My Experience with Sleep Apnea
The definition of sleep apnea, according to Medicinenet.com, is a disorder characterized by a reduction or pause of breathing (airflow) during sleep.
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea 15 years ago. This was before the doctors knew it was life threatening and they thought only men had the condition. But in my case, I realized it was life threatening when I was driving home from work one afternoon fully awake, but seconds later I found myself driving toward a mailbox on the other side of the road. Luckily, I pulled back onto the road before I ran into the mailbox and I was doubly lucky there were no other cars coming. I immediately turned on the radio, rolled down the windows and sang out loud to keep myself awake.
I blamed the episode on being tired from work or not getting enough sleep. However, what began as an isolated episode turned into a series of almost serious accidents. Reality struck when I saw my neighbor at a party one weekend and he said, "Hi, stuck up." I asked him what he meant by that. He said he had met me on the road a week ago and he waved but I didn't wave back. I said, "This may sound weird but I think I was sleeping." By his expression I realized how strange it must have sounded. The next morning I called my doctor.
My doctor referred me to a sleep specialist to determine whether I had sleep apnea. The strangest part of the entire visit was when the doctor asked me how many times I had fallen asleep while driving. When I told him three or four times a week he looked surprised and said, "Wow, that's a lot." At that point, I was thinking — can this guy help me?
To make a long story short, it was determined that I had sleep apnea and I was measured and set up with a CPAP machine. Anybody who uses this contraption will tell you that it is very uncomfortable. Basically, it's a machine that blows air through a hose that's hooked to a mask that is strapped over your nose. Air blows down your throat to open up the airways and, thus, provide you with a better night's sleep.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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May 10, 2011 - 9:16amThis Comment
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May 16, 2011 - 1:38pm