Friday, July 23, 2010

My "Landing Pad"


I sleep in a loft bed (above - please ignore my messy table/desk, and YES, that's Dusty looking for trouble) - you might notice my bed doesn't have a safety rail in the front.  No big deal, right???

Well, when my doctor told me I would be taking Atripla to combat my HIV, the one side effect he mentioned was that I may have "vivid dreams".  I immediately went home and read EVERYTHING online about the "vivid NIGHTMARES" some people experience while taking Atripla (big mistake), and I freaked out.


When I was a kid I was terrified of having "bad dreams".  I hated them so much that I developed the ability to literally stop my dream and wake myself up before things got too scary.  Unfortunately I haven't had to use this ability in ... oh, let's see, about 35 years - so I've long forgotten how I ever did it.  But my phobia of nightmares remains.

So the first night I took Atripla (most people take it before bed to lessen other side effects), I was nervous about having nightmares.  And then I realized I could conceivably have a nightmare, which could conceivable cause me to toss and turn in my bed which could conceivably cause me to fall out of bed and to the floor!  Yeah, I can be one paranoid Queen if I try hard enough.

So I looked around my room, and I remembered the stack of pillows just sitting there.  These are pillows I don't use on my bed (I LOVES lots of pillows) and they just sit on the floor in a nice pyramid...


So I had a brainstorm: every night before bed, I would create a "Landing Pad" of pillows just in case I fell out of my loft bed.  In the event of a "crash landing", I would at least be falling on something relatively soft (although I'm sure I would still bust a hip or at least break a nail or two)...


Here it is from above.  As you can see, Dusty found the trouble she was looking for...


Luckily, so far I haven't had any nightmares (or other "vivid dreams") - or any other side effects (knock on wood).  But I STILL lay out my Landing Pad before bed every night - just in case.

20 comments:

Sozo's Blog.com said...

How about putting the bed on the floor?!?! First, I wouldn't be climbing my big ass up there is the first place, but that's just me.

I hope you don't fall either, even better...I hope you have no side effects from the meds.

Sozo's Blog.com said...

ps...love you!

Miss Ginger Grant said...

Oh, Lord, gurl! Get yourself some side rails! Maddie and I have busy careers and don't have time to be nursing you through a broken hip!!

mrs.missalaineus said...

think of me as your overprotective sister- i recommend the pillows AND a side rail.

xxalainaxx

the dogs' mother said...

Crossing all fingers and toes! Because of migraines I have to take a mild med at night and, same thing, I was terrified of being forced asleep. I gave it one night, under duress, and nothing happened. Same for you I bet!!!

Tricky said...

Oh my, that is something else. You need to get side rails so you don't go overboard and end up smashing Dusty. Perish the thought.

Sam said...

You are only going to roll out off that bed once. Hehe.
No seriously. Just looking at a loft bed gives me the chills.
Have you ever rolled out of bed before?
Love Sis

David Dust said...

Tug -

When I was a kid, my brother and I had bunk beds and I had the top bunk. One night I actually fell out of bed and I didn't even wake up. My parents heard a "thud" and came and put me back in my bed.

I haven't fallen out since...

XOXOXOXO

Anonymous said...

I'll be honest, the first post I read about you falling out of that bed will make me laugh. I'll be upset if you get hurt, but I'll probable laugh. Get side rails so I don't feel like a jerk, okay?

Matt Lenzman said...

The vivid dreams that I had when I first started Atripla weren't bad dreams, just cinematic — full color, complex plotlines, the whole big screen thing. It was exhausting at first, but the dreams diminished over time and everything is fine now.

Unknown said...

let me 2nd the motion for a siderail. Because paranoia must run in the family... and I'd be fearful of falling too.

Link Digger said...

David, I take Atripla and haven't had any "vivid" or disturbing dreams at all. In fact, I can't remember even dreaming.

kayce. said...

i know i should be sympathizing and not laughing, but i'm dying, babe! this is so ingenious ~ i don't think my mind would immediately go to "landing pad," LMAO. i'd probably focus on hugging the wall as tightly as possible.

btw, my friend has taken atripla for years and he has never had this problem, so hopefully it won't be an issue for you, either; he says it just makes him really sleepy. plus, i bet lucid dreaming is like riding a bike, especially when you hate scary dreams so much.

Joy said...

Well, first of all you'll probably land close enough to Dusty that she'll attack you. Did you have that bed at the other place? What happened to all your stuff? Where's Oscar? Get side rails.

Yes, I know I did my usual thing of asking all those questions! At least I wasn't texting this time.

nitrox11 said...

I say if God gives you lemons...

Save money on soft furnishings and side rails and dig out those leather restraints and handcuffs fromn your misspent youth. Have those nightmares and thrash about a bit.

Buy a cheap webcam and bung the results on XTube.

There's some weird shit on there. get yourself a pay channel gurl....

I'm only sayin'

Unknown said...

How bout getting a two by four that can go from floor to just above the mattress that can be tucked in between the rail and the mattress each night before you go to bed... and removed when you want/need. Thats if you don't want the actual rails. This way you'll have something that you bump into that'll stop you.

David Dust said...

Auntie Flame -

You do realize that even though you are a RETIRED teacher, you are still giving pop quizzes - especially to me for some reason :)

1. Yes, I had this bed at the other place, but I slept on the couch instead. It DID have a safety rail in the front, but I needed the wood for another project. There are safety rails on the other 3 sides of the bed.

2. The picture doesn't show my entire room. I have 2 shelves, a closet, and a lot of other space you can't see, and that's where my crap is. I also have some stuff stored in other areas of our rather large apartment.

3. Oscar was somewhere else in the apartment at the time of the photoshoot.

I hope I get an A on this quiz!!

Love you! Love (?) your Quizzes!!

:)

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Joy said...

Thank you, David. Yes, you get an A. :-) As for me, inquiring minds want to know!

XOXOXOXOXXO

Mistress Maddie said...

Mame- that is a smart idea to lay the pillows out, but I sure hope one of the cats isn't laying there when a crash landing happens!!! And Gingers right! I've played nurse to many times this year already!

Ken Riches said...

If three sides have rails, take the ones by the wall and put them in front, or turn the bed around.

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