Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)
Where do I start ... ?
I used to think my snoring was directly linked to my drinking. It was only looked upon as a funny trait.
When I was married to ST it became more of an issue, as it used to petrify her when I'd stop breathing during the night ~ and annoy the fuck out of her when I was snoring loud enough to wake the dead. Mostly at her request, I saw a number of doctors back in the late 90's, none of whom could do more than suggest quack remedies, such as nasal strips and sleeping on my side, etc.
My condition worsened, as it began to make it difficult to stay awake at work. By 2020 I was drinking a dozen bottles of Red Bull every day just to keep myself active. But this lack of sleep also began to affect my judgement ~ a situation that continued to deteriorate.
The condition lost me my wife, my job and my life. To this day I still don't know whether it was one specific thing I did to lose her, or if she was just fed up with what I was becoming ~ I was bad tempered, though not physically violent, and totally confused. It was like I was sinking in quicksand ~ like I was seeing myself from the outside and totally unable to affect what was happening to me.
On my way to Greece in 2001, I nearly crashed my camper van several times ~ and actually did three times while over there ... twice into ditches and once into the back of a parked car. This was another reason why I started to wonder if there really was a God ~ because someone seemed to have a plan for me that required my staying alive.
There was no improvement between '02 and '06, by which time I could no longer function more than to get up, perform my ablutions and feed myself. The remainder of those days was a complete blur. It was my daughter, K, who forced me to go down the route of seeing a doctor once more. This time, however, it was one who kept up to date with advancements in medicine. He suggested I might have sleep apnoea and arranged a sleepover for me at Leicester General Hospital. They rigged me up to their equipment, then left me to sleep ~ which I did ~ in fact, it felt like the best sleep I'd had in ages, which I thought was bloody typical and might reflect badly in the results.
As I helped myself to a morning coffee while the nurse on duty ran my results through their computer systems, I mentioned the good sleep I'd had. She seemed quite puzzled, then told me I had the worst case of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea they'd come across to date. I had stopped breathing an average of 84 times in every hour I'd 'slept'. They gave me a CPAP unit and, although not perfect, the results were almost instant. Suddenly I was sleeping properly, my fitness began to return, and I was able to function properly.
I did have to sell my car though ~ being aware the DVLA would want me to relinquish my licence until diagnosed as fit to drive again, I took the alternative option. They appreciated I was no longer driving and didn't suspend it. When I was fit once more and the doctors confirmed it, I informed them and the DVLA sent me a letter permitting me to drive once more.
As the months went on, so my fitness and health improved to such a level it was practically a miracle. But then, nothing's ever that simple. They gave me an operation in '08 to straighten my nose and open the airways ~ an operation that's now not considered to be worthwhile. Since then, I have suffered from sinus infections, which were misdiagnosed as dental problems, leading to my losing six teeth in a botched operation at Northampton General Hospital to clear my root canals. All these did was lend my sinuses more areas to be accessible to infection ~ and whenever it hit, doctors would say it was a dental problem, and dentists would say it was a medical problem ~ leading me to spend days in agony before one or the other would prescribe antibiotics. This would happen up to a dozen times a year and was totally debilitating.
It's now 2023 and I'm on my fourth CPAP ~ now with humidifier to help prevent the nasal passages from drying up at night. But no matter how clean I keep it, the infections return.
It is still a struggle. Thankfully, due to the condition being properly addressed last Autumn with a mixture of nasal drops, sprays, and a six week course of antibiotics, I went nearly 11 months free of infections. I'm currently back on another course right now, but am confident that even though this may end up being necessary once or twice a year from now on, it's better than how things were.
The effect of years of strain to my system through sleep deprivation have brought on certain other conditions sooner than they should have affected me. But if it wasn't for the osteo-arthritis, two knees needing replacement, psoriasis, depression and asthma, I'd probably be right as rain now!