Update on life and living with sleep apnea

Part I – Fallout from the First Time I Blogged About This

Sometimes being a blogger is interesting, because you never know what people will really respond to, or the type of response is not at all what you expected.

Back in September, I blogged about being diagnosed with sleep apnea, and the fact that I had found my energy levels were increasing with the use of a CPAP device. I even included a picture of myself wearing the super-sexy mask and hose. I had felt very strongly that I needed to blog about this matter because I knew of people (mostly thinking older male relatives) who almost certainly had sleep apnea and yet weren’t seeking treatment. I wanted to demystify the CPAP machine and mask in order to eliminate any hesitation that someone might feel in getting help.

I certainly expected the light teasing from some girlfriends and the Darth Vader jokes from my buddy Jim (I know you meant them in love, man!). But what I didn’t expect was that several women my age would tell me that they suspected that they also might have the same condition, and that they intended to discuss it with their doctors. Or an e-mail from a gentleman friend: “Don’t worry about your dating career. You’re still pretty darned sexy!” (Even if it was just kindness on his part, it was lovely and very much appreciated!)

It’s a balancing act between sharing and being confessional (telling your life story to everyone you meet). But sometimes allowing oneself to be vulnerable yields some positive results.

Part II – Update on the Apnea/Energy/Life Thing

Looking back, getting the CPAP device and an improved quality of sleep has yielded some significant changes in my life. Where to start?

Well, the first thing I noticed was that I had more energy. I started working out more. It’s taken time and hard work, but I’m definitely more fit than I was before (not fit, exactly, but more fit). I’ve lost 8 – 10 problem pounds (which is a lot for a frame like mine, also considering the problem weight was in a very specific area, and also that I have more muscle today). I will likely have to go on a wardrobe overhaul shopping spree in the next month or so. Assisted by the fact that I’ve significantly reduced the amount of cheese I’ve been eating, my cholesterol has decreased by 50% (my doctor gaped at me when she saw the results - “How did you do that???”).

Increased energy levels and life events conspired together to make me stop and think about my goals and priorities in life. This took several months and a lot of reading. Finally, just in time for New Year’s, I had seven goals for 2006 covering my health, my finances, my work, my social life, my approach to life, my involvement in my community, and, overall, my commitment to be disciplined and to pursue the other six goals. I tried to make the goals specific, measurable, etc., and thought about how I would meet them. They’re pretty ambitious, particularly altogether, but at least I have things to aim for. Sometimes some of the goals have to take a backseat to one of the other ones (e.g., work or finance), but I think over time I’ll be able to strike the best balance I can humanly achieve.

Believe it or not, I generally don’t like talking about myself or my thoughts about my world. (That’s what blogging is for!) But over the last few months, my thoughts have had a distinct inward direction (navel-gazing?), so you may not have heard a lot of from me lately. Fortunately, this phase is wrapping up. Thank goodness!

Believe it or not, I am apparently also an inch taller than I was before! (According to my last physical, anyway.) What can I say? I’m working out, I have more energy, my job and my relationships continue to give me more confidence. Maybe the doctor’s measurements are wrong (but I made her check it twice! And wouldn’t other people have told her if the ruler was mounted on the wall improperly?), maybe I am holding myself differently these days. Who knows?

I still have days in which I’m dog-tired. But I’m doing more, achieving more, and starting to live more. And I never sleep without my CPAP!