Happy Sleep Apnea Awareness Day!

Here is what is happening with the ASAA-sponsored events today:

Thursday March 8, 2007

Event: American Sleep Apnea Association Press Conference

* Release Revised Snore Score
* CPAP in Hospital Patient Education Bulletin
* Announce Indigent Patient Program
* Announce Apnea Advocacy Action Program

Event: Author reading

Location - Ross Elementary School
1:00 PM - Nancy Rothstein will read My Daddy Snores
3:00 PM - Reception


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Don't forget to go here to check out what the A.W.A.K.E. groups in your area are doing in honor of SAAD.

Click here to order Nancy Rothstein's book, "My Daddy Snores" for your child.

In the meanwhile, you can also help spread the word about this disorder debunking the myth that older, overweight men are the only people that are affected by sleep apnea. On the contrary, this disorder also affects younger men as well as women and children of all ages, races, and weight.

Sleep apnea occurs about twice as often in men, and risk increases with age, usually after age 40; however, women with the condition are less often diagnosed than men, especially if they have mild or early stage sleep apnea.

People who are overweight are also at greater risk, and though there's been talk about whether obesity causes apnea, scientific studies have yet to prove this as a definite theory.

Genetics, facial and skull structure, and menopause have also been shown to be high risk factors for sleep apnea.

It is estimated that about 18 million people have sleep apnea, but suffer needlessly from this common and potentially life-threatening disorder because they usually have no knowledge that they have the problem and therefore, do not seek treatment until another, more serious, condition arises.

Once diagnosed, different treatment options exist for sleep disordered breathing problems, from non-invasive procedures such as PAP (Positive Airway Pressure) devices or oral appliances designed to keep the throat open, to surgical options, such as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP, involving the removal of tissue from the rear of the mouth and top of the throat, as well as the tonsils and adenoids), but surgical procedures usually are not necessary.

Common symptoms include snoring, daytime sleepiness, weight gain, and un-refreshing sleep. It has also been associated with hypertension, strokes automobile accidents, mood and memory problems, heart disease, and in some cases, brain damage and death.

For more information on sleep apnea, visit http://www.sleepapnea.org.

Thanks for the reminder, LoriD!

I'm getting ready to head out to medical offices in my area with an armload of literature. I decided to staple a cover page to: 1) Dr. Standage's "Sleeping with the Enemy" article, and 2) a hard-copy of the Berlin Questionaire. My cover page simply says:

March 8th, 2007 is:
SLEEP APNEA AWARENESS DAY

Of course, I nicely centered the above text on that cover page. SleepGuy made it easy to print the "Sleeping with the Enemy" article by offering it in PDF format here: http://www.pur-sleep.com/uploads/SleepingEnemy.pdf

He also made it easy to print the Berlin questionnaire (which I attached) by making that questionnaire available on his web site as well: http://www.pur-sleep.com/uploads/Berlin ... nnaire.pdf


Today is a great day to spread the word! Tomorrow and the day after are not bad days either! Just spread the word in whatever way you think is appropriate! .

-SWS wrote:Thanks for the reminder, LoriD!

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Today is a great day to spread the word! Tomorrow and the day after are not bad days either! Just spread the word in whatever way you think is appropriate! .

Yes indeed, thank you, LoriD!

Good idea of what to use as the handouts, -SWS.

I'll be skipping around to some doctors' offices today to plant those flags, too.

Also, Happy Birthday to 3 of our Ladies today: Bonnie, Tater Pie, and Mary (Bookwrm63). Also, Mary (DivinMercy) whose birthday was on the 6th.

Here're some cake, balloons, and of course, sweet tater pie.

Hey Slinky, Happy Birthday to you too. Sorry, I didn't get you invited to the original party post.

Wow! Thanks, Linda. It was so sweet of you to remember my birthday.

tater pie wrote:Wow! Thanks, Linda. It was so sweet of you to remember my birthday.

And baked the fresh "tater pie" for you too. ... Wishing you many more.

-SWS wrote: I'm getting ready to head out to medical offices in my area with an armload of literature. I decided to staple a cover page to: 1) Dr. Standage's "Sleeping with the Enemy" article, and 2) a hard-copy of the Berlin Questionaire. My cover page simply says:

March 8th, 2007 is:
SLEEP APNEA AWARENESS DAY

When I attempted the above I received very unexpected results.

