R'hllor

I only have one chronic health condition, unless you count occasional mild hayfever, and that's heartburn. A few times a year, usually at night but not always, with no link to a particular food, weather condition, activity, or time of month. I've had them since I was eight, at least, and my grandfather had them too. It's only maybe four or five days out of the year, and it responds well to extra strength pepto bismol or digestive biscuits, whichever are closer to hand. However, on those days, it pretty much wipes me out, partly because pain is tiring, and partly because it tends to interfere with my sleep.

This was one of those days, although in a blessedly mild way. I pretty much stayed in bed, read, and ate non-threatening foods. I'm on the fourth book of George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire, and I've borrowed all the Godfather movies from Birgitta. (No spoilers, please. And no outrage about what "no spoilers" implies. If a film came out in the '70s, odds are good I haven't seen it.)

I'm proud of myself for having slept on my back last night, even though it was mainly to game my esophagus. I'm always proud when I sleep on my back, which is rare - I'm a side-sleeper to the core. (Which side has to do with where the light's coming from.) When I was maybe seven, I glimpsed some article in a woman's magazine that said it was scientifically proven that sleeping on your back was better for your breathing and that sleeping on your side made your face wrinkled and lopsided. Since the article involved the word "science" and was in print, I took this as God's own truth and worried about it for years. However, as a youthful insomniac, I didn't have the flexibility to implement the recommendation. I've since rejected the article, but it has had a lasting effect of making me feel extremely accomplished whenever I wake up and see the ceiling.