My therapist flipped out that afternoon at my response to her very first question. She was at her desk reading or writing something when I entered her office and before I sat down she asked, “Did you do what I told you last week .... to wear your cpap mask every night, exercise every day, eat nutritious meals and take afternoon naps?”

My “no” response really angered her. She got up rather quickly, turned to face me and raised her voice…well, she actually yelled:

“You are going to die...or go completely insane if you don’t do what I tell you!” Obviously trying to regain control she paced the office and said, “Your destiny is going to be death or complete insanity. This is serious, and you have to do what I tell you to do!”

Her outburst surprised me and so I remained silent. She repeated the statement: “Your destiny is either death or insanity. “

I felt terrible because she was so close to giving birth. In fact, she had already made preparation to have another physician see me during her absence. Now, she was so upset. As she walked around the office trying to regain control. I was really concerned that I had caused this.

I should have lied and said, “Yes. I did all those things you told me to do, and boy, do I feel great!”

Needless to say, the visit was brief that afternoon and I was glad to get out of there. Yet, I really felt awful because she had been such a nice person. Communicating with her was so easy. Without making any comments she would scribble on her pad, attentive to every detail out of my mouth.

Once again, before I left her office, she made me promise to do what she told me: “Wear your mask every night. Exercise every day. Eat nutritious meals. Schedule afternoon naps.” This time she wrote it on a piece of paper and handed it to me. That was the last time I saw her. I certainly hope she is well and doing fine. As for me and my sleep apnea, I was about to discover how dangerous this illness could be.

If you have no idea what sleep apnea is I suggest you find out everything you can about this illness  I call “the night stalking terror” of those who sleep and snore.

SNORING

I had no clue how much I snored until my wife left the bedroom for the sofa downstairs. I discovered how bad it was after obtaining a small voice activated tape recorder, which I hung on the wall on my side of the bed and discovered I had a very serious problem.

I could not believe the awful sounds I delivered as I slept.

Consultation with my doctor required a visit to the Kaiser Sleep Clinic and a diagnosis of sleep apnea. That meant a C-Pap machine and registration for their weight loss program. My 5’5” frame struggled under the 209 lbs of body weight accumulated from poor nutrition.

So, what exactly is sleep apnea?

AMERICAN SLEEP APNEA ASSOCIATION

“The Greek word "apnea" literally means "without breath." There are three types of apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed; of the three, obstructive is the most common. Despite the difference in the root cause of each type, in all three, people with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer.”

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. In central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Mixed apnea, as the name implies, is a combination of the two. With each apnea event, the brain briefly arouses people with sleep apnea in order for them to resume breathing, but consequently sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality.

Sleep apnea is very common, as common as adult diabetes, and affects more than twelve million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of forty, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children. Yet still

because of the lack of awareness by the public and healthcare professionals, the vast majority remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences.

Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated. Several treatment options exist, and research into additional options continues.

© 2008 American Sleep Apnea Association

MEMORY LOSS

Having to sleep with a mask can test a person's will to survive the dangers of sleep apnea and encourage the erroneous belief that one can choose to do without it after awhile. Unfortunately, strange things happen when you put away your mask, thinking everything is OK.

You see, the brain requires a continuous flow of oxigen always, even while you sleep. Snoring obstructs that flow. Consequently strange things happen. For one, you become forgetful. I mean very forgetful. Try not being able to draw a clock's face indicating the time is 9:50.

Try the thought of making wrong turns or forgeting where you are or where you were going. Try the thought of hallucinations, waking up in the dark with wild animals in your room, or a horse and pony, a headless giant of a man approaching your bed in the early light of dawn.

This one is a classic:

On my way to the Post Office I stopped for a traffic light, turned off the car engine, got out and began to walk away, thinking I was in the Post Office parking lot.

Hallucinations and Hypnagogia

Having these actual hallucinations convinced me I was losing it, slowly going insane.

When my therapist asked if I would submit to a psych test I quickly responded. "Of course, why not?" By that time I was terrified of my experiences, convinced I was headed for a mental institution.

The psychiatrist that gave me the test was a very funny individual. She had me relaxed and laughing. After the test she leaned back in her chair and said, "Well George, I can tell you without a doubt you are not insane. I whispered, "thank you... you just made my day."

She went on to explain that my hallucinations were called, "hypnagogia."

"You may recall", she said, that these hallucinatios occurred as you were falling asleep or coming ouf ot sleep. You can look up the word on the Internet if you want to learn more."

What a relief! I was not insane or going insane. But what is this word "hypnagogia"?

Hypnagogia

You may want to research this word on the Internet. A good article on the subject can be found here:

Hypnagogia: A Bridge to Other Realities

Yun-Wen Shaw

" To dream and altogether not
to dream. This synthesis is the
operation of genius, by which both
activities are mutually reinforced."

The psychiatrist explained that we tend to hallucinate during drowsiness, as in those moments just before falling asleep or awakening from sleep. It's a fascinating topic and worth exploring.

LUMOSITY AND OTHER SCIENTIFIC GAMES FOR THE BRAIN

I was fortunate to discover a scientific game called Lumosity. My first day playing thIs game shocked me. My memory registered a low score of 27, which meant only 27 % of others playing the lumosity memory games were scoring less than I did.

I registered very low scores in attention, flexibility, Arithmetic, problem solving and others.

Today most of those scores are in the high 90's. My lowest score, 68, is in problem solving..

Lumosity and similar scientific games similar to it are truly helpful in keeping the brain actively sharp.

They are useful games for improving your brain function. Give Lumosity a try here: http://www.lumosity.com.

Today, I'm still not using my mask as often as I should but I pay attention to what I eat. I walk and jog several times each week sometimes twice each day. I maintain a weight of 160, 15 pounds more than my physician would like to see.

I have no more hallucinations. I've also accumulated a ton of books on the brain, seeking to satisfy my curiosity about this magnificent part of my body. I also play the Lumosity games every day.