Sleep

[cjsmith]

Rob had his initial consultation at the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic today. The preliminary diagnosis is sleep apnea requiring either a positive pressure mask or surgery. He gets to spend the night there tonight, attempting to sleep with electrodes and probes all over him and a tube down his throat through his nose. I thought that sounded pretty unpleasant. He said "Tonight is nothing compared to the description of the surgery if that's what I need." Yeah, I just bet.

Whether it's sleep apnea or anything else, I do hope the problem can be diagnosed and neutralized. This dude hasn't slept well in, as far as I can tell, his entire life.

Comments

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

The continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is a life saver. I hope things work out well. Prayers and good thoughts on the way.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I had wondered if some of this would resonate with you... is sleep apnea the reason you wear the CPAP mask?

Re:

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

I have sleep apnea but its caused by my heart problem. I think he will like the airway pressure, it makes breathing so much easier.

[mighty-sam.livejournal.com]

Definitely, keep us updated. I have considered seeking treatment myself, as I am a notorious snorer and have been told that sometimes I stop breathing in my sleep.

I typically wake up several times during the night... for instance, I remember waking up at 3 something, 4 something, and 6 something last night before our 7:00 alarm. I hope Rob finds relief.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much the definition of sleep apnea, isn't it? Stop breathing during sleep? Yuck. I can imagine that that would be quite unrestful.

Is it affecting your life during the days? When asked "how are you" Rob almost never responds with anything but "tired". Maybe you're less blunt when asked :-) but if it's getting to you as much as it got to him, I sure do hope you can find a solution.

I'll post more when I know more. He's under observation tonight. Apnea was just the first guess -- I have no idea what news the morning will bring.

[daltong.livejournal.com]

Robin has had 2 surgeries for his sleep apnea and it has worked wonders. His last surgery was just a couple of months ago. If you or Rob (is this HRRRRob?) want, he'd probably be willing to talk about it.

His first surgery was a tonsillectomy, and his uvula was also removed. The second surgery was a septum shave and a cracking-open of the back of his nose.

He still has some apnea, especially if he sleeps on his back, but he has so much more energy now and is generally very happy with the results.

There is pain involved, of course, but Robin thought it was well worth it.

Good luck to Rob!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Rob has already had his tonsils removed, so the surgery might just take the uvula or might be the crack-open-the-nose bit. He didn't say what had been described - just that it sounded unpleasant. I admit both of those sound unpleasant. :-)

(No, this isn't HRRRRob. You may not ever have met my Rob; he's never been to the Tuesday coffeehouse, for example.)

Thanks for the well wishes. I'll post more when I know more tomorrow. The preliminary diagnosis might not even be right...