Homage to Robin Williams from a Fellow Cyclist

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
User avatar
VVV
Posts: 525
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:28 am

Homage to Robin Williams from a Fellow Cyclist

Post by VVV » Tue Aug 12, 2014 10:47 am

Neighbors said Williams was frequently seen in the neighborhood riding a bike, his preferred method of transportation.

"You see his cars parked outside the garages? That's because they're full to the brim with bicycles," neighbor Doug Brown said. "He had more bikes than outfits."
Yes, Robin Williams was a cyclist. He may have been the most passionate cycling celebrity about his bikes. When asked how many bikes he owns, he replied, "too many to count."
Robin going for a ride
Image

Robin buying another bike
Image

Image

Robin the hipster and his bike
Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Robin buying another bike
Image

Robin was often seen riding the Paradise Loop just across the Golden Gate Bridge.
Image
.....................................V

User avatar
kteague
Posts: 7768
Joined: Tue May 16, 2006 8:30 pm
Location: West and Midwest

Re: Homage to Robin Williams from a Fellow Cyclist

Post by kteague » Tue Aug 12, 2014 11:00 am

We all know Robin Williams the actor and comedian. The media and his own accounts have let us know Robin Williams the man who struggled with bipolar disorder and substance abuse. But Robin Williams the avid cyclist is a lesser known identity. Thank you for sharing that to balance the picture we have of him in our minds.

_________________
Mask: TAP PAP Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Improved Stability Mouthpiece
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Bleep/DreamPort for full nights, Tap Pap for shorter sessions

User avatar
chunkyfrog
Posts: 34377
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:10 pm
Location: Nebraska--I am sworn to keep the secret of this paradise.

Re: Homage to Robin Williams from a Fellow Cyclist

Post by chunkyfrog » Tue Aug 12, 2014 11:03 am

I thought of his line in What Dreams May Come:
"A whole human life is just a heartbeat here in Heaven. Then we'll all be together forever."
--and I wonder if another line of that film had anything to do with his affinity for bicycles:
"A whole family lost to car crashes. Enough to make a person buy a bike."

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Airsense 10 Autoset for Her

Janknitz
Posts: 8410
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:05 pm
Location: Northern California

Re: Homage to Robin Williams from a Fellow Cyclist

Post by Janknitz » Tue Aug 12, 2014 12:12 pm

It feels like a star (no pun intended) fell out of the sky.

I'm so sad that the people who bring us joy and laughter suffer so much inside. Rest in Peace, Robin.
What you need to know before you meet your DME http://tinyurl.com/2arffqx
Taming the Mirage Quattro http://tinyurl.com/2ft3lh8
Swift FX Fitting Guide http://tinyurl.com/22ur9ts
Don't Pay that Upcharge! http://tinyurl.com/2ck48rm

User avatar
Sir NoddinOff
Posts: 4190
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 5:30 pm
Location: California

Re: Homage to Robin Williams from a Fellow Cyclist

Post by Sir NoddinOff » Tue Aug 12, 2014 2:06 pm

Marin, Mill Valley and Tiburon have been some of my longtime favorite cycling places in NorCal. I've seen Robin riding around on this road bike a few times and even once on his mt bike while riding to the top of Mt Tamalpais. I would always just wave and smile cuz he looked so peaceful biking along and I always figured why bring him down from that high just so I could be a star stricken dweeb (and I was/am a big fan of his). A sad sad day, for sure. Depression sucks

Sammy Hagar is another one I see and speak to a lot on Mt Tam... the Van Halen, Cabo Wabo dude. He has a super house perched right on one of my favorite trails and is always upbeat and super friendly. Plus lots of other celebs too numerous to mention.

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ F10 Full Face Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Sleepyhead software v.0.9.8.1 Open GL and Encore Pro v2.2.
I like my ResMed AirFit F10 FFM - reasonably low leaks for my ASV therapy. I'm currently using a PR S1 AutoSV 960P Advanced. I also keep a ResMed S9 Adapt as backup. I use a heated Hibernite hose. Still rockin' with Win 7 by using GWX to stop Win 10.

Guest

Re: Homage to Robin Williams from a Fellow Cyclist

Post by Guest » Tue Aug 12, 2014 3:23 pm

To a man who brought laughter and joy to so many
Rest in Peace Robin

Til we meet again
You will be missed

ems
Posts: 2757
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2011 12:46 am

Re: Homage to Robin Williams from a Fellow Cyclist

Post by ems » Tue Aug 12, 2014 3:51 pm

I'm heartbroken... I feel as tho I lost a family member. Imagine - with all his money it couldn't buy him freedom from depression... the right doctors?... the right meds?... I'm so angry. I'm so sad.

My daughter met him at a festival just last year. She went up to him and he smiled and they chatted for a few minutes. He was just a regular guy walking around this flea market/festival with his wife.
If only the folks with sawdust for brains were as sweet and obliging and innocent as The Scarecrow! ~a friend~

User avatar
VVV
Posts: 525
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:28 am

Was Sleep Apnea Robin Williams Underlying Problem?

Post by VVV » Tue Sep 30, 2014 7:35 pm

Was Sleep Apnea Robin Williams Underlying Problem?

Interesting article brought to my attention by a fellow CPAPer.

http://doctorstevenpark.com/chicken-or- ... leep-apnea

What do you think?
.....................................V

User avatar
Julie
Posts: 19898
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:58 pm

Re: Homage to Robin Williams from a Fellow Cyclist

Post by Julie » Tue Sep 30, 2014 8:14 pm

Is there really a point to this? The article isn't exactly a profound revelation, and I suppose if we lined up 1000 celebrities, living or dead, we could speculate on how many had OSA, but to what end? So we can identify with a 'star'? He was an amazing, amazing person, with many troubles, and if he had OSA, he did, and if not, he didn't. So what?

