A NASA engineer attempts to tether his restless leg at zero gravity which will ultimately result in a state of near continuous spin cycle followed by a cool-down before drying and pressing.
Last night I suffered from restless leg syndrome (RLS). It is a condition people didn’t have until those aggravating commercials for the medicine Requip began running on television. That is likely untrue but RLS does happen to a lot of people including me, very infrequently, and some of my friends as well.
The symptoms are varied, or are at least have a wide-ranging description by those who suffer from RLS. Some describe it as tugging, creeping, or like insects crawling. I can’t really define it other to say what I feel is a very odd and unpleasant feeling in my legs during sleep in which your legs feel they are unsatisfied being in their present state. It seems as if the only way to help ease these symptoms are to get up and walk around for awhile. It’s a leg jones for movement, it seems. RLS is not fun anytime but especially not comfortable when you are sleeping inside your pickup trucks, as I do these days.
Variations occur as well as to the number of times one may get RLS. Equip ads say you should ask your doctor about Equip if you have RLS more than 15 times per month. If I had RLS 15 times per month I would probably walk around constantly in a somnambular state like something from “Night of the Living .”
About three or four times I had to get out of the truck and walk around and finally about 4 a.m., I could safely take another Atavan and it knocked me out. Goodbye Mr. RLS, until next time.
As is the case in medicine quite often, — ever hear of “practicing physicians?” — the cause of RLS is not always clear. According to the National Institute of Health fact sheet above, the causes could be anemia, kidney failure, diabetes or Parkinson’s. The latter affliction continues to cause me concern as my hands have been continually shaking for almost a year without any clear diagnosis. I talked with someone at the Houston VA Hospital’s Parkinson’s Clinic today and she was making me an appointment. I certainly hope it isn’t Parkinson’s causing my shaking, dizziness, stumbling and other weird signs and symptoms I have been experiencing lately. I guess I’ll eventually find out one way or the other. Just like I will eventually find a job or die trying.
This afternoon I get to visit my physician at the local VA clinic. Since beginning methadone for pain, I must see the doctor once a month for a prescription since the cannot be refilled and shipped out like other meds. Oh, no fun can be had greater than going to the VA clinic and/or hospital. I’m just being sarcastic. Please excuse me while I go stretch my restless legs.