According to CTV Globe Media, sleep apnea is tied to obesity. Wow, really! Breaking news this is not, but still good to get the word out there and generate support for more reserch. If 1 in 5 Canadians suffer from sleep apnea, then there should be much more money headed for sleep research in the near future. From CTV:

It’s well known that the severity of sleep apnea is tied to obesity and that obese individuals are more likely to consume more fat and cholesterol. But this new study revealed that severe sleep apnea symptoms affected a person’s food intake regardless of body weight.

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In a report today from Reuters, researchers in Sweden have shown that heart attack risk is tied to to changes in daylight saving time. As you probably imagine, risk goes up when we jump ahead in spring, and goes down when we fall back in the fall, which happens to occur this Saturday night. So relax, it’s all good…

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You’re momma was right again, naps are good for you. If only we could take one when we need it. It seems that even when we have the time, we don’t have the inclination. Naps are seen as time-wasters in the West. Guilt sets in; restlessness, anxiety, etc. But now the Mayo Clinic wants us to listen to momma:

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Well folks, we’ve ironed out all the kinks and are going live tonight. Let us know if you find anything not working or wonky. It’s been a busy couple of weeks, but we’re happy to have a new look and some new things to write about.

Keep checking back because in the next few weeks there will be more big news here.

As always, in your service,

d.

The wind tapped like a tired man,
And like a host, “Come in,”
I boldly answered; entered then
My residence within

A rapid, footless guest,
To offer whom a chair
Were as impossible as hand
A sofa to the air.

No bone had he to bind him,
His speech was like the push
Of numerous humming-birds at once
From a superior bush.

His countenance a billow,
His fingers, if he pass,
Let go a music, as of tunes
Blown tremulous in glass.

He visited, still flitting;
Then, like a timid man,
Again he tapped–’t was flurriedly–
And I became alone.

Family lore has it that we are somehow related to Ms. Dickinson. Not sure if that is in any way connected to my feeling for this little piece of poetry today. I do like how she draws this languid feeling from what is normally referred to a ‘invigorating’ and ‘refreshing’. Pretty brilliant, actually.

I ran across this article on About.com. Nice to hear that she has had such a high rate of success. Could be something to ask the doc about next time I’m in.

“Raza Pasha, Board Certified ENT at West Houston Doctors Center, Houston, I asked about the pre-testing done to determine if a patient is suffering from severe sleep apnea.

Dr. Pasha explained that there are three factors involved. First an examination of the patient’s history including sleep patterns, and the observation of a bed partner, if any. Second is a thorough physical examination of the upper airway. And third, if it’s deemed necessary after the preceding examinations, a sleep study.

Dr. Pasha has performed the Pillar procedure successfully on many patients. When asked about adverse reactions, he explained the only adverse reaction is partial extrusion of one of the implants through the skin. /this is easily remedied by removing the implant and inserting another.

Dr. Pasha went on to explain that the Pillar procedure is the least invasive and the least painful of the twelve procedures he does, including tonsillectomy and UPPP (Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.)

The Pillar procedure is available in the offices of most Otolaryngologists (physicians trained in the medical and surgical management and treatment of patients with diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat (ENT), and related structures of the head and neck.) The success rate varies from about 70% to 95%, depending on how thorough the pre-examinations are.

The Pillar procedure has FDA approval and has recently been approved by Health Canada. On October first, 2006, Medicare will begin coverage of the procedure if it’s done in outpatient surgery in a hospital. It’s hoped that soon Medicare will also cover treatments done in the doctor’s office.

For more information on the Pillar Procedure, check out Dr. Pasha’s website: Breathe Freely.

via About.com

No cpap last night, just dreams of trying to put in GIANT contact lenses. I mean huge, the size of a snow saucer. Not fun at all!

You know, I’ve been skeptical about this therapy ever since I learned how it was discovered. Here is an exerpt from an interview with Colin Sullivan, PhD the inventor:

“Then, one afternoon we were setting up for a nighttime study on a patient with severe OSA who was scheduled for a tracheostomy. He was participating in a series of nightly studies before and after the procedure to measure breathing during sleep. Discussing the issues with me, the patient was eager to know if there was anything else that might work. I suppose I was thinking out loud, looking at the mask and all the tubing sitting around for the experimental procedure, when it occurred to me that putting pressure in the upper airway might just hold it open.

“The patient was keen to give it a try, and so at [3:30 p.m.] we started searching around for equipment that we could use. We had large bore tubing into which we cut holes for nasal prongs to fit into. We then used plenty of Silastic glue to hold the nasal piece in place. Our next problem was sourcing a blower to create an appropriate pressure. We had a blower we used to calibrate the Fleish pneumotach and thought that might work. So, in a couple of hours, the first nasal CPAP device for OSA was born. “

He goes on to discuss fears of “blow[ing] the patient up” I’m not making this up! [Anyone else get gassy and bloated after a 'good night's sleep?]

Maybe I’m just paranoid…

Okay, okay, I know that’s a stretch, but we just bought a late model Toyota Highlander and I don’t think I am going to sleep well tonight. I always have ‘buyer’s remorse’ after a major purchace, but that doesn’t mean I will not be using the cpap tonight…well, yes it does. I just can’t face the thing. And I just can’t help feeling that focusing on the cpap is what is causing all of these negative feelings. It is time to focus on the positive. Time to start running again. What about starting tomorrow? I will update you then…

d.

Today we finished re-tooling the site, hope you like it! New format, fewer ads, and more info to share. Hopefully it is all in an easy-to-navigate form so you can find the info you need quickly. Enjoy!

-d