I’ve noticed something interesting since being back at work. I’m only five days into my new job but I’ve found my eye symptoms have reduced significantly. This welcome development could be a result of many things coming together: higher dose of steroids, full recovery from chest infection, better diet and the fact that my stress levels haven’t really been tested yet.
However, I’ve also been getting less sleep and I wonder if oversleeping exacerbates my MG. When getting more than the recommended amount of sleep a lot, I’ve noticed a pattern that I’ll explain below. I think there may be a tipping point – I just need to find it.
When I’m getting more than 7-8 hours of kip a night, either as a one-off or for days at a time, my eye symptoms worsen. It is only when I’ve been sleep deprived for days/weeks that I find consecutive nights of long sleep help improve my ptosis.
At Christmas, I was exhausted when I returned home after embracing the festive spirit wholeheartedly. My right eye had rolled off it’s hinges again, which had given me double vision, and the lid was almost closed. I knew I had to have as many long sleeps as possible with as little alcohol as one can get away with at Christmas. It worked – my symptoms cleared up within about a week.
This week I have been getting between 6-7 hours sleep a night and the ptosis has improved. However, my body feels tired and I know that if I continue to get less sleep I will tip over.
The trouble is I have a 7.20am train tomorrow to Nottingham for a training session. Added to this, Elaine is home after a break in Rome and we have lots to catch up on. So, I’m probably going to be getting even less sleep tonight. It will be interesting to see whether the added strain of the late night, early morning and travelling will tip the balance – my plan for tomorrow night is to put on my relaxation outfit and follow my own advice, relax and get an early night. Let’s hope I’m able to stop myself from tipping over the edge.
365 days of myasthenia 