Living with Sleep Apnea

Nowadays, all the experts say write about what you know or produce content on what you know. Well, today I am. Maybe someone out in the world to find this blog that I’ve written and go get a sleep study.

Let me first set the stage here though because that first paragraph doesn’t even scratch the surface. I was unaware that I was living with a sleep disorder. In fact my whole family was up until my brother went and had a sleep study and found out he stopped breathing in his sleep over a hundred times a night.

You’re probably thinking what in the world did that do to him, well I’m going to tell you. First a joke about it. As humans we live and we die, one thing we do not need is our own body attempting murder on us while we’re asleep! Death by strangulation!

Yes I’m laughing about it, a serious disorder and I am laughing about it. If you want to know why, here it is. Comedian Jim Norton has sleep apnea and uses it as a bit in his show and talk to about how unattractive he looks with his sleeping mask on. So unattractive that he wonders how a women or his girlfriend even finds him as a suitable partner. At one point he even called himself Darth Vader or a jet fighter pilot.

Okay, now with the sidebar out of the way back to my brother. Over 100 times a night, serious problem! What it caused was severe fatigue and no energy. He couldn’t stay awake and his job and he felt like his life was falling apart and in some ways it may have been.

Here is the part story where it starts getting better. You know the old saying it gets worse before you better, well this is it. After getting his diagnosis of sleep apnea he was able to get on a treatment plan with a breathing machine a doctor prescribed for him.

So this is where my story begins. After getting on his treatment plan he recommended I get a sleep study and sure enough found out soon after that I share the same sleep disorder with my brother.

Now you are probably wondering what the treatment is and how it all works out. Well, it is a breathing machine or dream station. The device forces air into your body so that you do not stop breathing overnight. In both my brother case and mine we’re considered severe. Most doctors try and keep the episodes below 10 at the end and even lower.

In fact while, I’m writing this, I am reminded that I need to call my doctor for a compliance report. After my yearly checkup I was told my episodes in spiked by 10 and we’re in the process of correcting that.

What does this all mean? It means if you’re out there in the world and not sleeping well I recommend a sleep study. It may just save your life and help you recover it too. Don’t believe me, that’s okay. I’m just trying to tell you what it’s like to be sick and tired after being sick and tired. Thanks for reading!

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Author: Jonathan Miller

Digital Media | @jonfun circa 2000. Pro Wrestling. Positivity. Mindset. Motivational. Also, friendly neighborhood custodian.