I Dx'ed a guy while driving home tonight

[Carl LaFong]

This apnea business has started to change my perspective on the world. . .

While stopped at a traffic light on the way home from work tonight, I couldn't help notice the guy in the car next to me. I saw his eyes closing, head drooping, his hand holding a cigarette falling into his lap. He'd snap-to awake for a moment, then start the slide again. This went on four times during the red-to-green cycle of the traffic light. He was nodding again when the light turned green and the cars behind him were blowing their horns to get him to go.

Now this guy looked like a Grateful Dead roadie -- really big guy, tattoos all over, someone a sane person generally wouldn't want to mess with. A short while ago I would have written him off as just another recreational chemical case, but today was a different reaction. I figured his problem might lay elsewhere. I could be wrong, but at least I know now there could be one more explanation. Nodding off at the wheel has not been a problem for me, but I know it's a big problem for others and I get it.

But just to be safe, I made sure I drove behind him.

[apneawho]

Crazy scary.

[Pugsy]

But just to be safe, I made sure I drove behind him.

Wise decision.

[GumbyCT]

While stopped at a traffic light on the way home from work tonight, I couldn't help notice the guy in the car next to me. I saw his eyes closing, head drooping, his hand holding a cigarette falling into his lap. He'd snap-to awake for a moment, then start the slide again.

I have a friend like this, its his idea of multi-tasking, sleeping at a stop lite.

obtw - the cigarette is to keep him awake.

[LinkC]

obtw - the cigarette is to keep him awake.

Or to WAKE him up when it falls in his "lap"...

[Janknitz]

That was me two years ago--minus the cigarette. I even nodded off with my kids in the car. WHAT WAS I THINKING???

I'm horrified that I did that. I used to have places to stop for caffiene and little cat naps, and it was just normal to my kids that mom had to stop at this place with lots of shady trees to take a 15 minute nap in the car every time we went to "The City". OMG!!!!

[Bons]

I fell asleep driving a couple of times prior to diagnosis. The worst was when I woke up driving in the opposing lane on a two-lane mountain road. I learned to leave early and take a nap part-way when I visited my daughter, who was two hours away. Wait, no, the absolute worst was back when my kids were little and I used to drive them 1 1/2 hours to the Milwaukee zoo for classes. The one summer session was 6 hours, and I decided to take a short nap in the car after dropping them off at the classroom. And woke up 15 minutes before having to pick them up.

I diagnosed a member of my parish the other week. He was in the hospital and commented that he was tempted to bring the bedside urinal home with him because he gets up so often at night to pee. I asked if he snored, and when he said yes recommended a sleep study.

[Emilia]

Today, I was driving down a toll parkway here (not too crowded) where they have these LED signs with messages for traffic, detours, etc.... Today one was a message about how if you snooze you lose; don't drive drowsy. I smiled as I passed it and thought..... how cool was that?

[archangle]

I wonder how many of the zombies we see walking around are apneac, how many are chemically enhanced, "too busy to sleep", etc.

I wonder how many of the night owls and insomniacs have apnea as the root cause or at least a significant contributor to the problem.

[cubiculum]

I had my share of this, trust me. I commute about an hour and a half each way to/from work. I'd have to stop several times on my way in and on my way home to keep from falling asleep. I'd get coffee, energy drinks, snacks, just to have something to "do" to keep me awake. I also gained 50 lbs doing this. As it got worse, I actually contemplated taking a pillow and blanket in my car to work and using my lunch break to take a nap in my car.

In the months before I was diagnosed, I would fall asleep at the dinner table, sitting in the living room watching television, working on my computer. My wife would sometimes walk into the living room and find me kneeling in front of the couch, my head on a cushion, snoring like crazy. On two occasions, I fell asleep on the toilet

I filmed myself sleeping one night and realized that, in addition to snoring, I'd bolt up and gasp for air constantly throughout the night.

My sleep study results: my AHI was 100 and my O2 sat was dropping to 73%.

[Mike6977]

.

Or to WAKE him up when it falls in his "lap"...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTY6HTJoEkM

.

[rested gal]

A very well respected, board certified sleep doctor did a powerpoint presentation once, in which she stated words to this effect... "There are some people who are such obvious OSA cases that the janitor at the sleep lab could diagnose them."

It's a shame that family doctors and other medical professionals don't make LOOKING FOR possible OSA be a priority during the exam of every single person who shows up in their offices, whatever the reason for the appointment; no matter what the age, weight, gender. And I don't mean just a casual "How's your sleep?" question by the doctor.

Link to a Powerpoint presentation by board certified pulmonolgist/sleep doctor (Dr. Barbara Phillips) at a meeting of the American Lung Association of the Central Coast - November 2004:
"Not Every Patient Needs to Go to the Sleep Lab"
http://www.tnlc.com/Lara/laura/osa/Barb ... t_0830.pdf

[Tom W]

.....

[Sheriff Buford]

When I was on patrol, I had to stop these fools. Though I won most of the battles, I have gotten my butt stomped. Thanks goodness for back up help and tasers.

Sheriff

[jabman]

obtw - the cigarette is to keep him awake.

Or to WAKE him up when it falls in his "lap"...

I used to dose off while driving, I would try everything to stay awake. Like opening the windows on my car when the tempture outside was -20 below, I bet people thought I was crazy seeing me driving with my windows down in that tempture. Yes I also would use cigaretts to stay awake.