Let’s be completely honest with ourselves. We often worry or care more for looks than what is best for us, even if that means sacrificing doing some of the right things that are good for us. Having seen family and friends with their clumsy and horrid looking CPAP masks on, I truly believed that I would avoid wearing one of them at all costs. Even if that meant losing sleep over it.
Because of my personal feelings of the cosmetic end, I procrastinated in doing something about my fatigue and lack of sleep problems. Worry over how I looked superseded any actions I would take to get the rest I needed. I took chances when I should have been smarter and wiser. Driving and being sleepy is dangerous and should be avoided. Falling asleep during corporate meetings was also unacceptable and the nudge given to me when I fell asleep was mostly appreciated but becoming a habit.
Well, as time passed, I began to fall asleep more often during afternoon meetings and driving the car to and from work that was quite a distance. In fact, I had to pull over every two hours to remain awake and alert while driving. I fought the idea of taking a sleep study for years. I procrastinated as long as I could until I awoke one day on a hot August afternoon with people honking their horns at me for falling asleep at the traffic light.
It was time to do a sleep study. I submitted to the fact that I needed to take some drastic action to regain my alertness and get rid of the fatigue that mainly hit me in the late afternoons. I talked to my doctor and he ordered a sleep study.
I read up on these types of studies and found the info useful to reduce my stress a bit, enough for me to fall asleep while under the care of the lab technicians who hooked me up to the wires required to read all my physiological signals. I finally realized that being in such a condition of fatigue and lack of sleep gave me additional stress and caused me to suffer from the side effects of sleep deprivation.
The environment was pleasant and neutral. The room was like a bedroom and set up to make me feel comfortable as the technicians assured me that they would be there next door and that the equipment hooked to my body through at least a dozen electronic transmitters were harmless but needed to take the readings of my body functionality while sleeping.
I slept for about two hours before I woke up. As I was lying there awake, the techs came into my room and asked me if I was okay. I said, “Yes, I am fine.” We then resumed the testing and by the end of the overnight study, it was determined that I had a very severe case of sleep apnea or obstructed breathing [obstructive sleep apnea or OSA] and snoring problem.
They told me that I had experienced numerous nanosecond periods of my heart stopping and that my oxygen levels were very low at some points. During the entire study, I never reached REM. They also told me that my body was never completely rested. What shocked me most was my body’s low level of oxygen and my heart rate being affected by the obstructed breathing during sleep.
After the study, I was presented with the options available and issued a CPAP machine, set at a predetermined pressure level and a full mask that covered my face. I didn’t like the mask but once I got used to it, I realized that with it on, I slept better, deeper in REM and felt less fatigued the next day. The hardest adjustment was finding a more comfortable sleeping position that didn’t get me tangled up in the tube that was six feet long.
No matter how I cut the cards, I hated the mask and the wife didn’t like the air leaking from the mask when I laid on the pillow a certain way. In fact, she turned away from me when sleeping with the mask on to avoid hearing the air leaks. I had to adjust and refit the straps for several days until it fit right. I also began to shave more often to keep the seal intact because of my facial hair.
It seemed to be more of a hassle than it was worth but in reality, I was getting better, more alert and more energetic with the mask on. I felt good, somewhat reinvigorated and younger in spirit. It gave me a little spring in my step if you know what I mean. From that end of the spectrum, it was a positive improvement in the romance category. In such moments, the mask was only donned after all the playful activities were done for the evening.
My endurance improved as my daily activities became manageable and enjoyable again without the laboring efforts of trying to staying awake. The mask was still annoying but the price was worth the effort. I guess if it wasn’t for the mask, I would have considered early retirement – but with the CPAP therapy, my career was extended over a longer period of time. It paid off in the long run.
