Sleep Stories -- people sharing their experiences with sleep disorders

Pam Wilemon

When I graduated from college in December of 1992, I started my first teaching job. I was very tired at the end of each day. I would go home and fall asleep on the couch. I was so tired that often I didn't even get up off the couch to go to bed to sleep. This constant fatigue grew continuously worse until I realized that I was falling asleep at my desk. I was humiliated. I was always very proud of my work ethic and could not believe that I had gotten so lazy that I could not function.

Eventually, I went to see a doctor for high blood pressure. She (the doctor) took one look at me and said, "You have sleep apnea." She recommended that I see a specialist and I did. The specialist conducted a sleep study and I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I quit breathing once every 30 seconds. I talked with the doctor about the possibility of surgery to alleviate the illness, but he said that my problem was caused by severe obesity and that I would have to lose a tremendous amount of weight to help the problem. He recommended a C-Pap.

I used the C-Pap for over a year, but continued to feel tired. Things were better, but I still felt tired. I continued to teach and really believe that the fatigue I felt was more a result of the physical demands of being a 500-pound teacher rather than the sleep apnea. About a two years later, I decided to try and lose the excess weight. I sought the help of a bariatric specialist in Vestavia, AL. The doctor, C. Rush McInnis was very helpful to me. With the assistance of Dr. McInnis and his staff, I lost almost 200 pounds. When I had lost around 150 pounds, I went for a follow-up sleep apnea study and the sleep apnea had improved. I was then having one episode every hour and a half. I no longer slept with a C-Pap. I regained about 70 pounds and the sleep apnea began to bother me again. Although I did not have to begin sleeping with the C-Pap again, I did begin to think that I needed the machine. However, in May I underwent a Gastric Bypass and since that time I have lost approximately 50 pounds.

The sleep apnea no longer bothers me. In my opinion, losing weight is the single greatest treatment for sleep apnea.