For many of us it was a long road before finally being diagnosed for sleep apnea. Many of us regret not knowing about this condition far earlier when we were experiencing signs and might have been tested if we'd only known about this. For me, I clearly had symptoms at least 6 years ago.
How long would you say you experienced CLEAR signs of sleep apnea before being diagnosed, a period of time during which you might have gotten earlier treatment? ....Pick a best guess.
Linda
(be gentle, I'm new to this poll stuff)
How long with symptoms before diagnosis?
My best guess is I have had it my whole life, it just never got "bad" enough for me to seek treatment until I got older, more out of shape.
But I know my brother, who shared a bedroom with me 20+ years ago always used to complain of my snoring.
I know that I have always hated mornings, that I can never remember waking up feeling "refreshed" in the morning.
I know that its always been there, just used to think I was lazy and "not a morning person". It wasn't until I got older, under more stress, and more out of shape, that it really started bothering me. And even then, it took quite a while before I did something about it. I didn't even know what sleep apnea was until just a few years ago.
But I know my brother, who shared a bedroom with me 20+ years ago always used to complain of my snoring.
I know that I have always hated mornings, that I can never remember waking up feeling "refreshed" in the morning.
I know that its always been there, just used to think I was lazy and "not a morning person". It wasn't until I got older, under more stress, and more out of shape, that it really started bothering me. And even then, it took quite a while before I did something about it. I didn't even know what sleep apnea was until just a few years ago.
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rustynail
Hey LDuyer,
I thought it was possible I had it for years, but I didn't know enough to know the symptoms. Finally saw my doctor after having headaches and brain fog for half a year.
This is how bad the brain fog was: We were having the kitchen redone and we put all the important stuff like checkbooks and stamps and bills etc in a bag and wrote in magic marker all over it SAVE SAVE SAVE. And then on garbage day I dutifully threw it out.
And seeing my doctor was just the beginning...
I thought it was possible I had it for years, but I didn't know enough to know the symptoms. Finally saw my doctor after having headaches and brain fog for half a year.
This is how bad the brain fog was: We were having the kitchen redone and we put all the important stuff like checkbooks and stamps and bills etc in a bag and wrote in magic marker all over it SAVE SAVE SAVE. And then on garbage day I dutifully threw it out.
And seeing my doctor was just the beginning...
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rested gal
- Posts: 12881
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2004 10:14 pm
- Location: Tennessee
At least since my teenage years.
Got on cpap in October 2003 a little over a month before I turned 58.
Lotta years of massive snoring and sleepy driving. Whew!
In defense of doctors (can you believe I'm saying that! ) I'll have to say I never asked a doctor about it.
All my life, I thought: "Lots of people snore. I wish I didn't since it's so unladylike, but it's just an annoyance. Doesn't everyone get sleepy driving and have to pull over for catnaps? And...some people just aren't 'morning people'."
Thank God for the message boards!
Got on cpap in October 2003 a little over a month before I turned 58.
Lotta years of massive snoring and sleepy driving. Whew!
In defense of doctors (can you believe I'm saying that! ) I'll have to say I never asked a doctor about it.
All my life, I thought: "Lots of people snore. I wish I didn't since it's so unladylike, but it's just an annoyance. Doesn't everyone get sleepy driving and have to pull over for catnaps? And...some people just aren't 'morning people'."
Thank God for the message boards!
Rested Gal,
But don't you think if somewhere along the way, if you had picked up some eye-catching brochure on the subject while sitting in your GP's waiting room, you might have learned that there might be a physical reason for what you were poo-pooing as not unusual?
I mean, I don't go to a doctor thinking "Gee, wonder if I have diabetes" or something like that. You're tested for it because you exhibit some symptoms. If doctors were savvy enough (quite a stretch to hope for THAT) to ask the right questions, or plop some info into your lap, maybe you might have learned earlier. Granted, sleep apnea is still a new thing, relatively speaking. But I think NOW, there is no excuse for the word not getting out, IMHO.
Linda
But don't you think if somewhere along the way, if you had picked up some eye-catching brochure on the subject while sitting in your GP's waiting room, you might have learned that there might be a physical reason for what you were poo-pooing as not unusual?
