Sleep apnea, GERD, and obesity: efforts to fix this.

[rivergirl]

I applaud your endurance and your realistic but hopeful look ahead, Oak.

rg

[oak]

Friends!

I am experiencing fairly serious consequences of sleep apnea and obesity: I woke up choking twice in the last week.

This can't continue.

Fortunately I have every means to face this promptly with courage. While my plans are inchoate, I am in the process of assembling a team including a nutritionist, counselor (EMDR), dental specialist, EAP program, exercise counselor, and my friends here.

Solutions

I'm guessing my solution/cure will be 60% dental appliance and 40% nutrition/weight loss.

Happily

In the last week I've gotten to a good start in returning to the office, which provides me the means to effect this cure.

A young lady or two has caught my eye at salsa dance class, which provides me a reason to improve myself.

With these two crucial motivations met, I now have energy and motivation to face this dangerous affliction.

I'll post here as I continue to face this. I cannot live like this. I am terrified.

[Beany Boo]

‘Strive to do one thing.’

‘Plant a seed and watch it flower.’

[manuel_moe_g]

Oak, please take care, and i am wishing you strength for the discipline to beat this evil thing on your own terms. You are so important, can't let this evil thing to wipe you off the face of the earth.

[oak]

Hi friends.

I started this thread a year ago, and have made… some progress.

Discussing my 2022 plans with my counselor, here are my ordered priorities for next year:

1. Curing sleep apnea.
2. Going swing dancing.
3. Getting my finances together.

Happily, these three goals are intimately interconnected and co-encouraging.

I’ll post here this weekend about the modest but real steps I have taken.

In the meantime, like my main man Viktor Frankl, I hope to be worthy of my suffering.

[oak]

Hi friends.

Tomorrow I try a new doctor for sleep apnea. I may try an appliance. I have several options of appliance, considering that CPAP is not a good fit for me.

This will be difficult to face, considering my sleep apnea is so severe: during the (deeply traumatic) sleep tests this time last year, my oxygen saturation got as low as 79%.

Meanwhile, I continue to try to lose weight: the exercise part is going well, but the eating remains difficult.

I'll post here tomorrow after my appointment. This is a big deal if I want to live, frankly, and certainly if I want quality of life. My anxiety is a solid 8.

We'll see how I feel this time tomorrow!

Edit for clarification:

I am trying two methods to effect a cure for my sleep apnea: (1) trying appliances until I find one that I like, and (2) losing weight, which has two constituent parts: (a) increasing exercise (yay!) and (b) eating better (sob! sniffle!). Right now I have more courage than encouraging results

（>﹏<）

[manuel_moe_g]

With regards to eating better, i have had a little bit of success with having fresh fruit (apples, bananas, carrots) as snacks throughout the day, fills me up before a bag of chips catches my eye.

What is your preferred exercise, Oak? Swing dancing and Taekwondo?

[oak]

@Manuel Moe: Yes, swing dancing and TKD are two of the passions I want to pursue the rest of my life. Both of them felt immediately right, and I want to have the cardio and flexibility to do both for decades to come. And yes, let me report back on how implementing your excellent vegetable advice! I find onions/tomatoes/peppers really compelling.

Well, friends, I found lots of courage and tried the new sleep apnea doctor. This went much better. It is refreshing to be around people who care.

This is the first time I've had hope about sleep apnea in the three years I've had it. The doctor recommended one appliance, and said that if this one isn't a good fit, then we'll try something else.

Hope and enthusiasm and options: I am very grateful.

[Beany Boo]

From what I’ve learnt, taking on a new eating pattern is sort of a ‘migration’. You adopt a handful of food choices adjacent to the ones you’re eating now. Then you keep moving through phases of adjustment as your body acclimates to healthier and healthier options. Most sweet foods have a non-yucky low carb equivalent nowadays. I discovered that on my own; through trial and error.

I recommend protein shakes for when you’re doing exercise. And low carb energy bars. It’s difficult to do exercise without protein energy. Electrolyte tablets that dissolve in water are good for sweat (salt) replacement.

My dietitian basically said you can eat what you want, just add a vegetable to every meal. Instead of a mid afternoon brownie, have some plain yoghurt with blueberries in it. Low carb almond and oat milk are a struggle to drink on their own, but are fine in smoothies. Ground linseed, sunflower and almond (LSA) is a great replacement for sweet toppings.

Less vegetables is better than none. Don’t be afraid to waste either, in the name of forging a life-saving habit.

I’m at the point where I distinguish between food and fuel. Food is stuff I like to eat. Fuel is stuff that is remedial, like taking preventative medicine.

You do go through mood swings, as your body adjusts to new sources and levels of energy, but they’re temporary. Your brain also has more stamina for spiking emotions with an improved food menu; it’s a nice surprise discovering that the first couple of times.

A diet of reliable information is key. And wrestling with the actual food is not the hard part I’ve noticed. It’s the struggling through a fear of making choices on your own.

[oak]

Thank you, BeanyBoo. There is more I'd like to say, but I have plenty of anxiety, so I hope "Thank you!" can suffice. I am implementing your advice.

Well, friends, last night I demonstrated considerable courage my doing pretty good with a home sleep test.

I fully used all my mental health methods: goal-setting, CBT, and HALT.

My anxiety was briefly a 6, but I suppose the median anxiety was a 3. Definitely there, and worthy of respect, but I stayed at the wheel most of the time.

Strangely, mixed with all this anxiety and shame, I have a sense of hope. I have an enthusiasm for "tomorrow".

Sleep apnea is one of the worst experiences of my life, and I've seen some stuff.