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A Death from Sleep Apnea
Laurie posted this as a comment to an article on Death from Sleep Apnea:
"Hello, My husband had obstructive sleep apnea. His cpap psi was set at 16 and he wore the full face mask. He died on Jan. 9, 2009, I am now alone with 5 kids.
My husband had his mask on faithfully every night since diagnosed. Yes, we fought with the insur. comp. too for long time before we got his tests and machine.
The night he died was so tragic. I went to bed a 1/2 hour late that night. I was in bed for 5 minutes and heard one loud choke sound and snoring. I thought his masked had slipped. I called his name and no responses. I got up and ran to him yelling his name and said whats wrong? He said back, "I don't know". Those were the last words he spoke. Our 9 yr old daughter wanted to sleep with us that night and i told her no, go down stairs to sleep with your sister. We live in old house and her room is right next to ours. My older daughter 16 yrs. heard my screams and called 911. They told us to move ime from the bed and he ended up right next to my daughters bed, the one I sent down stairs. Three of my kids and I carried him, he was 6'5" and 310lbs. I couldn't do it alone. My 2 older kids and I did cpr for approx 15 to 20 minutes. We live in a rural area. One emt showed up and started to bag him while I continued the compressions. Then the house was full. They worked on him almost an hour naked on the floor of my daughters room. All my kids but one saw, the one I sent down stairs. She was daddy's girl always on him playing. They defibralated him the entire time and tried to entibate him. They finally took him out to ambulance still naked and left. I was about 10 minutes behind ambulance and he was dead when I got there. He was extremely bloated in the stomach and purple and blue in the face. He had vomited in his tubes aswell. He was only 39 years old, he was the love of my life!
They did an autopsy and said his death was natural due to complications of sleep apnea. He had a heart attack but having no air killed him. They told me even if emt was standing right next to him they still could not have saved him. I am struggling with the loss of him and really can not fathom how lightly the doctors speak of this illness. They never checked his heart and it was enlarged from the apnea. He had been on cpap for approx. 5 to 6 years. Right after he died the company that supplied his equipment called and I asked them if their clients die alot and he said yes. I had never heard any of this in all the years of having it.
Please get checked out and make sure you get to see pulmonologist and cardiologist. Please ask questions no matter how stupid!
Laurie "
"Hello, My husband had obstructive sleep apnea. His cpap psi was set at 16 and he wore the full face mask. He died on Jan. 9, 2009, I am now alone with 5 kids.
My husband had his mask on faithfully every night since diagnosed. Yes, we fought with the insur. comp. too for long time before we got his tests and machine.
The night he died was so tragic. I went to bed a 1/2 hour late that night. I was in bed for 5 minutes and heard one loud choke sound and snoring. I thought his masked had slipped. I called his name and no responses. I got up and ran to him yelling his name and said whats wrong? He said back, "I don't know". Those were the last words he spoke. Our 9 yr old daughter wanted to sleep with us that night and i told her no, go down stairs to sleep with your sister. We live in old house and her room is right next to ours. My older daughter 16 yrs. heard my screams and called 911. They told us to move ime from the bed and he ended up right next to my daughters bed, the one I sent down stairs. Three of my kids and I carried him, he was 6'5" and 310lbs. I couldn't do it alone. My 2 older kids and I did cpr for approx 15 to 20 minutes. We live in a rural area. One emt showed up and started to bag him while I continued the compressions. Then the house was full. They worked on him almost an hour naked on the floor of my daughters room. All my kids but one saw, the one I sent down stairs. She was daddy's girl always on him playing. They defibralated him the entire time and tried to entibate him. They finally took him out to ambulance still naked and left. I was about 10 minutes behind ambulance and he was dead when I got there. He was extremely bloated in the stomach and purple and blue in the face. He had vomited in his tubes aswell. He was only 39 years old, he was the love of my life!
They did an autopsy and said his death was natural due to complications of sleep apnea. He had a heart attack but having no air killed him. They told me even if emt was standing right next to him they still could not have saved him. I am struggling with the loss of him and really can not fathom how lightly the doctors speak of this illness. They never checked his heart and it was enlarged from the apnea. He had been on cpap for approx. 5 to 6 years. Right after he died the company that supplied his equipment called and I asked them if their clients die alot and he said yes. I had never heard any of this in all the years of having it.
Please get checked out and make sure you get to see pulmonologist and cardiologist. Please ask questions no matter how stupid!
Laurie "
Views: 1014
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by The SleepGuide Crew on
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from Dr. Robles:
Dear Laurie,
I am sorry for your loss.
