Sherra Jennings (Kahanek)

I agree - don't take Ambien!!  The wife of a friend of ours had been having a lot of trouble sleeping so her doctor prescribed Ambien.  It wasn't helping.  I think she was also a bit bipolar.  One night after her husband had gone to bed she took her Ambien with a glass or two of wine.  He woke up later to find she had hung herself.Read the labels and follow the directions carefully when taking sleeping pills or you might get the last best sleep of you life.

John Eldon Mitchell

Thanks for your comments to all of you who took the time to respond.  I appreciate it.

Since my stroke in 2011 I have studied at great length about brain chemistry and rebalancing the hormones and the neuotransmitters.  Taking prescription drugs certainly is not the answer and makes matters worse.  It tricks the brain to stop producing the natural neurotransmitters as well natural hormones (both of these are critical to proper functioning of the brain and many other organs) which have drastic results.  Joanna, I would not take Trazodone because it's one of the benzodiazepines.  I took it about 3 or 4 years ago.  Withdrawal from these drugs cen be devastating. The only way to get better sleep is to start preparing the body to relax and wind down. I would also to discuss the circadian rhythm, the body's 24-hour biological clock.  However, I'll leave that for a later time.

John Eldon Mitchell

Joanna, I need to make a correction to my previous comments.  Trazodone aka Desyrel is an SSRI (serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitor) and NOT a benzodiazepine.  You might try L-tryptophan, GABA, OR melatonin.

Roger Felton

I didn't know you had a stroke, John.  Whenever I think of you, in my mind you are that great, healthy-looking guy of 18.  I've had a couple of close friends that had strokes and both recovered very well.  Neither of them had insomnia from it but the brain is a very complex organ.

Whenever something goes awry in the noggin, doctors often call it a "chemical imbalance" and treat it with drugs.  Sometimes that's all they can do and it helps.  But I commend you for taking the time and effort to learn about how the brain works and how to deal with the effects of your stroke without drugs.  Your level of knowledge appears to rival that of any doctor I know of.  Good for you!

Please keep posting about how you are doing and what you have discovered.  As we all get older, it becomes more and more important to understand and take care of that one vital organ that makes us who we are.  Keep learning, exercise and stay in touch, ok.

Dorothy Fowler (Montgomery)

I read all ofyour comments and found them very interesting. John, you have certainly done an in depth study on this subject. I find that with age when I go to sleep at night, I will sleep about 4 hours, wake up for 30 minutes to an hour, then sleep 4 more hours. I've said nothing to my doctor as I know others our age do the same thing. I have a Pacemaker and also take diabetes medication. The last thing I want is to add a sleeping pill to my medications. I feel good, exercise daily and manage to sleep from 7 to 9 hours a day. Unfortuneately, it's broken and not continuous.

Stephen Ray Puckett

In recent years I often will wake up in the middle of the night and be awake for 1-3 hours, then go back to sleep.  I read that this 'bimodal' sleep pattern was common before the industrial revolution: http://www.doctorsreview.com/history/long-and-short-bimodal-sleep/ 

Occasionally I have had insomnia so made sure:

- no physical exercise within 6 hours of my target sleep time.  With sex, your mileage may vary.

- little or no protein in the evening.  No heavy and/or greasy meals in the evening.  No tons of sweets or booze.

- no thrilling movies or books before the sleep time.

- drink fluids early in the evening (less waking up to go the bathroom).

- if need be, I take melantonin 1.5mg.  If really bad (or have had a big meal), I take HTTP 100mg.

For the last 30+ years I was on call 24/7 and often had to deal with emergencies in evenings and nights, often with tight deadlines.  Now that I've been retired for a year, I have noticed less of the sleep problems - no surprise there!

Some folks take diphenhydramine (Benadryl, etc.).  There are side effects.  I don't use it.

Hope any of this helps. 

Roger Felton

Gee whiz, Stephen,  No sex, no booze, no fried chicken, and no exciting "Debbie Does Dubai" movies before bedtime.  How about if I splurge and just fall asleep 6 hours later? 

Stephen Ray Puckett

Ah, but you will be better able to dream about all that stuff...

Roger Felton

Yeah Stephen, but the last time I dreamed of fried chicken I woke up to find I had eaten my pillow.  And if I say, "Debbie" in my sleep, I'm a dead man.  Beverly always sleeps with one ear open.

Arletta Parnell (Glankler)

Just a comment on pneumonia.  In January I developed a cough. I had no cold, no sinus drainage.  We dismiss things to easily.  When the cough got worse I made a doctors appt.  But before the appt. my son was hit by a car on his motorcycle.  So I was constantly at the trauma center, and cancelled my Dr. appt.  By the end of February, I could hardly talk for coughing.  I went to the Dr. and they took one look at me, took my oxygen level and it was 55.  They called an ambulance, and I remember little after that. I had had the pneumonia for so long, it caused pulmonary hypertension, my congestive heart failure to return and several other things.  I was put in ICU, where they did a tracheotomy.  In my out of it state, I tried to rip the ventilator off, my feeding tube out, and my trach tubing out.  I also developed ICU phycosis, which gave me horrible dreams that seemed so real. Each time they tried taking me off the vent, my oxygen would drop.  At one point, they called all my family in. But I had heard the voice of my husband saying fight honey, I am not ready to do this alone.I did fight.  8 weeks in ICU.  And I won. I am home, do not need oxygen either.  The Drs. say I am a miracle.  God gave me more time. I lost 65 lbs while in the hospital, and needed lots of physical therapy due to muscle loss.  I am one happy girl though.  So please, any kind of signs you might have, don't put off going to the Dr.  I know I never will.

