Sleep Apnia

My husband has severe sleep apnia. He was tested in May by OHSU. They found out that he wakes up an average of 80 times an hour, which means that he never reaches REM or has restful sleep. They believe this condition has existed for years, possibly since birth. His body has found a way to adapt to very little sleep.

I've been studying YOU STAYING YOUNG: THE OWNERS MANUAL FOR EXTENDING YOUR WARRANTY by Michael F. Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D. This is a great book for everyone, especially babyboomers. On page 187, they say, "Sleep problems and sleep deprivation are self-imposed torture. And the stakes are high: a weakened immune system, increased risk of heart disease, and a brain that works about as fast as a Commodore 64 computer."

The doctor from OHSU showed my husband a range of risk factors of sleep apnia. My husband's case was off the charts. He had never seen anyone like him with such a severe case of sleep apnia. He is shocked that my husband can function at all and has lasted this long.

We don't have medical insurance. The people at OHSU have been trying to locate a machine for my husband with no success so far.

I've become so increasingly aware of how little medical science still doesn't know about the brain or human body. My husband was told in the late 70's that he had alzheimers based on an MRI and in the mid-80's he passed the MENSA test with a score in the 99th percentile, which means he has a genius IQ. He's still the smartest man I know. The body adapts. The brain adapts.