each and every one of you for all of the memories.
