“A Monster in the House”

I knew I had a problem when sleeping overnight at a family friend’s house and their daughter came into her parents bedroom in the middle of the night and said:  “Mommy, there’s a monster in the house making a scary noise.”

That “monster” was me, and that noise was my snoring.

It seemed funny and harmless at the time, but my wife encouraged me to see my General Practitioner to see if there was anything that could be done.  She had noticed that I would often doze off unexpectedly when we were riding in the car, or in my office, or at her family’s gatherings, even after a night’s sleep.  I had an explanation for the last one, but not the first two.

She was even kind enough to point out that I could stand to lose the pounds I had gained since our wedding, and maybe the doctor could help.

I went to see my GP.  After a thorough examination and seeing blood pressure and cholesterol numbers usually associated with someone twice my age and a wide variety of troubling symptoms, she said that it might not be my fault.  It could be attributed to Obstructive Sleep Apnea. 

I had an overnight sleep study and the diagnosis was positive, but there things that could be done for it.  I was fitted for my CPAP, which was a little strange at first, but even in the three years that I’ve had it, the hardware has improved so significantly that I hardly even notice it while sleeping.

I don’t leave home without it.  With the help of my doctor and my CPAP machine, I’ve lost weight and dropped 30 points of my cholesterol.  And I don’t frighten children in their sleep with my snoring.  The sleep lab I went to, The Sleep Wellness Institute, even sends me my equipment every six months to refresh my unit.  They make it easy for everyone.

What does my wife say?  “You still fall asleep at my family’s house for the holidays.”

That I can explain …

Orlando S.

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