There were multiple reasons for that.
Firstly, I felt like I had bombarded you with enough photos of me wired up with the study device for a long while.
But secondly — and more importantly — I was a bit taken aback by the serious nature of the results.
I went into the study, if I’m completely honest, fairly light-heartedly.
My lovely wife, Grace, had raised concerns about my snoring turning into something more, but I didn’t expect the process to deliver me with anything more than ‘lose some weight, exercise more and avoid any excess drinking’.
What it found was that I have a case of severe obstructive sleep apnea.
I’ll spare you most of the details, but one that stood out was that at my worst — on the one night of the sleep study — I didn’t breathe for 42 seconds.
About here is where I had to pause when telling people about the results so they could try to hold their breath for that long. Most gave up at 30 seconds.
As with any medical diagnosis, it took me a bit to process. CPAP machines have always been something I associated more with 58-year-olds, so having to wear one at 28 came as a bit of a shock.
But as always, the lesson is a simple one: don’t put off check-ups, or appointments, and make sure you nip any health concerns in the bud where possible.
So what’s next? After finishing a two-week CPAP trial, it’s now time to pick out my more permanent machine.
Not quite like shopping for a new motorbike, but I suppose I am looking for something that purrs just right.
28°C