If you think you may have sleep apnea, drop everything you
are doing right now and schedule a sleep study for yourself. You will be glad
you did. Your future self will thank you for giving them a much healthier existence
and for increasing the probability that you will live a longer, happier life.
This is not an overstatement. In fact, I feel it would be appropriate
to be even more hyperbolic about the benefits of treating your sleep apnea. Let
me share my recent story to highlight the many immediate benefits you may experience
when you take this important, proactive approach to managing your health.
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| Treating my complex sleep apnea with that ResMed AirCurve 11 ASV |
I had been told for decades by anyone I shared a bed with
that my snoring was out of control. One person even said they saw me stop
breathing multiple times throughout the night. Even with several people
sounding the alarm, my philosophy was always, “That which does not kill me
makes me stronger”. In this instance, though, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Fast forward to 2016, when I was diagnosed with atrial
fibrillation. My cardiologist said a sleep study was urgent, as my condition
may be the result of or at least exacerbated due to chronic sleep apnea. I knew
he was right, but I didn’t have insurance that would cover the entire procedure
at the time, and the co-pay was beyond my current means.
Hindsight is 20/20
Looking back, I should have financed the sleep study, because
instead I waited another 10 years before addressing my problem, and during that
time my a-fib worsened, and my weight began to balloon.
Feeling guilty for my weight gain, I knew my mobility was
lessened because of the a-fib but for some reason I blamed my lack of exercise on
laziness. Then I began to shame eat any time I thought about the predicament I
found myself in. My weight soon reached an all-time high.
By January of this year, my weight gain added insult to
injury, and I was barely able to walk to do my everyday chores. In fact, I was
unable to shower in my own bathroom because it was not built for someone my size.
So, I began to wash myself the best I could without stepping in the shower.
This made me feel even worse, because I never felt as clean as I would from
standing in a shower.
The shame compounded when every week my ability to walk worsened.
Plus, I was unable to work a regular job, so I began driving for Lyft to pay my
bills. But existing in a constant state of sleep deprivation because of the
unchecked apnea made working more than a few hours per day impossible.
Paying for the study
The loss in income turned out to be a blessing, as I was
forced to apply for public assistance and found out that I qualified for Medicaid.
My new health plan meant I would be able to methodically address my mounting
health issues without breaking the bank. There was no longer any reason to
avoid taking a more active approach to my health.
I scheduled a new patient appointment with a primary doctor
in April, and he put me on medication for my a-fib that made an immediate
positive impact on the way I felt. All year long, my arms and legs had felt
they were coated in a blanket of lead. With the addition of this medication, I
felt that blank lift overnight.
My doctor said my reaction to the medication was not physiological
but rather I was experiencing a placebo effect, that the medication would not
have that powerful of an effect on me. “What does he know,” I thought. Everything
he knows about the med he learned from a book. I know through experience that
the medication increased my energy level by at least 20 percent. I felt like a
new man.
Of course, my mobility was still impeded by my weight, which
at the time of my doctor’s visit was 455 pounds, but with my newfound confidence
in the healthcare system, I booked my appointment for a sleep study and began
to eat a more balanced diet, immediately cutting out fast food and candy.
A month later, I had lost about 30 pounds through my efforts.
My sleep study revealed I had an extreme case of complex apnea, where I would stop
breathing nearly 80 times per hour without support. So they fitted me with an
assisted breathing machine, and on that very first time using my ResMed AirCloud
11 ASV I experienced an immediate change in my daytime energy levels.
The brain fog lifted
I also noticed the brain cloud I’d become accustomed to for
years had lifted. Achieving REM sleep for the first time in probably many
years, my brain was now processing my complicated throughout the night leaving
me feeling refreshed and with increased mental clarity and acuity. From one day
to the next I was able to work as many as 12 hours at a time.
That’s right, I went from having enough energy to work three
hours at a time to 12 hours literally overnight! That is the incredible power
of sleep therapy in a nutshell.
I still have a few issues to deal with. I have some
arthritis in my hip and knees, which also contributes to limited and painful
mobility. And I’m in the process of testing cardiovascular health to see if I
am healthy enough for surgery to deal with my a-fib. Once these things are under
control, I imagine I will feel even better than I already do.
Don't be afraid to change
Through lifestyle changes and watching what I eat, I have
now lost a total of 45 pounds in less than two and a half months. Next for me
is increasing my daytime activity, getting my steps up. Currently I average
only 1,500 steps on my good days. My goal is to slowly work up to 5,000 steps.
Then, I will work on getting back up to the recommended 10,000 steps per day.
I hope by sharing my story you might be encouraged to treat
your own sleep apnea or perhaps encourage a family member or friend to get
themselves the treatment they need and deserve. If so, please subscribe to my
blog, follow me – “Brianopolis” on social media and YouTube – and leave a
comment with your experience below.
