The first two I'll leave someone else to field...

3.) Also, I had my gal bladder removed a while back, and almost every time I get into SP or feel like I'm getting close, I get this insanely distracting tingle/tickle feeling right there where the cut was-- and it seems to simply build up more and more. Anyone else have similar happenings? Or advice on how to bypass it?

This is your body testing if you're awake and just pretending to be asleep. Your best bet is just to ride it out and do your best to ignore it.

4.) Also, just a more general question, does anyone have tips on being conscious enough upon waking up to prevent myself from being only about 10% conscious upon waking up? xD Without even thinking/knowing it, as soon as the alarm goes off, I GET UP out of bed to turn the alarm off, and collapse right back into the bed without realizing.

Either put your alarm clock further away, or move it to a different spot before you sleep on a WILD night. That way you'll have to be conscious to actively remember where you put it that night to turn it off.