You deserve to thrive, not just survive!
I’ve always had health issues, ever since I can remember. Throughout my childhood and adulthood, I’ve constantly been in and out of doctors offices, constantly poked and prodded, left with no answers, just more questions. At one point, when I was in high school, a doctor advised my parents that I needed to see a therapist and that it was all in my head. I refused to accept this and knew there had to be a reason why I had headaches and migraines ever since I was a toddler.
I somehow made it through high school and college, feeling like I was just surviving. After college, my health started to decline even more, but again, no one could figure out why. In July 2018, after a two-month long migraine, my doctor at the time asked me a series of questions for 40 minutes straight. At the end, he said, “I think you have sleep apnea.” That was such a foreign term to me. I responded, “Really? No one has ever mentioned that before. I don’t even know what sleep apnea really is!”
I’ve learned quite a bit about sleep apnea over the last couple of years. I assumed it was just a sleep disorder that occurs when someone stops breathing. What I didn’t realize is that there are 2 types of sleep apnea categories - Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Central Sleep Apnea (CSA). I was diagnosed with having severe obstructive sleep apnea.
When I am asleep, my tongue tends to relax and falls backwards, completely blocking my airway. I have apnea episodes every 2-3 minutes. This not only causes my brain to be deprived of oxygen every single night, but it results in many other health issues. These issues include high blood pressure, daily persistent headaches and migraines, insomnia, no restful or REM sleep, an enlarged heart, a foggy brain, poor memory, cognitive impairment from the lack of oxygen, etc. People with severe sleep apnea are 4x more likely to have a stroke, and have a significant increase in risk of diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, premature death, etc.
A couple of years ago, my doctor warned me that my lifespan would likely be significantly cut short if I wasn’t able to resolve my sleep apnea sooner rather than later. They predicted I’d have a stroke, a heart attack, or heart failure/disease in my 40s or 50s, which would likely result in premature death.
April 6, 2021
Fast forward to April 6, 2021 - 2 years and 6 months later, after many sleep studies, being diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, and attempting to use a CPAP/biPAP machine the entire time. This day is the day that changed my entire life. After 3 hours in surgery, I finally had the opportunity to receive the Inspire implant. The Inspire is like a pacemaker for your tongue. After I turn the device on with a remote and fall asleep, the implant will move my tongue forward so that it unblocks my airway. The implant is located in my chest, the breathing sensor is located within the muscle behind the device, and it is attached by leads to the nerve in my neck that controls my tongue.
Although full recovery can take years, I am one step closer on my path to finally being the best version of myself. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever been 100%, as I’ve struggled with these health issues my entire life. I’m truly excited for the future! I have felt like I’ve had to put my life on hold, waiting to feel better. I have a new found appreciation of my life and the strength I have. I’m tired of waiting for my health to improve and am no longer putting my life on hold for something I can’t control.
You only have one life and one body - how will YOU choose to live YOUR life? What path will you take? Are you just trying to survive, or do you want to thrive?