It is quite unfortunate that your husband had such a terrible disease and yet, likely due to his age, more was not done to work up associated conditions. The problem related to sleep apnea is that it requires a doctor to have a high degree of suspicion for the condition. Equally important is the minimization of their symptoms that patients will report. The awareness for sleep apnea is at an all time high and yet many patients go undiagonosed or untreated due to the percieved inconvenience of the treatment. Given today's healthcare arena, very little time is spent addressing more than the issue at hand. A patient comes in for their diabetes and that is all that is addressed. It is the healthcare of today, where time is money and which inevitably will only worsen in the future, I suspect. It is a symptom of managed care and relative poor reimbursement. Doctors and nurses also need to be better educated on this serious disease that so many dismiss as "snoring". So who does not snore? Well the problem is that sleep apnea is more than snoring, it is a sleep disturbance disease that affects not only sleep but also oxygenation and ventilation. Over time the chronic hypoxia (low oxygen levels that result from airway obstruction) and hypercarbia (high carbon dioxide levels that also result from airway obstruction) lead the heart and lungs to develop serious conditions that can lead to premature death, as in the case of your husband. The low oxygen levels and the high carbon dioxide levels in the blood also cause other problems in the short term like high heart rates and high blood pressure that also stress the heart and can lead to abnormal heart rhythms and conditions that lead to low oxygen levels in the heart which cause serious problems. If patients have sleep disturbance symptoms they need to tell their doctors and instead of receiving sleeping pills, maybe they should ask for a sleep study. B Robles MD
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Permalink Reply by Dan DiLuzio on
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Laurie, I am so sorry for your loss, as I am sure we all are. But I do want to thank you for having the courage and integrity to share your story with the rest of us, as difficult as it must be. Yours is truly a heart-breaking story . . . hopefully, it will benefit others who would otherwise be inclined to minimize the gravity of this affliction.
Thank you again.
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Folks, please be aware that using Vicks VapoRub in or under the nose is NOT a recommended use. In fact, the ingredients can act as irritants to the nasal passages, increasing mucous production and decreasing the body's ability to clear it. This could lead to further constriction of the air passage and, additionally to lung congestion. For moire information based on a study done at Wake Forest, see http://www.news-medical.net/news/2009/01/13/44914.aspx.
Sarah Orantes said:Maybe my story can help someone. I had sleep apnea and then insomnia and heart problems for many years. In my case, it was caused from mouth breathing because I couldn't breathe through my nose well and I would end up on my back with my mouth open. I didn't have much money at the time, so I tied a pantyhose around my mouth and jaw and around my head to keep my mouth closed at night. Eventually I bought an elastic guard to sleep in that goes around the back of the head and around the mouth and jaw, and I put Vicks Vapor Rub under my nose to try to open it up so I could breathe. This helped a great deal, sometimes I still couldn't breathe, but at least I could sleep. However, when I gave up dairy because I found I had a sensitivity to it, immediately I could breathe through my nose clearly. After a little while, I could sleep all night without wearing anything. I feel so free! Also, I replaced the magnesium I was deficient in, and slept peacefully and my heart problems resolved. I still take magnesium, and if I miss it for a while I start to feel heart palpitations. If you are concerned about heart enlargement and congestive heart failure, magnesium, CoQ10, and taurine, along with fish oil and vitamin E, are very important, and I take them daily. Check 'congestive heart failure' on doctoryourself.com. When you can't afford a doctor, there are things you can do to help yourself. I now cannot say that I have sleep apnea, and I thought I would live with it the rest of my life.
I wish you the best,
Sarah
Cynthia Licharowicz said:I too have heart enlargement, due to sleep apnea. I am currently not treated due to no insurance or job. i am thankful for every day i wake. i dont sleep alot. i am afraid all the time. I am so sorry for your loss. He was too young to go like that. i feel so bad for your kids.
I will pray for your family. cynthia
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Permalink Reply by Laurie Gales on
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A quick glance at this caught my eye because we share first names, spelled the same "unusual" way. Then I read your story and found myself in tears at my desk here at work as I prepare myself for my sleep study this evening. I have been battling pitting edema in my legs for over two years and recently changed primary care doctors because I was getting nowhere with the one I was seeing. One of the first questions the new one asked was how much sleep I got each night. As he asked more about my sleep patterns, he became concerned that I had sleep apnea, which he said could contribute to my edema and other health problems I am experiencing, such as weight gain and high blood pressure.
My husband works 5pm to 2am and crawls into bed to only spend a few hours next to me, but he gets very little sleep due to listening to me snort and gasp. Recently I have had episodes of nightmares in which I have gone rigid, gasping, while he shakes me and attempts to wake me. It has us both terrified. We are looking forward to getting some answers from this sleep study.
We've only been married for two years, but were high school sweethearts that reunited after 25 years. He says that he didn't get me back after all these years only to lose me. Laurie, your story is truly heartbreaking. I pray you and your children are able to find peace.
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Permalink Reply by Melba Cooper on
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Oh, Laurie thank you for sharing this heartbreaking and yet heartfilled story of love and concern. May our prayers be with you and your children. Thank you for sharing your story.
