Something Else is Wrong

I am not progressing at the rate I should in recuperation - so I did an experiment today. I have been thinking about purchasing a HEPA helmet for a few years - finally got one. I wore it for 3 hours, and respiration was good - not great, but it was reasonable. I took it off an hour ago. I got congested pretty quickly.

I did have a breathe-right strip on my nose when I had the helmet on, and it came off when I took the helmet off. I just put a strip back on the nose, and breathing seems the same as it was in the helmet - results seem ambiguous.

I have retrofitted the HEPA helmet so that it fits over the air intake of my CPAP machine. I am charing the helmet battery, and I will sleep with it that way tonight.

I also checked the filter on the CPAP machine. it has 2 pre-filters - a charcoal sheet and a2 inch wide foam. The foam never appears dirty, but I change it every 6 months as specified. The charcoal prefilter was full of white particulates. This is what I see with the free stading filters that I use in the apartment - but it was much worse on the CPAP charcoal filter - a much denser coat of and off-white powder.

I had some charcoal pre-filter sheet left over from a previous project, so I cut out a piece in the shape on the CPAP intake valve. It is twice as thick as the filter that comes with the CPAp unit, so I hope that this does not alter the overall pressure delivered to my lungs. I suspect not, because the filter is ebfore the pressurizing chamber - and the CPAP machines have to be designed to operate at any level or air pressure - from the highest peak in Colorado to the beach shores of California - huge range.

I am trying hard to not get depressed. All I want is to wake up feeling alert and rested - with some energy to apply to life.

Emily re-arranged the furniture in her nedroom today - it is a much better configuration than I had done. She is contiunue to investigate how to get established as an Event/Wedding planner. She bought some books. She has been doing research into certifications - but they appear not to be State certification. All the certificate means is that you passed a test given by a group that claims to know a lot about the business. There is some evidence that these organizations acts also as guilds - helping make connections between alumni with different/compatible skills and in providing customer referrals.

There was a terrible storm last night. There were flash floods right in my neighborhood, but I was unaffected. Heavy rain and thunder all night.

I did not get to sleep until 5AM. My body was scared to let go, for fear of not getting enough air. It was subsonscious, but I know that this was the reason I kept wanting to watch "just one more show". I was awakened by my phone 4 hours alter at 9 AM - a Text Message from some business. I slept for another 4 hours, but I was tossing and turning the whole time - not enough air, and too cold.