User avatar
49er
Posts: 5624
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:18 am

Re: Was Sleep Apnea Robin Williams Underlying Problem?

Post by 49er » Wed Oct 01, 2014 2:20 am

VVV wrote:Was Sleep Apnea Robin Williams Underlying Problem?

Interesting article brought to my attention by a fellow CPAPer.

http://doctorstevenpark.com/chicken-or- ... leep-apnea

What do you think?
VVV,

I greatly respect Dr. Park but it seems like he was trying way too hard to link Williams to sleep apnea when he didn't have solid evidence. Then again, all the mental health "experts" were speculating on what was wrong with so why not an ENT doing the same thing?

49er

User avatar
chunkyfrog
Posts: 34377
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:10 pm
Location: Nebraska--I am sworn to keep the secret of this paradise.

Re: Homage to Robin Williams from a Fellow Cyclist

Post by chunkyfrog » Wed Oct 01, 2014 11:31 am

It is sad how the unreasonable drive to publish (anything) can eventually cheapen one's credibility.
I am puzzled by the amount of awe directed towards celebrity doctors.
Sad to see that Dr. Park appears to inching in that direction.
If increased awareness is the outcome, perhaps his sacrifice will not be in vain.

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Airsense 10 Autoset for Her

User avatar
Not Fade
Posts: 141
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 7:06 pm

Re: Was Sleep Apnea Robin Williams Underlying Problem?

Post by Not Fade » Wed Oct 01, 2014 8:03 pm

VVV wrote:Was Sleep Apnea Robin Williams Underlying Problem?

Interesting article brought to my attention by a fellow CPAPer.

http://doctorstevenpark.com/chicken-or- ... leep-apnea

What do you think?
Psychiatrists and mental health counselors recognize that many of their patients do not sleep well. But they are also famous for never recommending a sleep study. They just pump the patient with powerful but ineffective mind-altering drugs and nonsensical talk therapy sessions.

It would be interesting to know if Robin ever had a sleep study. I would be willing to bet he did not. And that is a shame.

User avatar
kaiasgram
Posts: 3568
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2012 2:08 pm
Location: Northern California

Re: Homage to Robin Williams from a Fellow Cyclist

Post by kaiasgram » Wed Oct 01, 2014 8:50 pm

In my "nonsensical talk therapy " practice I routinely ask clients about their sleep, even when it's a couple coming in for marital therapy. I find myself not infrequently suggesting a sleep study these days. People are often surprised since that is not what they expect to hear when they come to see me, and many blow off my recommendation. Some have listened, gone for a sleep study, and not surprisingly (to me), have been diagnosed with sleep apnea.

Comprehensive education on medical conditions that can cause mental health symptoms is not part of most mental health professionals' formal training, but it should be -- right alongside the psychopharmacology course that we are required to take. But through experience I've learned to question my clients about their sleep, whether they've had a recent physical, what medications they take, whether they've ever had their thyroid and reproductive hormones tested, and more. Sometimes doctors are quick to dismiss patients and give them mental health referrals, but sometimes those mental health professionals are the ones who pick up on the red flags and get the patient back into the medical system for the appropriate diagnosis and treatment. I know I'm not the only one.

When you know better, you can do better.

_________________
Machine: AirSense 10 AutoSet with Heated Humidifer + Aifit N30i Nasal Mask Bundle
Mask: Aloha Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: SleepyHead-now-OSCAR software on Mac OSX Ventura

User avatar
Therapist
Posts: 213
Joined: Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:31 pm

Re: Homage to Robin Williams from a Fellow Cyclist

Post by Therapist » Thu Oct 02, 2014 5:28 am

I find myself not infrequently suggesting a sleep study these days.
Good for you, but I am a little concerned about using the term "not infrequently". It seems to me this indicates a shyness about making recommendations for sleep studies.

Comprehensive education on medical conditions that can cause mental health symptoms is not part of most mental health professionals' formal training

Now there is the crux of the problem. Licensed professionals tend to do what they are trained to do and in this case there is no training.

I had a discussion some time ago with an MD friend about an acquaintance of mine who spent a year with a therapist with things only getting worse. After I insisted she get a sleep study, she was found to have severe OSA and after starting CPAP improved dramatically and stopped seeing the therapist.

I told the MD it was very disappointing that the therapist wasted a year. To my surprise and shock the MD told me his wife was a therapist. And quickly added that she would have made the same mistake because that is the way therapists are trained.

This problem is not confined to therapists. Most GPs are clueless.

VVV, I also think Robin should have undergone a sleep study. In addition to apnea there are many other things that could have been detected. We will probably never know.

.

_________________
Mask
Additional Comments: Pressure 8 - 12. Without CPAP I would be unhealthy.
I am not a medical professional and I have no medical training.

ems
Posts: 2757
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2011 12:46 am

Re: Homage to Robin Williams from a Fellow Cyclist

Post by ems » Thu Oct 02, 2014 11:46 am

Therapist wrote:
I find myself not infrequently suggesting a sleep study these days.
Good for you, but I am a little concerned about using the term "not infrequently". It seems to me this indicates a shyness about making recommendations for sleep studies.

May I suggest you not concern yourself with the words, "not infrequently". When you go back and read Kaiasgram's posts, you'll find that her intuition serves her quite well.
If only the folks with sawdust for brains were as sweet and obliging and innocent as The Scarecrow! ~a friend~