After 10 years, I Conquered my Sleep Apnea.
Welcome, My name is Mark. and I am proud to report that after 12 years, much trial and error, much research and bad nights of sleep, and doctors both competent and incompetent, I feel the need to share my story to help all of the sufferers of sleep apnea.
I’m building this site slowly, and treating it as a personal quest, even a Mission. Why? Because I have been through so much garbage and bad diagnosis from arguably good doctors, and I want to share it so someone, even 1 person, can remember what it is like to sleep through the night and wake rested. When you have apnea, it becomes the norm for you, and you wake with an awful body sensation, not the revitalization that nature intended.
Here is my “why did I write create this website on Sleep Apnea” List:
- I didn’t know I had it for almost 7 years, I thought I had chronic fatigue, or something else.
- I got Clinically depressed and the psychotherapist said the fatique was due to the side effects of the medications, and that I would have to live with that! CAVEAT! NEVER believe a shrink who says this. Get a second opinion.
- I only realized I might have it after my uncle was diagnosed. I didn’t even know it existed!
- I finally went in to my doctors and said “SOMETHING IS WRONG, and they started to listen”
- I was sent to the first of the incompetent doctors, who was an Ear Nose and Throat guy. Often they are, and don’t discount their worth. BUT don’t assume they know anything about sleep. Unless they focus on sleep, like Dr. Steven Park (who finally, after 10 years, fixed my apnea!) they are just checking the structure of your throat.
- I learned the hard way that the standard treatment for apnea is to give you a cpap or bipap, then you can adjust to it. But it’s not always the best solution.
- NOT every sleep institute or sleep specialists will be any good either.
- Most surgical procedures don’t work, and cannot be guaranteed to work. That is why the insurance companies won’t cover them, but they will cover cpap
That’s my partial list. I’ll be adding to it over time.
I’ve become sort of a sleep apnea vigilante. If I hear that anyone snores I start asking questions. “do you feel tired all the time?” etc.
And worse, we are judged by non believers!
“Why are you so tired, you got 8 hours!” “you must just be lazy” I’ve heard it a hundred times.
We do sleep, but we don’t.
I want to help you find your answer. Thanks for listening to my little rant here, and I hope you feel free to post comments.
Mark, 2009