Panic fc 279th amazing thread... not for the soft or the weak.

So, I've been told that I do have sleep apnea. Now, for the fun stuff...

I was asked to wear a heart monitor for two weeks, so they could monitor it at all times to determine whether or not I had sleep apnea or something else. Last Saturday, I was out on the field with the kids when I received a call from the company who was monitoring me. They called and told me that I should probably go to the hospital immediately, but I didn't understand that well what the woman was saying, so I assumed that she was just calling to check on me. I told her repeatedly that I was fine, and that I was out playing with the kids, and everything was OK. Then, my doctor calls me yesterday, and says that the reason why they called was because my heart stopped for so long in my sleep that it fooled the monitor into thinking that I went into cardiac arrest. (Granted, my heart did stop for a small period of time, but I did not, in fact, go into cardiac arrest.) The doctor said that my heart generally stops beating about 3 or 4 times a night. What he believes it to be is that because of the apnea I stop breathing, and my heart also stops because I stop breathing. Then one second later, she kicks back on, and starts pumping again, and I'm back to Good Ol' Gamblin' Man Jerry. I never feel a thing. My wife is concerned that one time my heart won't kick back on, and I'll go into cardiac arrest in my sleep, and no one will ever know until I don't wake up. (This happened to an old friend's mother when we were both in high school. She went to bed, fell asleep, and her heart stopped. She never saw it coming.) The doctor assured me that something like that would not happen because I have a strong heart. The chances of something like that happening would be greater if I had a weak heart, but I don't.

Freaky, huh?

I had a sleep apnea problem when i was in Chicago, i got a severe cold of some sort and then my tonsils didn't recover (normally they shrink back down eventually), it was enough to worsen my existing breathing trouble (I have a deviated septum and allergies), and at the time I was pretty heavy (over 250).

They wanted me on CPAP, did sleep studies, etc.

Eventually I convinced the doctor that what I really needed was a tonsilectomy and plastic reshaping of the soft pallate. They removed the uvula while they were at it. Most painful ********ing thing I have ever experienced, and pretty frightening too (the second time I had serious bleeding after surgery and woke up during the night with a stomach full of blood was particularly scary, and nothing is quite like barfing up a trash can full of your own black pudding-like blood).

But hey, I don't snore, and now I no longer stop breathing in the night, so I've got that going for me.

As bad as it was, I'm so much happier now, I can think clearly etc. I wasn't sleeping pretty much at all and the sleep deprivation really screws with you.

<shameless advertising>If you do end up on CPAP, buy one of ours (Philips Respironics). Quality products made in the USA by authentic US workers (somewhere in Pennsylvania IIRC).</shameless advertising>

Gamblin' Jerry - geez, man, sleep is important. Strong heart is good, heart stopping, not so much. Hope they can fix you, and if needed, get one of the Philips respironics . I have no idea what that is, but if JG recommends it, you might as well get one.

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JG - good luck with that.

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Friday. I doing the short commute today, but I like doing stuff with the Nashville peeps.

Oh, where is my cool avatar?

How far is Nashville from you, E?

Avatars: BS is currently experiencing a bug where online users are being directed to the mobile site. Thus the weird look.

Viggle: 14,783 points. Ever slowly marching toward history.

Quotes not working either...

98 miles, but just over an hour.

Avatars - good info.

Viggle - I forgot to check my phone.

They can rebuild me. They have the technology, but they don't want to spend a lot of money.

So I made my normal ham, eggs, cheese omelette and instead of the usual whole grain english muffins I had a bagel instead. Amazingly fantastic.

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Caps play tonight? I hope so, I have time to watch it tonight.

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Friday!

No. Caps play tomorrow at 12:30.

Coyotes/Predators is the only game tonight.

Typical! I won't be home for the Caps game.

I'll be home. It'll be a nice interlude between something I've hopefully got going on in the morning, and then concentrating on the Kentucky Derby later.

Last weekend living on my own!

Any Derby favorites, Ed? I haven't even checked PPs. I usually go with a pure dirt horse. Those horses that run on synthetic can't reproduce those results on regular dirt.

I'm actually going over the race now while I'm bored at work.

Only thoughts going in are:

* Bodemeister's Arkansas Derby was the most impressive prep I saw. However, being only 3 weeks ago, two factors are at play. One, can he follow that up going 10 furlongs tomorrow, and two, it's the last prep anyone remembers, so his price is devalued a bit. That said, I can't argue with my own perception of how I felt he ran, so I have to use him. If he pulls that Arkansas effort again, he's going to win.

* Union Rags wasn't as bad in the Fountain of Youth a while back as I think some are thinking he was. I thought when he finally started running in the stretch, he looked fine. That same run at this longer distance might be perfect.

* Definitely using I'll Have Another on my ticket, who I think presents value at his odds. Take Charge Indy also interests me a bit. I'll cover Trinniberg just because he may get the lead and I want to get paid in case he gets comfortable. Other than last year's Breeders Cup Juvenile, I'm not sure Alpha has taken a step wrong so far. Prospective is an interesting case coming off the deep sand at Tampa, where horses allegedly build some stamina for races like this. Gemologist is undefeated, but I have to look closer at his races. Hansen should bounce back nice on dirt after getting rundown in the Bluegrass at Keeneland by Dullahan, who I don't rate much here. You could do worse than liking El Padrino at his morning line of 20-1.

It's a deep field and I wouldn't talk you off any of the 20.

My wagering strategy is probably going to be a simple one - just putting one decent exacta ticket together, and throwing small win bets on the higher prices that I think could be a factor. This field is screaming for a dime superfecta wager, but unfortunately, superfecta minimums for today's Oaks card and tomorrow are $1 minimums - too expensive to get appropriate cover for me at that price point.

Staying away from the multi-race wagers as I just don't have the time or the energy to look at them. At best, I might play the Oaks-Derby double cheaply.

Ha.

I couldn't do that. I'd be the one that spelled something wrong and crowned "CHESLEA" champions two years ago.

Fight for your right to party....

RIP

http://www.tmz.com/2012/05/04/beastie-boys-adam-yauch-dead/

Should say Chelski Scum just to provide a more visually appealing look.

C$KA London

They use synthetic dirt?

Barnum was right again.

Yes, some tracks (Keeneland, Woodbine, Turfway Park, among others) use a synthetic based compound as dirt. Allegedly, it's better for the welfare of the horses. I'm not a fan of it only because I'm horrible at handicapping races run on them. It's definitely a different surface than traditional dirt - on which the Derby will be run tomorrow at Churchill.

Different tracks use different types of synthetic courses.

RIP, MCA...

I believe that Santa Anita, Hollywood, Del Mar, and Golden Gate must have the synthetic surface. I can't remember where I read that, but I believe the Cal Racing Assn said that those tracks must have it.

Also, I believe that Aqueduct has two different types of dirt. The inner and main track have different types of dirt.

Santa Anita dug their synthetic up a couple years ago and went back to dirt. The latter 3 are all still fake stuff, I'm pretty sure.

I love watching races from Del Mar, but I don't think I've ever cashed a ticket there. Hollywood I've done OK on occasion. Never played GG.

When they had the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita a couple years ago, the year that Raven's Pass won the Classic, I got absolutely demolished.

Can you rub the synthetic dirt on a wound?

Yeah, if it's a synthetic wound.

This displeases me. So you can't tell a kid "Rub some dirt on it and walk it off" anymore. What is the world coming to?

Have either of you touched, walked on, eaten synthetic dirt?

Freaking, we have FB and twitter on Bigsucks now. World's collide!