I mean, I don't go to a doctor thinking "Gee, wonder if I have diabetes" or something like that. You're tested for it because you exhibit some symptoms. If doctors were savvy enough (quite a stretch to hope for THAT) to ask the right questions, or plop some info into your lap, maybe you might have learned earlier. Granted, sleep apnea is still a new thing, relatively speaking. But I think NOW, there is no excuse for the word not getting out, IMHO.
Linda
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rested gal
- Posts: 12881
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2004 10:14 pm
- Location: Tennessee
How long....
I had a sleep study done several years ago because of snoring, etc. The doctor was a jerk - told me to lose weight, go to sleep at 10 and get up at 7, quit smoking, blab blab blab. Then, he looks at my nose and tells me to get this mole removed. I told him that I had it removed several times and it kept coming back, but it was benign. He said get it removed again. Well, I did, it was benign, but did not come back this time. I still snored lol.
The reason I had the sleep study this time is so I can have the gastric bypass surgery. The sleep study is required for some reason. Glad I did, since my results were so bad. Oxygen level got down to 76% at one time. My cpap is really making me feel better and my snoring is really better.
My doctor is really good and I like her a lot. She is really trying to help me with my problems and being approved for my surgery. My mother also goes to the same doctor and I am always present during any visit because of mother's age. The doctor helps me with all her needs which I really appreciate.
Signed - Becky - one of the few people who really likes her doctor
The reason I had the sleep study this time is so I can have the gastric bypass surgery. The sleep study is required for some reason. Glad I did, since my results were so bad. Oxygen level got down to 76% at one time. My cpap is really making me feel better and my snoring is really better.
My doctor is really good and I like her a lot. She is really trying to help me with my problems and being approved for my surgery. My mother also goes to the same doctor and I am always present during any visit because of mother's age. The doctor helps me with all her needs which I really appreciate.
Signed - Becky - one of the few people who really likes her doctor
I just had my first night of sleep study. My questions is, when I have the gastric bypass surgery and lose weight, will I still have to wear this equipment? I have not received all results, but oxygen level did go down to 76. That they did not like.
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rested gal
- Posts: 12881
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2004 10:14 pm
- Location: Tennessee
Linda, yes indeed, a catchy brochure might have made a lightbulb go off. Especially if it had had these words in huge letters on the front:
HOW TO STOP SNORING
I think that's probably the only phrase that would have caught my attention enough to even open the brochure.
Hopefully there will be more newspaper and mainstream magazine articles about sleep apnea. And more mention of it on TV. There were more after Reggie White's death, of course.
I hope as more studies keep turning up possible links between sleep apnea and other devastating illnesses/conditions, the information output will snowball until every snorer and every sleepy driver out there will start asking their doctors about it. I know you can have it without overt snoring, but that's often a big, big sign to get oneself checked out.
Too many people still seem to think something is not all that important if it happens "during sleep".
I ran into that mindset the other day, talking to a friend who said they snore, wake up multiple times during the night, and has multiple health problems including congestive heart failure!
No matter how many ways I explained what might be happening and why it should be checked out, the person kept saying, "I don't think I need a sleep study. I sleep enough hours even with waking up a lot. I just go back to sleep. I don't think I need something to make me sleep better, because I already sleep ok."
I'm not sure what could be put on the front of a brochure to catch that person's attention. Oh well, we do what we can.
Cool poll, btw, Linda!
HOW TO STOP SNORING
I think that's probably the only phrase that would have caught my attention enough to even open the brochure.
Hopefully there will be more newspaper and mainstream magazine articles about sleep apnea. And more mention of it on TV. There were more after Reggie White's death, of course.
I hope as more studies keep turning up possible links between sleep apnea and other devastating illnesses/conditions, the information output will snowball until every snorer and every sleepy driver out there will start asking their doctors about it. I know you can have it without overt snoring, but that's often a big, big sign to get oneself checked out.
Too many people still seem to think something is not all that important if it happens "during sleep".
I ran into that mindset the other day, talking to a friend who said they snore, wake up multiple times during the night, and has multiple health problems including congestive heart failure!
No matter how many ways I explained what might be happening and why it should be checked out, the person kept saying, "I don't think I need a sleep study. I sleep enough hours even with waking up a lot. I just go back to sleep. I don't think I need something to make me sleep better, because I already sleep ok."
I'm not sure what could be put on the front of a brochure to catch that person's attention. Oh well, we do what we can.
Cool poll, btw, Linda!