Sweet slumber

[Oregonmike]

Oh you RLS. How you cuddle up next to me Yet dance and dart away as I try to subdue you.

How you blush, and seem grateful as I speak respectfully of you.

Softly chortle as I adjust the covers exactly as YOU tell me.

You wag your finger and tell me it’s in my head, as you become irritated , blaming me for being a poor sleeper. The world’s worst sleeper!

Heaping the guilt of my days on my head, you remind me of chores not done, battles not fought, goals not met.

You kneel next to me as I pray another insomniac’s prayer. Quiet and respectful you claim to be, yet grinning that grin... you know the one.

The grin that tells me , you know -as the last words of Amen are heard.

You know my god is bigger than you.

My god loves me. But He has given you this power for now; for reasons I do not know. And that you gladly yield .

So you, RLS also know, that you can flip the switch . The switch that makes my legs yearn to move.

Just a little at first- adjusting the covers.

Then like the night before, and the night before that. Clenching, stretching... hot packs cold packs, Motrin , Ambien , fancy names of other drugs that used to work, but now spin me around to the point that you -oh RLS; stand there staring ...

Patting the mattress and smiling...

Then 30 minutes later...

There you are again.

[Madlegs1]

Is cannabis legal in Northwest USA? 🤣

Love it.

[Oregonmike in reply to Madlegs1]

Yep, but I’m a driver and can’t have it in my blood stream. I never have cared for the feeling I get with it, but that was years ago. I’ll bet you can find pretty much any strain and outcome you are looking for now.

[Hidden]

I like your poem! It can be a freeing way of expressing yourself, can’t it? I wrote one awhile back explaining my frustration/anger at everything (when you have RLS you tend to get angry at everything, don’t you? If not you, at least I do. Especially if you have a medical team who has chosen to see you as nothing but a psychiatric patient who needs calming down!!)Did you feel better after immediately after writing it (and then maybe you still do)? I know I did after writing mine! Mind if I share it?

Where in Oregon are you? My parents live in Bend!!

[Oregonmike in reply to Hidden]

Feel free to share it.lol- I’m no expert, but yeah it did seem to help.

I’m fortunate, I don’t get it too often . Maybe 2 or 3 days a month.

I tried journaling a food/ trigger journal to see if I can pinpoint a cause. Uh yeah, that didn’t work. So I either force myself to get up and read, go into the hot tub, or play guitar etc. you know the drill.

Bend is nice. I take drives over the mountains past Detroit lake with my dog Ed. Bend is also not far from where they hold the Oregon Star Party every year in the Ochoco mtn range.

Plus there’s smaller star parties in and around Bend/ Sun River throughout the summer.

I got into astronomy when I was insomniacking ( I think that should be a word) some years ago.

PS.

I’m glad you stuck it out.

And I also wonder how many have given up because of RLS but it isn’t known?

Like the dr would just shrug and say,” Wow they really were depressed.” And not realize exactly why.

[Hidden in reply to Oregonmike]

Yeah, I can’t find a trigger either. It is very frustrating. I had a bad night last night and I don’t know why.

Below is my poem, written as a result of the way I was being treated (mainly by my medical team). Can you believe that this was only one of the ways I tried to get through to them and that it wasn’t the way for some of them?

I agree that it would be interesting to know how many people give up — give up up due to to having RLS and/or give up because of the way they are treated by the very people assigned to help them with said RLS.

Here’s my poem:

Pain

Can they not see that I am tired?

That I am more than tired

That I am exhausted

Exhausted with life

Exhausted with thinking

Exhausted in mind, body, and soul

I do not want to be an adult

I want to hide

I do not want to feel this emotional pain

It’s too much

Way too much

How dare they think that I can do this

That I can be adult in the middle of all this

Immense pain, hurt, and lack of understanding

I feel like I’m drowning

They can not know my pain

I am desperate

Desperate to show them something that I don’t know how to

Desperate to find words that do not exist

How do I show them?

How do I make them see?

The pain that is inside of me.

[Mona23]

I love your poem.

[Oregonmike in reply to Mona23]

I’m not sure if you were responding to mine, but thanks.

[Mona23 in reply to Oregonmike]

Oregonmike, Sorry for not including your name! Yes, I was responmding to you!

[DicCarlson]

Beautiful and oh so accurate!

[Oregonmike in reply to DicCarlson]

Thanks if that was for me. Accurate for my routine of life lately Almost like a crescendo -the way I intended it. You know, how those RLS things start ...innocent and slow

[Hidden in reply to Oregonmike]

Both DicCarlson’s and Mona’s replies are to you since they were sent before I sent mine. It is a beautiful poem. You write well.