Today I went to the hospital for an examination. It started like this: a few days ago, I suddenly woke up choking in my sleep, then gasped for air, feeling dizzy and tight in the chest.
I'd had these symptoms before, actually. For example, when lying flat, I had trouble swallowing and breathing, and had to sleep on my side. But they'd never been that severe. A few days ago, I really almost suffocated to death.
So, scared out of my wits, I went to the hospital early in the morning to register. After being diagnosed, it turned out to be "sleep apnea syndrome." The cause was enlarged tonsils and uvula, which were blocking my airway.
This illness isn't exactly serious, because it's very common and a lot of people have it. But it's not exactly minor either, because it could lead to: getting a good reincarnation in my sleep! (I'm not joking.)
Also, this illness leads to poor sleep quality and long-term oxygen deprivation in the brain, causing difficulty concentrating, declining memory, lower energy, and daytime drowsiness.
That explained why updates had been so difficult for me in the second half of the year. I mentioned before that it felt like my brain wasn't working as well anymore, that my energy had plummeted, and that writing a single chapter felt utterly draining.
At the time, I didn't know the cause. I only knew it might have been due to staying up late for too long and not exercising enough. Now I knew: this apnea syndrome had to take most of the blame.
I'm not shifting blame or trying to play the victim. After all, I've been down to one update a day for nearly half a year; there'd be no point in playing the victim now. Nor am I