Dorothy Fowler (Montgomery)

Arletta, I am so happy you're still among the living. Although we don't see each other often, I consider you a dear friend. Your frienship started when you, Barbara and I played dolls. In junior high, we were in the same homeroom and our friendship continued in high school and beyond.

Roger Felton

Yes, Dorothy, it would be a sad day indeed if we ever lost Arletta.  Her heart is made of sugar and her smile can melt steel.  I can never forget those incredible exotic eyes of hers.  I'd play dolls with her any day...lol.

Lindy Clarke (Hall)

Arletta.... yes, you've just about described the pneumonia my cousin went thru.... and the thing is, most of those symptoms would NOT make me go to the doctor. Even now... because I kinda live with those symptoms on a daily basis. Houston's weather and various pollens translate into various coughs and sniffles. I recall my sister had "the flu", years ago, for about 3-4 months.... now I'm wondering if that's what she had.
Off topic, but I tend to wonder about things, and I've always wondered how your parents chose your name. Most of us have ordinary, mainstream names. There must be some story about yours.
I was named Linda because my mother liked a movie star named Linda Christian (married Tyrone Powrer), but I've always gone by Lindy. There were a lotta Lindas in my classes. So, where did they get Arletta? 

Joanna Hinton (Garrett)

Arletta, I am so glad you are doing better.  I had the "lung killer" in March 2016 and did not even know I had it until I got to the hospital for collapse in my bedroom and it was from over exhaustedness from a 400 yd run.

I spent one week in the hospital and one week in rehab.  I'm greatful to God I did not have it like you did and hate you had it at all.

I have not heard from you and hate to ask but feel I must do so - how is your daughter?  Is your son doing okay after his accident?

You take care of yourself my dear as you are a love of many friends.

Joanna

Arletta Parnell (Glankler)

Big response.  Dorothy, I can never forget our playtimes.  I will come home when I am able.  How bout some Mexican food?  Roger, thank you for the compliment.  My eye always were my best asset.  Linda, my mother was a carhop for Princes's on Main, her boss was named Arletta, and she just loved the name.  My son just had surgery 11 on his leg.  But he has an infection that has entered his blood stream.  He also has pneumonia.  They said the IV antibiotics he is taking for the infectin will take care of the pneumonia.  I worry it might not.  Johanna, my daughter is hanging in there.  My friend Brenda brought her to me when they thought I was not going to make it.  I saw her crying.  Strange how our mind works.  I thought, No, I got to get better. Prayers for her will be appreciated.  Thank you all for caring.  Big hugs from Tennesse and God bless you all.

Kenneth Armbrister

Maybe the Doctors in our class can comment, but my Dr ,who is an Internal Specialist, says folks our age need to take or have taken

1 flu shot every year, even though I never did until 6 years ago

2 shingles shot for those who had chicken pox-- I think we all did

3 pneumonia shot---there are 2 so get both

4 tetanus shot if it has been 10 years

James King

Here I am at Waltrip's Class '67 50th class reunion!

Arletta Parnell (Glankler)

Your Dr. is right Kenneth.  And I had all the shots, including the 2 pneumonia shots.  But it got me anyway.

Thomas William Wade

Does anyone remember a small lounge on 34th. across from the atheletic track, just to the west of where the Surf Shop is today? I believe it faced east, toward Ella an was in a small L shaped commercial strip. I am trying to recall it's name. Seems like it was gone when I returned from the Navy.

Jimmie Compton (Verlander)

I think it was Savaggio.  Roy Head performed there.

James King

Jimmie, Salvaggio's was the name.  Owned by Tony Salvaggio who was a very good fast pitch softball and basketball player.  I think he was on the Davis High School team with Slater Martin who had a bar just around the corner on Ella.

Joyce Barta (Bayersdorfer)

Your memories are phenomenal!

Tom Britton

I was Salvaggio's banker at Oak Forest Bank. Got to meet quite a few of the recording stars that he brought into his club. He would bring them into the bank to cash their checks.He was a nice guy and one heck of a promoter. 

Thomas William Wade

I thought Salvaggio's or Savaggios's was a little further west. Maybe where Aztec's office is. Thought it became The Snooty Fox, then Aztec. Anyway, the lounge I'm thinking of was much smaller,. I don't think it was big enough for live entertainment. I was only there once with my father. It didn't offer me anything interesting, so I never went back.

Roger Felton

I always pronounced it Savaggios's.  Nice cozy joint.  It was so small that no matter where you sat, you were never more than 3 steps from the bathroom.  Great place to bring a date, too.  If there were more than 5 customers, then she'd have to sit in your lap.