A couple of years ago, I had my once every 5 years colonoscopy. You don't go under anesthesia you, but are strongly sedated, so you're in the recovery room until you wake up.

I first woke up to an alarm going off with a nurse running over and doing something behind my head which stopped the alarm. I went back to sleep. The second or third time this happened I found out that the alarm was a low heart rate alarm set to go off when the heart rate dropped below 50 bpm.

My resting heart rate is about 50 bpm and by being still and taking a few deep breaths, I can lower the heart rate several bpm. So I started having fun with the nurse - as soon as she would walk away, I would set off the alarm and bring her back. I told her all she had to do was set the alarm for 45 bpm, but she said she couldn't do that. So she had to keep coming back and turning it off until she told me it was time to go!

- Ed