Breathing is helpful
This morning, at long last, I talked to my doctor about my sleep apnea. laurellady (and anyone else I've ever slept with or near) tells me that I snore very, very loudly. I also have obvious apnea episodes, where I go quiet for ten or twenty seconds and then let loose with a strangled gasping snore, often accompanied by a full-body spasm. These happen many times a night. At least once a week I have a dream in which I think I've aspirated some small object, and lurch awake already sitting up in bed, gagging and coughing, my head throbbing.
The fact that, with all that going on, it's taken me several years to get around to discussing this with my doctor is a measure of my powers of stubborn denial. Mostly, I haven't wanted to think about sleeping with a CPAP unit attached to my face, that being the standard treatment for sleep apnea. But several of my friends and acquaintances use the things, and all of them agree that (a) CPAPs aren't so bad, and (b) they feel vastly better now that they can breathe properly while sleeping. So it's time for me to take the plunge.
The doctor gave me a referral to a pulmonary specialist, who will further evaluate me and (most likely) schedule me for an overnight stay at a sleep clinic where they can measure my breathing (or lack of it) and make appropriate recommendations. Given that I'm on an HMO, it may take months before this all gets done, but at least I've set the wheels in motion.
It sure would be nice to wake up feeling like I got enough sleep.
While examining me, the doctor casually mentioned that I have a "crowded throat". It turns out this is common in people with apnea; it basically means that my uvula is larger and closer to the tracheal opening than average. I'm always happy to find one more odd thing about myself.
The fact that, with all that going on, it's taken me several years to get around to discussing this with my doctor is a measure of my powers of stubborn denial. Mostly, I haven't wanted to think about sleeping with a CPAP unit attached to my face, that being the standard treatment for sleep apnea. But several of my friends and acquaintances use the things, and all of them agree that (a) CPAPs aren't so bad, and (b) they feel vastly better now that they can breathe properly while sleeping. So it's time for me to take the plunge.
The doctor gave me a referral to a pulmonary specialist, who will further evaluate me and (most likely) schedule me for an overnight stay at a sleep clinic where they can measure my breathing (or lack of it) and make appropriate recommendations. Given that I'm on an HMO, it may take months before this all gets done, but at least I've set the wheels in motion.
It sure would be nice to wake up feeling like I got enough sleep.
While examining me, the doctor casually mentioned that I have a "crowded throat". It turns out this is common in people with apnea; it basically means that my uvula is larger and closer to the tracheal opening than average. I'm always happy to find one more odd thing about myself.