"Lose the Weight and your Sleep Apnea Will Go away!"

[chunkyfrog]

Such a shame! I wonder where this ditz got HER medical degree!
So far, I have been much luckier. I always try to convey my enthusiasm for CPAP to others--I cannot NOT try to help someone--discomfort aside.
But I am rather thick-skinned. I had apnea when I was thin, but ignorance such as this postponed my diagnosis until after it made me fat and nearly killed me. It probably killed my father. He only lived to fifty years--and he wasn't fat.

[Tiki]

Sorry to hear that. I get that misconception all the time too. I'm 5' 5" and 125 lbs - I've been tired and misdiagnosed for 10 years because my body type and gender didn't match the "norm".

[Kahfree]

So Many posts, and so many encouragements. Thank you everyone, you are all so great. I was "ashamed" today and wanted to hide because I felt as though I was being judged. I have had breathing problems my entire life and I can post photos of me through the years that show how thin I was. Sleep Apnea is in my family, as two brothers and my aunt are all on the cpap. My brothers are over 6 feet and only one is overweight, but when he started treatment he was not. However, he has other medical issues as well and an additional lung condition (not from smoking, he does not smoke)

I told my son about it today when I got home and he was quite livid because my son said ignorance is always going to be around. He did tell me not to care what she said, but said that would be like telling someone who has cancer "Why not just eat better and your cancer will go away!"

Anyway, What does not kill me will make me stronger, and today's lesson was what I use to tell my children when they were small. "Never talk to strangers!!" lol

I will from now on politely excuse myself from discussions of my health in the future when someone I do not know asks. I will tell them to please understand that I do not discuss private matters with strangers or those who do not intend to provide for my cost of care. Then, I shall ask "Would you like to pay for that information? "

[drj130]

Kahfree, like I tell many people, I don't care what others think about me, the only opinion that I care about is my wife's. What others think about me doesn't even register on my brain when they speak about me. As for the uninformed, I love laughing at them when I hear things they are talking about and they have no clue. I love the strange looks I get when they look at me when I chuckle when I hear what they're talking about and the fact that they are so lost on the subject.

I wish you luck on all your endeavors.

David

[BlackSpinner]

So Many posts, and so many encouragements. Thank you everyone, you are all so great.
I will from now on politely excuse myself from discussions of my health in the future when someone I do not know asks. I will tell them to please understand that I do not discuss private matters with strangers or those who do not intend to provide for my cost of care. Then, I shall ask "Would you like to pay for that information? "

Right, instead of seeing it as something to make YOU ashamed think of it as a way of educating the ignorant. After all they are the ones who are wrong. Also the most vehement are often in denial and you kicking them back about their ignorance may actually help someone else get diagnosed.

[Country4ever]

I think it has alot more to do with the tissue integrity of our oral and naso pharynxes (is that the right plural?).......which is probably genetic. Also, aging loosens those tissues up too. When I hit perimenopause, seems like all those tissues in my throat and nose got really weak.

[sleepy.sleeperson]

This is exactly why I don't tell people I have apnea. The first thing they think is "it's because you are so fat." (Which I am, no argument there.) I know that skinny people get it, too. But they don't. So I just don't open my mouth.

As an aside, when I was first diagnosed a few weeks ago, I asked if it was something I would have forever. I asked, "For instance, if I lost a lot of weight, would that help?" He said, "No. At your severity, I seriously doubt it is something that will go away, no matter how much weight you lose." Which is both comforting and frightening at the same time...

[kroppdf]

I was diagnosed in November and my Machine came in mid December. So I have been on it for about 6 weeks now and I feel great and I am sleeping. Now for my story I was going to my Dr's because I was not sleeping for about 6 months ( well my wife made me go). So I had every sign of OSA but I am not over weight. I am 6ft. and weight 170, my BMI is 23.1 and I exercise 4 time a week. my Dr would not send me for a sleep test because I was not over weight. he said to try some sleeping pills. So I did 1 1/2 years later I was on sleeping pills and than another pill to help with the side affects. So the whole time telling my Dr. to give me a sleep test, but he would not. and still not sleeping. So finally frustrated with the whole thing. A friend of mine again not over weight (but different Dr) He was diagnosed with sleep apnea. So back I go to the Dr's and told him that I don't care if he did not think I had sleep apnea I needed a sleep test, some thing was wrong. So now I know I was having them every 2 minutes.

