I think when people come here and are in denial, they are looking for someone to say - you're right. cpap is terrible. you're not crazy. it's really hard. don't use it because it doesn't really do any good. And then I think they are surprised when people don't coddle them with platitudes. I'm sure there are other OSA boards that are more focused on cpap alternatives. Would it be better to just point them to those boards instead of try to change their mind or scare the shit out of them? Or am I living in Internet Forum Fantasy Land??? IFFL = If you Fail Feel Free to Leave. Ok, past my bedtime. I'm rambling now.
Considering that my brother is in denial, and won't even tell me what brand of machine is hiding in his closet, I would rather scare the shit out of him. Right now, I am trying to scare his wife. My family does have a history or heart disease. My grandfather on my dad's side died almost 5 years before I was born. I think he was 44 or 45. My uncle was 2 years older than my dad, and he died 5 or 6 years ago. He was out on a weekly hike, didn't feel good, and had a heart attack before the medics arrived. He was lean and seemingly healthy. My dad got 2 stents in an artery a couple years ago when he went in for pain, and they found a 94% blockage.
I put off my treatment for years because I thought it was just lack of sleep. My own form of denial was simply not to look into it as I look into just about anything else that comes up. If I had actually spent 20 minutes doing a google search, I would have known about the heart problems, high blood pressure, and stroke. I knew I didn't want to use a cpap machine, so I never bothered to look at sleep apnea and see what it was about.
Now, that I have fessed up, did the sleep study, and started treatment (4 months now), I feel much better. I'm not even consistent yet as I have a few great nights, a few really bad nights, and mostly good and okay nights. But I can already feel t he improvements in my health. And in a way, it is addictive. It feels so good to have an awesome night, that I want one again, and I will keep trying because I want it.
I am trying to help friends get started or get back on it. And I really want my brother to give it an honest try. I don't want to lose him at an early age. He is already 47, older than my grandfather was when he died.
At my birthday dinner a few weeks ago, I did my best to promote cpap treatment in a positive way. I told him how much better I feel, how my blood pressure is better, and how cool it is see the data and have a nice mask. My mom told him how I got her going again, and she now has a better machine, better mask, and feels better too. My sister jumped in and told him much nicer it is to share a hotel room with me as my machine is whisper quiet, and I don't snore anymore.
The positives did not help one slight bit. He doesn't want to be convinced. He won't do his own research. So, cold hard facts are the next techniques. I suspect the only way to make him serious about treatment will be a heart attack. I just hope it isn't his last day on earth. For some people, the first obvious symptom of heart disease is the heart attack that kills them.
Who would have thought it would be this challenging to sleep and breathe at the same time?