mortality check

My sleep study results arrived today, and it's not good news. I have severe obstructive sleep apnoea. Severe.

Untreated, OSA can lead to cardiovascular problems, including heart attack and stroke, so it's something I need to act on.

The diagnosis does explain a lot of things though - constant fatigue, sleepiness during the day, waking up with headaches, breathlessness, foot and leg swelling, mood disorders, weight gain, and the list goes on. 

The recommended treatment is with a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine, which pumps air through a mask to keep the airways open. What I'm hoping is that using the machine will allow me to sleep better, therefore I will have more energy (and so be capable of increased activity and not need to eat extra just to keep going), less stress (remember what Jon Gabriel said about stress and cortisol and weight?), thereby allowing me to lose weight, which should help take pressure off my airways while I sleep. So the theory is that I won't need the CPAP machine forever.

It all made me realise that I may not be around forever, but I sure can be a bit more vigilant about my health to ensure I'm around for a long while yet. And it starts now.