Last March, I wrote about my abject failure as a sleeper and my quest for nighttime redemption. I ended the column on a cliffhanger, as I received my sleep study results and found out I have extreme sleep apnea.

A few readers inquired to find out what happened next. In all honesty, I’d hoped to have an interesting (if not exciting) conclusion to share.

Sadly, 14 mostly-sleepless months later, and over 66 weeks since my initial sleep study, instead of anything resembling a satisfying result, all I have is another lengthy list of delays and frustrations and more uncertainty. In other words, the same old, same old.

It all started with my doctor confirming what a nurse had already told me: I have sleep apnea, it is extreme, and we needed to schedule another sleep study to get better data and come up with a solution. As unexcited as I was about another night sucking down the jet engine-like airflow of a CPAP machine, I signed up for the first appointment in hopes of finally getting some resolution.

Unfortunately, that appointment happened to be in the middle of March 2020. Two days before my night at the hospital, I received a call saying all non-essential appointments had been cancelled. #ThanksCOVID

Over the next 10 months I experimented with every sleep variation I could think of: pills, supplements, Breathe Right strips, temperature regulation, different sleeping positions … you name it, I tried it. Occasionally I thought I’d stumbled on the perfect blend, but after a couple of nights of semi-decent sleep, I inevitably found myself lying in bed awake wondering how I could be so naïve.

Last winter, the scheduling service for the sleep clinic called to inform me they were once again booking appointments. With no vaccine in my body or in sight, the idea of wearing a communal mask in a hospital on an overnight stay wasn’t on my COVID to-do list.

By the time I finally did get my first dose of vaccine (#TeamModerna), rescheduling the sleep study had a place near the top of my Fun Medical Tasks Post-Vax list — right above “fix gross toenail.” Unfortunately, because so much time had passed, the study required another authorization and, of course, that required another doctor visit.

In one of the few serendipities of this saga, the option to see my doctor online saved me a trip to the hospital and made scheduling faster and easier than it had been the first time. After a predictable online chat, my doc apologized for the delays and assured me we’d end my sleep quest quickly. She told me to expect to hear from the scheduler in three to five days and said she’d see me again two weeks after the study.

That was over three months ago. I still haven’t seen or talked to her again. I finally did the follow-up study a week prior to writing this, but only after a paperwork error and a problem with authorization from my insurance led to countless phone calls and two months of delays.

Still, last Wednesday night, as the sun was setting on the warmest day of the year, I rolled into the hospital with my pillow and blanket, hoping for progress. For eight hours I did my best to fall asleep while the sleep technician seemingly did his best to thwart me.

I don’t have the results from the study yet, but based on the technician’s disappointed face when I left, I’m not optimistic.

As for what’s next, I’m not sure. The only thing I am sure of is that if history is any guide, I’ll have plenty of time to figure things out.