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Wylie Miller said:I am touched by your story Laurie. My heart goes out to you and your children. I have had sleep apnea for at least 30 years, treated for at least 17 (on my third machine). I have used CPAP faithfully for all that time. The doctors have labeled mine "severe" sleep apnea. I too am over weight and trying to lose the pounds. My experience tells me that doctors write off obese people. They act as if the only thing that can be done is for the patient to lose weight. My wife remembers that my patterns were just as bad when I was 40 pounds lighter. I am sure that being heavy exacerbates sleep apnea. But some how we need to convince doctors that more is needed than just to tell patients to lose weight. Even though surgery does not eliminate the need for CPAP, I wonder if lives could not be saved if patients who stop breathing more than 50 times per night (without CPAP) did go ahead and have the surgery to scrap the throat of excess fat and tissue. I know I don't feel I ever have an apnea when I am wearing my mask, but my wife tells me I do.
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my husband has had sleep apnea for 30 or so years. about 25 years ago they took out his tonsils and scraped the throat of excess tissue. it really didn't hlep. he uses a bi=pap now..he ahs arythemia and an enlsged heart to and is overweight, but the sleep apnea startes when he was UNDERWEIGHT! and very young. doctors don't listen, no matter how you try to tell them YOUR condition, i expect to someday have him wake up dead too. most of our children are grown, that helps them, but now i am scared. we too live in a rural area.
i digress. just wanted to put in my 2 cents!
judy
judy preator said:Wylie Miller said:I am touched by your story Laurie. My heart goes out to you and your children. I have had sleep apnea for at least 30 years, treated for at least 17 (on my third machine). I have used CPAP faithfully for all that time. The doctors have labeled mine "severe" sleep apnea. I too am over weight and trying to lose the pounds. My experience tells me that doctors write off obese people. They act as if the only thing that can be done is for the patient to lose weight. My wife remembers that my patterns were just as bad when I was 40 pounds lighter. I am sure that being heavy exacerbates sleep apnea. But some how we need to convince doctors that more is needed than just to tell patients to lose weight. Even though surgery does not eliminate the need for CPAP, I wonder if lives could not be saved if patients who stop breathing more than 50 times per night (without CPAP) did go ahead and have the surgery to scrap the throat of excess fat and tissue. I know I don't feel I ever have an apnea when I am wearing my mask, but my wife tells me I do.
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My son died of sleep apnea two years ago,they were working on getting him a mask and just this past year a young man in our town died because he layed down to take a nap and didn't put his mask on.It will kill.I wish i had more information befor my son died,life will never be the same without him.So for all your loved ones take careof yourself.
Karel McKinney said:I am sorry for your loss, but I want to thank you for sharing your story. It has caused me to rethink my CPAP use. I have mild sleep apnea, and my husband thinks the whole thing is something drummed up by the Dr's to get more money out of people. I have not been diligent in using my machine, because of your story I will give it another try.
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more from Linda about her son's death from sleep apnea: "My interest in sleep apnea is because my son died because of it.He was only 40 years old.This can kill and I tell everyone how serious it can be.I can't help him,but I try to let anyone who says they have it know it can kill."
Linda Webb said:My son died of sleep apnea two years ago,they were working on getting him a mask and just this past year a young man in our town died because he layed down to take a nap and didn't put his mask on.It will kill.I wish i had more information befor my son died,life will never be the same without him.So for all your loved ones take careof yourself.
Karel McKinney said:I am sorry for your loss, but I want to thank you for sharing your story. It has caused me to rethink my CPAP use. I have mild sleep apnea, and my husband thinks the whole thing is something drummed up by the Dr's to get more money out of people. I have not been diligent in using my machine, because of your story I will give it another try.
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Permalink Reply by Marie Davis on
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Laurie: your story touched me so and I wanted to thank you for sharing with us even though it is hard to relive that sorrowful evening. Our family too was touch by a tragic loss of a healthy young woman of 27 years due to a kidney stone Her autopsy stated death by septic shock. Another relatively "mild" condition that goes treated as if it really isn't life threatening. The paramedics tried to resitate her for over 40 minutes. I am so sorry for your loss and hope that your family will someday be strong enough to share this story with others so that his memory will stay alive and help others who have sleep apnea and keep it in the public eyes. There is a foundation based here in wisconsin for Reggie White or great Packer player who was athletic, strong and died young with sleep apnea. Perhaps you could tell your story through their foundation as well. it is www.reggiewhitesleepingdisordersfoundation.org May your future make you strong..... Marie
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Linda Webb said:My son died of sleep apnea two years ago,they were working on getting him a mask and just this past year a young man in our town died because he layed down to take a nap and didn't put his mask on.It will kill.I wish i had more information befor my son died,life will never be the same without him.So for all your loved ones take careof yourself.
Karel McKinney said:I am sorry for your loss, but I want to thank you for sharing your story. It has caused me to rethink my CPAP use. I have mild sleep apnea, and my husband thinks the whole thing is something drummed up by the Dr's to get more money out of people. I have not been diligent in using my machine, because of your story I will give it another try.
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Permalink Reply by Susan M. Nelling on
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You have my deepest heartfelt sympathy, I'm so very sorry for you all. Susan
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