So you can tell them that you do know people that have it and not over weight. And I also get the same response as robysue when I tell people.

I hope this will encourage some of you.

[SnoozyQ]

I'm sorry you had to encounter this "genius". She must have the solutions to all the world's problems...she should write a book.

I haven't encountered anyone that rude yet...mostly bc I don't talk about it, for reasons similar to your story. I get enough sideways looks from my coworkers when I've struggled--bc I couldn't possibly feel THAT bad. It doesn't help that they find enjoyment out of one-upping each other with their ailments...if one has a knee problem, the other has it in BOTH knees and it's much worse. If one has a headache, the other has a raging migraine. You get the idea. So even though I may be "tired" I can't be as tired as they are! Right....
I'm sure if I said "I stop breathing and my oxygen levels drop when I sleep" they would trump me with "oh yeah? When I sleep I don't get ANY oxygen, die and bring myself back to life".

It's sites like this that help so much, bc at times, you can feel pretty alone as a CPAPer.

[AliciasEquineArt]

I too have heard this- even the Dr. at the Sleep clinic told me that if I lose weight it will most likely help. (I am just over 5'7 and 150lbs, still in my BMI range for a healthy weight) Thing is, my metabolism is so slow that I have been working out 6-7 days a week and dieting for 4 months and the scale won't budge. OSA is causing this and they go hand in hand- Have OSA, weight Gain, or the inability to lose weight. I believe I had OSA when I was 16 and 110 lbs... thats when the symptoms started noticeably anyways.

Some people need a smack... It's just rediculous.

[M.D.Hosehead]

if one has a knee problem, the other has it in BOTH knees and it's much worse. If one has a headache, the other has a raging migraine. You get the idea. So even though I may be "tired" I can't be as tired as they are! Right....
I'm sure if I said "I stop breathing and my oxygen levels drop when I sleep" they would trump me with "oh yeah? When I sleep I don't get ANY oxygen, die and bring myself back to life".

LMAO. So true.
And isn't the one-up discussion even more ridiculous when the subject turns to BM's?

[sister]

I agree,I get really tired of people telling me,'you are too small to have sleep apnea'. I am 5'6 and weigh 130 lbs but I have also been small all my life.
People just don't understand at all.

[KimberlyM]

I am admittedly 25 pounds overweight and my sleep doctor did tell me he has had many patients no longer needing CPAP after weight loss. This is not to say that there are not many reasons people need CPAP, just that for some, weight is the issue. Just trying to give a fair and balanced viewpoint. It is too bad there are no studies that can verify how weight loss has impacted CPAP usage needs.

[scrapper]

if one has a knee problem, the other has it in BOTH knees and it's much worse. If one has a headache, the other has a raging migraine. You get the idea. So even though I may be "tired" I can't be as tired as they are! Right....
I'm sure if I said "I stop breathing and my oxygen levels drop when I sleep" they would trump me with "oh yeah? When I sleep I don't get ANY oxygen, die and bring myself back to life".

LMAO. So true.
And isn't the one-up discussion even more ridiculous when the subject turns to BM's?

After a very short, but of course, very respectable time frame, when my folks and their many friends start such conversations....."Thanks for the Organ Recital--I think we've heard enough about all of your organs, now let's move on."

[nicholasjh1]

I actually haven't encountered anyone that rude yet. Someone did mention something about the weight and I set them straight (I think it was my x-wife actually and one other person) but they accepted what I told them. Partially the benefits of being a man sadly. I'm sorry they treated you this way.