Patient Stories - Trevor's Sleep Apnoea Story "Snoring and Apnoea in England"

(Editor's Note: Trevor lives in England, where the word "apnea" is spelled "apnoea" and a doctor's office is referred to as his "surgery". His story, while uniquely his, is also universal. It particularly points out the impact that snoring and sleep apnoea can have on a relationship.)

I am a forty-two-year-old, single, divorced male. I could do with losing a few pounds, but I'm not particularly overweight and certainly not obese, factors normally associated with sleep apnoea and snoring. I have been a chronic snorer for as long as I can remember.

My earliest snoring memories are from my school days. At the age of eight I went to a school camp and shared a tent with seven other lads. My tent mates told me in no uncertain terms that I was a very loud snorer! I also shared a room at home with my two brothers, who both resorted to wearing earplugs at night. I had also noticed I was becoming very tired during the day, but had no idea it was related to my snoring.

My snoring continued to cause problems through my teenage years, but really raised its ugly head after I was married. It caused many marital rows and many nights in separate bedrooms. It was at this point I went to seek medical help.

I left my doctor's surgery after my first appointment with a prescription for hay fever tablets, which of course had no effect. After many more appointments my doctor advised me to have my adenoids removed. After recovering from a painful operation, I was devastated to find my snoring was as bad as ever. Anyway, one thing led to another and my wife and I finally divorced (I would be a liar to say this was entirely due to my snoring, but it did play a big part in the breakdown of our marriage.)

After a while, I met another girl and fell in love. Once again snoring became a big problem. I also became aware that I was increasingly tired, and would fall asleep at the drop of a hat. I fell asleep at the dentist's and while getting a haircut, but the worst was falling asleep while driving.

Time once again to seek medical help. I had by this time registered with a new doctor, and I duly made an appointment. I expected the usual response of "sorry, but there is nothing I can do for you". However, this doctor had actually studied sleep disorders, took interest in my case and referred me to the sleep clinic at Battle Hospital in Reading.

Once there, I was introduced to the sleep lab technician who explained the procedures I was to expect that night. These included being wired to monitors to record my sleep patterns, as well as sound and video recordings. I completed my night's sleep there and came back later to find out the results. At long last it was confirmed I had a medical condition and help was available! I can't begin to explain the relief I felt at this news, but it came too late to save my then relationship, which failed once again mainly to my snoring.

I was told at the sleep clinic that I had a condition known as chronic sleep apnoea, which caused me to wake up momentarily many, many times throughout the night. This certainly explained my tiredness during the day. I was then told about a machine that might be of some help --the CPAP machine.

I was invited back to the sleep clinic for a night's trial with CPAP. This was the night that drastically changed--and possibly even saved--my life. More and more often I was falling asleep while driving; I still can't explain how I escaped a serious accident.

I was shown this magical machine for the first time and was fitted with a suitable facemask; then I eventually fell asleep. What a wonderful feeling when I woke up I actually felt refreshed and felt like I had a goods night's sleep.

That was over four years ago now, and I have used CPAP every night since. It is rather a cumbersome machine, and a bit of an obstacle when forming a romantic relationship, but the benefits are enormous. I can actually start to read a book and get past the first page, or go to the cinema and see the end of the film. Driving is now a pleasure, rather than a life threatening experience. Best of all, I actually feel good!

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