Repairing Dracula

I have a sleep disorder called Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome. It's similar to sleep apnea only in that there's a disruption in the air flow through the esophagus.

It's different because, unlike sleep apnea, which actually causes your heart to skip beats, UARS has disruptions in the brain's nervous system.

I wear this mouth dental appliance (it has an upper and lower) to bed every night. It keeps my airway open and allows me to get deep and REM sleep, which I don't get without it. But I somehow broke off a piece of the protruding tooth. Here, acrylic is being applied to replace the missing section.

It's a patented design. A dracula appliance. It juts my lower jaw forward slightly and has two "teeth" protruding up from the bottom outside my lips.

I take something to help me sleep, and now, I'm taking two medications to keep me awake. I'm having a serious problem with staying awake, especially in the early part of the day. But I don't take naps - it's against the rules.

Dracula only comes out at night.