Jake wrote about his diagnosis of sleep apnea. I also suffer from sleep apnea. Yes, women can have it too! Not all snorers have sleep apnea, but snoring is one of the indicators. When my doctor asked me about snoring, I told her that I didn’t snore. After all, my husband had never mentioned it. Wow, was I wrong. My husband never told me about my snoring, because he thought I would be embarrassed. Apparently, I sounded like a pig sniffing out truffles!

My doctor suspected a sleep disorder, so I went for a sleep study. No wonder I was so messed up. I had severe sleep apnea, so I was prescribed a CPAP. I went for a second sleep study to determine the correct CPAP setting and mask.

My CPAP mask fits over my nose and blows air continuously. It keeps my airways open while I am sleeping. It’s not sexy to look at, nor the most comfortable thing to wear, but the CPAP helped me get my life back to normal.

Before getting my CPAP, I had trouble staying awake while driving. It was dangerous not just for me, but for everyone on the road with me. Think about how many people are on the road driving with untreated sleep apnea. It’s scary! If you are prescribed a CPAP, it should be worn every time you sleep, and you should take it with you when you travel.

General anesthesia and pain medicines can worsen sleep apnea. Tell medical staff about your sleep apnea prior to surgeries. I even brought my CPAP with me for an outpatient surgery. They didn’t put it on me in the recovery room. I woke up to frantic people doing things to resuscitate me. My recollection of the event is a little confusing, but I do recall a hose the size of a boa constrictor (or so it seemed) being pulled out of my nose. I was a little disappointed with my near death experience (no white light or angels), but I was happy to be alive.

I just shared embarrassing details about my snoring and that lovely CPAP picture. It’s only fair that you share your sleep apnea stories with me. Do you, or someone you know, suffer from sleep apnea?