So you’re asking yourself why you should treat Sleep Apnea.

I can give you a list of reasons, but I’ll share a client’s story. She is one of the reasons for starting this website. I have permission from her to share. We’ll call her Patty.

When Patty calls, she identifies herself as “hi, this is your poster child.” And she is.

What happens when you don’t treat or even know you have Sleep Apnea?

My first meeting with Patty and her husband was a bit scrambled. They were there to treat her husband’s sleep apnea. Per his doctor, he had a stroke, and the only reason he had a stroke was because of undiagnosed sleep apnea. Add that to your list of reasons why you should treat your sleep apnea. It took a while to get him dialed into use and mask. For him, his sleep style and finding what would work for him to keep the mask on. As the years have gone by, we have needed to change the interface a few times.

On our first visit, Patty told me an all too familiar story. She had been diagnosed with sleep apnea 10 years earlier and decided not to continue using cpap. She had no one coaching or helping her with the ups and downs. Unfortunately, she was not told what could be in her future if she did not deal with it. Again I hear it this often as well. Something like, “no one told me what would happen.” I’ve noticed that more often, doctors are telling their patients the consequence. It has become a legal issue if they don’t.

She took her health into her own hands.

What I love about her is that she took her health and husband into her hands. She had her doctor run every kind of scan you can think of. Heart, brain, top to bottom, etc. She learned this young woman had aged every part of herself by 10 years. Let me repeat this it’s important. At the age of 50, instead of having a 50-year-old body, her brain and heart were now as if she was 60. All because she did not want to use the cpap. She aged her organs by 10 years and wanted to stop the process.

Each night she was causing undue stress on her body by the lack of oxygen. We need oxygen in every part of our body. Without it, our bodies will break down.

So where is she now?

The last time she checked in with me, they had remodeled their home. And never misses a night with her CPAP.  Neither she nor her husband goes a night without CPAP. They have 4 cpaps, his and hers, next to their bed. And two more for traveling.  She is very aware when she’s not had a good night. She has become susceptible when she has just a few events at night.

They both feel better and have the energy they need to do what they enjoy.