I didn't receive a single frown or negative comment! Not a one! I only received about two indifferent responses, and all the other medical offices gave me a pleasant or downright warm response. Wow! I honestly did not expect that. But I will admit that I dressed up in a suit and tie, and tried to start each introduction with a warm smile. I'm absolutely no salesman---that's for sure! But here's an approach that seemed to work pretty well for me:

Me: (approaching desk with a smile) "Hi, I'm a patient!"

Them: (a tentative expression that typically turns into a smile on their part as they listen to what this smiling patient dressed in a suit and tie has to say

Me: (holding up a document with a cover page that clearly stands out to say NATIONAL SLEEP APNEA AWARENESS DAY) "May I leave an article in honor of the occasion today? It's for absolutely anyone on staff who cares to read it. I think you'll find it interesting!"

Them: ( an entire variety of unexpected very positive reactions; some are looks of appreciation, some are looks of epiphany, but almost always a big smile accompanied by a nod and some kind of verbal affirmative like:) "Sure!"

Sometimes I would stay and briefly chat. The dermatologist's office was one office in particular that I targeted and received a chat with the doctor. I couldn't wait to tell him that I was once a dermatology patient. That the skin on my knuckles once peeled and flaked, but that the dermatologist I saw could never completely solve the problem. But that after I went on CPAP the problem with the skin on my knuckles completely cleared with nothing more than OTC hand lotion. I told him that I suspected hypoxemia associated with my untreated apnea severely aggravated my own skin predisposition. His eyebrows arched in epiphany as he smiled and nodded in agreement.

Now since I'm a man, I should mention what a deviously fun time I had walking into OBY/GYN offices, only to deliver my usual introduction: "Hi, I'm a patient!" I admittedly garnered a few surprised looks at that point. But I sure piqued their curiosity at that point as well! I had earlier decided that any medical office would be fair target for me, regardless of practice or sub-specialty. I admittedly wasn't sure this was the right strategy. But while leaving a large pediatric practice, I realized that my policy of indiscriminate information sharing was a good one. Just as I was reaching for the door I heard one oif the staff members behind the front desk literally groan in a low, loud voice: "Ooooh... that's me!" I turned around to see her leafing through the literature with her two colleagues huddled around her. At that point I felt extreme satisfaction.

Driving home, I tried to analyze why my small gesture made me feel inordinately good deep down inside. I realized that my gesture was probably not multiplied by the many thousands that are needed to increase sleep apnea awareness within the medical community. The message board response to rally the troops was not what I had hoped. So why did my miniscule contribution feel so good? Then it suddenly dawned on me exactly why:

Instead of sleep apnea kicking my ass as it had been doing for so many years, I was out in person kicking sleep apnea's ass.

It also dawned on me that I could go out 365 days a year and kick sleep apnea's ass. I'll be out again. You can count on it.

Way to go -SWS! You da man!

I posted information from Dr. Standage in my blog....

http://uprightbear.livejournal.com/

What an super report about your day, -SWS!!

I went to only 6 doctors' offices today - all GP's. Happy to say that the receptionists accepted the handouts. What they did with them afterwards, I don't know. What you heard as you were leaving one office sounds very encouraging...it was really being read!!

Thanks Linda! That was very nice of you.

I was out of town until this morning and celebrated my Bday in a hotel room all by myself last night ...So here's a Happy Belated B-Day greeting to TaterPie, Mary, Mary the 6th and Slinky, too!

bookwrm63 wrote:Way to go -SWS! You da man!

LOL! Thanks, bookwrm63! I originally hit the streets just to help with what I thought was a great cause. But I also found some unexpected "emotional payback". I didn't expect my volunteer work to be therapeutic. But it sure was!

rested gal wrote:What you heard as you were leaving one office sounds very encouraging...it was really being read!!

Yea, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect anyone to start reading my handouts before I even managed to leave the premises! But even the dermatologist started to read the document before I left his office.


My personal thanks to those who made various contributions on Sleep Apnea Awareness Day! And a wonderful and very Happy Birthday to our great members who are celebrating birthdays this week! .

-SWS,

You are my hero!

Now, did you manage to get someone to take a photo of you on one of your rounds?? Huh, huh, huh? ... Inquiring minds.


Linda