Sleep Apnea

[Bruce Gonsalves]

I suppose most people are familiar with Sleep Apnea? I was diagnosed a few months after moving to the coast a couple of years ago. I have a severe case of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. My missus was always poking me in the side when I'd stop breathing during the night and we just let it ride until I started losing my breathe during the day and became really exhausted always needing a couple of hours sleep in the arvo.

Saw my G.P. and he suggested a sleep study test which I undertook. Consisted of early evening into Sale Hospital and they hooked me up with all sorts of wires to a mobile recorder which sent the results via wifi back to the hospital. The results were pretty bad, from memory, I had one stint of no breathing for 130 seconds and stopped breathing in one hour more than 80 times.

G.P. referred me to a Sleep, Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist. He then referred me to a mob that supply CPAP machines for trial. I did this for a month but I really couldn't tolerate it. They persisted and allowed me another months trial. Totally useless, tried different masks, pressures etc but it just wouldn't help. Back to the E.N.T Specialist and I suggested I undertake UPPP surgery [ after reading up on what's available ] to remove the dangly bit at the back of your mouth and trim tissue at the back of your gob.

Specialist referred me to a surgeon at Monash, he stuck a cam up my nose and immediately said I require a Septoplasty, Turbinate reduction and nasal polyp removal. I had no idea I couldn't breathe properly through my nose, I thought I breathed normally!!! Pity the ENT Specialist didn't look up my nose, I would of thought it was his job to that!!!

Anyhow I was on the waiting list for around 12 months and had surgery 3 weeks ago at Monash. All good for 2 weeks until Whamo, 12.30 at night I wake with a strange sensation with my nose. Turn the light on and am hosing blood out my nose and mouth. Ambulance was too far away, so missus slowly drives me into Sale hospital avoiding multiple wombats, kangaroos and deer that felt they'd had enough and would walk in front of moving car to end it all. Life can't be that bad for Native animals!!

Sale E.D. stabilised the bleeding somewhat and I was shipped by ambulance to Monash Clayton, where I spent A few nights. It was cool they supplied a Cabcharge to get home ($400). Now recuperating at home, taking it damn easy.

There will be further surgery on my enlarged soft palate and hopefully that will totally cure my S/A.

Sorry for the long post, but geeze it's been an experience, not to mention the patient in the next bed who decided she wanted hoosh muckoondy with me!!!!! Story for another time.

[stui magpie]

Is hoosh muckoondy code I've never heard before for indulging in some horizontal clog dancing?

Sounds like an ordeal. WTF caused the sudden blood geyser and, assuming they fix that, has/will the surgery made a measurable difference or too soon to tell?

[KenHock]

Bloody hell Bruce, that sounds scary! Hope all works out soon!

[Bruce Gonsalves]

Yeah Stui, Hoosh Muckoondy is my phonetic way of spelling the action you described, not sure it's in the Oxford.

The nose bleed, I believe, is from the wound where a polyp was removed. A dissolvable wad was stuffed up my nostrils during the op. It seems they dissolve at 2 weeks so it did it's job but the wound must not have sufficiently healed. I may have lifted something during the day which weakened the wound and it gave way during the night.

Once this heals, I'll need the other operation to have the soft palate trimmed. The soft palate has been blocking my airway at night.

[stui magpie]

@Bruce Gonsalves Good stuff mate, sounds like a lot of fkn around but really hope it works well for you. I've had and seen surgeries that went like clockwork and some that were disasters, hope yours is the former.

As far as the ciggies go, probably not a good time to start. They're as cheap as if you know where to shop, but that can't last.

[pietillidie]

Jeepers, sorry to hear about the ordeal and condition, Bruce. Take it easy chap and keep us posted. Have you got folks around you whom you can call upon? IGiven your drive out and cab back, it sounds like you're out in the sticks a bit?

[think positive]

Wow, I had no idea, I just figured once or twice a night on occasion, sheesh, that’s terrifying.

Sending big wishes for a full recovery xxx

[Culprit]

Wow, that's some serious shit right there. Sleep Apnea is a bigger issue than people understand. Some people can correct this easily and many have CPAP machines. My friends in Canada who I traveled with had to take theirs wherever we went. I did have issues many moons ago but I lost a lot of weight which corrected my issues.

Hope you recover well and get back to normality.

[Arch@M32]

Thanks Brice.
had surgery for sleep apnoea as a relatively fit 20 or 21 year old. It was life changing. I would say it added an extra 6 hours of usable time to every day. Literally a quarter of a lifetime. Before the surgery I would come home from work and want to go to sleep. After the surgery I could happily stay awake until midnight and still found it easier to get up for work the next day.
If anyone else out there snores heavily or gets told they stop breathing in their sleep I'd strongly suggest getting it investigated.

[Bruce Gonsalves]

Yeah Arch, that's where I'd like to end up. Those extra hours sleep would make a huge difference. Curious to know which operation you had Arch?

I'm about 5 weeks post op. Some glorious nasal luggage has been dispensed with the nasal flushes, pretty gross really. The op. hasn't made any difference to my sleep apnea so hoping the soft palate op will do the trick.