[rescue] alive and kicking

[Dave McGuire]

On September 25, Bill Bradford wrote:
> It may look stupid, but it stopped my snoring and gave me my life 
> back - in my sleep study, they diagnosed me with OSA (obstructive sleep 
> apnea), and that I was waking up or stopping breathing about 112 times 
> an hour - e.g., I never "slept" more than 30-45 seconds, even if I 
> didnt fully wake up.  Normal blood oxygen saturation is 98-99%; mine
> was at 82%.
> 
> Imagine not being able to stay awake long enough to even take a shower, or
> nodding off in the car at stop signs or lights.  Falling asleep at your
> desk at work while *typing*.  Even tho I'd sleep for 6-12 hours, I would
> get *no* rest due to no REM sleep.  Imagine three years of this, getting
> progressively worse.  My metabolism basically *shut down*, causing me to
> gain a LOT of weight.
> 
> I've been on this thing (which basically forces air up my nose and keeps
> my airway open, making it easier to breathe at night) since the end of 
> February, and its made a 1000% difference in my life.

  I've been on CPAP for about five weeks now.  I was in a situation
similar to Bill's, and it had been increasing in severity.  But no
more!

  Over the past couple of years I'd noticed a gradual decrease in my
general "energy"...I would get worn-out much more easily than I would
a few years prior.  I had always attributed it to "not being a kid
anymore"...I'm 32 now, and while I was a kid I'd always been told
"enjoy all this energy while it lasts kiddo, because it won't be there
when you're older!"  blah blah blah.  This, coupled with the fact that
I don't get much exercise, explained it adequately...or so I thought.

  Then, about 1.5 years ago, things started getting bad.  I'd fall
asleep while driving, while sitting at my workstation, while standing
in the kitchen loading up the dishwasher (!)...imagine bending back
and forth between the sink and the dishwasher, stickin' the dishes in
there...and waking up on the floor, twitching, in a puddle of drool.
This wasn't "not being a kid anymore" and it certainly wasn't "not
getting enough exercise"...Something was WRONG.

  After learning a bit about my condition, I contacted two
ex-girlfriends...one from two years ago and one from about ten years
back.  They both remember my snoring and gasping for breath in my
sleep, and upon discussing it, I remember them both having mentioned
it at the time.  I just chalked it up to "hey, I'm sorry, I
snore...not much I can do about it."

  My doctor (who kicks ass) nailed it right away.  She had me do the
sleep study dance three times, once without CPAP and twice with it.
Without CPAP my apnea was so bad that the sleep lab doc thought she
might get a research paper out of it.  But the CPAP machine worked
perfectly for me, so my doctor prescribed it.

  I went from falling asleep 5-10 times per day to NEVER falling asleep
unintentionally...after the FIRST NIGHT on CPAP!  Before CPAP, I could
"sleep" for sixteen hours and still wake up too tired to think.  It is
AMAZINGLY effective.  Nowadays I usually sleep through the entire
night without waking up at all.  I'm more alert, more productive, I
can THINK better all-around.  My senses work better...tastes and
smells seem much more intense to me now.  A girl I've been seeing has
made some, umm, "comments", if you know what I mean.  And while
programming, I can crank out code like a scalded dog with a cattle
prod shoved up its ass!

  The bottom line is this...a LOT of people have this problem, and the
symptoms often get dismissed.  If you snore, and you fall asleep
unintentionally during the day, or wake up just as tired as when you
went to sleep, or wake up with headaches...Run, do not walk, to your
doctor and ask about sleep apnea.  It can RUIN your life, and there's
no excuse for that, because it can be treated very effectively.

            -Dave

-- 
Dave McGuire
Laurel, MD