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I have been sharing my path of getting healthy for the past six months with you. My diet and exercise is working and the weight is coming off! I have lost 54 pounds so far, naturally! I have worked hard to learn how to eat well with the current restrictions of no dairy, gluten or sugar. I plan and prep my meals ahead of time so that when I am hungry, I have only healthy but delicious food to eat. I plan on continuing my new healthy lifestyle and I hope you will join me. Here is a photo of me on my birthday in May with my friend Trini in Cabo San Lucas and a photo of me at the airport in September. Finally a noticeable difference!
I have been feeling very good with my body getting stronger and getting smaller. Last night I came home with a machine from the sleep center to test for sleep apnea. I had shared with my doctor a few weeks ago during a routine visit that I was exhausted in the afternoons and it did not matter how much sleep I got. So she suggested that we test for sleep apnea. I was nervous as I hooked up to the machine and used surgical tape to hold the sensors in place. Despite the machine I was exhausted last night and went right to sleep. This morning I returned the machine and got my results.
It turns out I have severe sleep apnea. I stop breathing an average of 90.6 times an hour. That is really bad! Part of the reason for it is of course my weight but the main part is the way my the soft tissues in my throat block my airway. So in two weeks I have to go attend a two hour class and pick up a CPAP machine. Otherwise known as a positive airway pressure devise. This machine will keep my lungs and airway open when I sleep. It will look something like this:
I am glad to know that this problem can be fixed. I am especially glad that I have not died in my sleep since I stop breathing so much! I have to be honest and say that part of me feels very silly that I need this machine to safely sleep and it causes some embarrassment. Yet I am choosing to share this with you because I know I am not alone. I know many of you have shared your stories with me about your weight struggles and getting healthy. So I am sure some of you must also suffer from sleep apnea.
What I did learn today is that snoring is the first sign of sleep apnea. In fact one web site I read said that snoring to sleep apnea is like smoke to a fire. If you notice one, check for the second! “Sleep apnea, sometimes spelled “apnoea” – one of the most potentially dangerous sleep disorders – is when the patient stops breathing during regularly sleep. The term apnea literarily means “without breath”. The period of stoppage is usually short (a few seconds) before breathing resumes. The seriousness of apnea varies considerably and depends on how long the sleep stoppages are how many happen. Experts estimate apnea affects 1 in 15 people or 18 million Americans. Men are more susceptible to sleep apnea than women.” According to Sleepdex.
I had no idea how many people suffer from this disorder. When learning more about it this morning, I was shocked at what it does to the body. So despite feeling silly or embarrassed, I am going to treat it and continue to lose weight. I would love to hear from any of you that suffer from this. I want to know if the CPAP machine helped you, how do you sleep with it and over all how does it effect your life.
Part of being of service for me, is to be transparent. If you can learn from something I share or be inspired to make a change in your life, than it is worth it!