Sleep Apnea Was Slowly Killing Me for Years and I Had No Clue

Having surgery changed my life

I went to the doctor to see about my snoring issue.

Issue might be an understatement. After hearing from both my husband and kiddo that I sounded frightening when I slept, and even seemed to stop breathing sometimes, I recorded myself overnight.

I was horrified by what I heard.

I was really struggling for air. And there was a whistling, wheezing sound. It was so loud. Absolutely terrifying.

I think I always snored, but it started becoming a major issue when I switched to a desk job and gained sixty pounds. Although I work to get the weight off, I also struggle with food addiction and binge eating, so my success has been minimal.

And apparently, not getting enough oxygen while you sleep isn’t conducive to getting on track with your exercise and diet.

It was hard enough to get out of bed in the morning, let alone find the energy for working out or cooking healthy meals. For years I would sleep in till the last second before work. If I was able to sleep in longer, I did. I could sleep for 12 or 14 hours easy and still feel tired when I woke up.

My energy was at an all-time low. Just functioning was hard.

I had no idea I had sleep apnea, but I knew that I’d always had large tonsils. My doctors commented on it all through childhood. I got strep throat a lot.

For whatever reason, my tonsils never came out as a kid. My parents or maybe my pediatrician wanted to avoid surgery.

Fast forward to me, age 36, seeing my GP for snoring and my suspicion of sleep apnea.

He went over a few possible causes, then asked me to jump on the table so he could look at my throat.

He got his little light and asked me to say “Ahhh.”

I did so. He took one quick look and said, “Damn!”

But it was more of a shocked, drawn-out exclamation. Like: “Daaayyyum.”

My GP is a great doctor with a good sense of humor. He left the room to retrieve yet another tool to get a better look at what seemed to be the largest tonsils he’d ever seen.

“Your tonsils are blocking sixty percent of your airway,” he informed me. “Those babies need to come out.”

No one told me about the dangers of sleep apnea

In my research leading up to surgery, I found that an estimated 22 million Americans have moderate to severe sleep apnea. Globally, over 100 million people are suffering from it.

My symptoms were there for years, but I just thought it was how I was built or a result of getting older. And probably fatter.

I would wake up exhausted no matter how long I’d slept. I had to keep a glass of water by my bed because I’d wake up several times a night with my mouth and throat feeling so dry, it was like sandpaper.

I was also depressed, had zero motivation, and once in a while, I’d wake up choking on acid reflux, practically drowning in my own fluid until I could cough enough to clear my airway.

It was insane that these are all symptoms of sleep apnea, and I didn’t realize it.

Sleep apnea is an invisible illness that can wreak havoc on your body for years without you knowing you have it.

If left untreated, your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes increases. There’s also a higher chance of sudden death, cardiac arrest, and heart failure.

Carrie Fisher, whom you likely know as Princess Leia in Star Wars, sadly passed away from sleep apnea combined with other factors.

This thing doesn’t mess around, and while a tonsillectomy was needed in my case due to obstructive sleep apnea, people have it due to a variety of reasons — like being overweight, chronic sinus problems, or, in rarer cases, because the brain fails to signal the respiratory system to breathe.

It’s a complex condition, and the underlying cause isn’t always clear. But treatment is vital for improving your quality of life and overall health.

Weight loss or surgery to remove excess tissue in the throat can be a big help. There is also treatment with a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine or similar device.

If you don’t sleep with a partner who can clue you in, and you suspect you have sleep apnea symptoms, get yourself checked out as soon as you can.

It’s a bit of a process that may involve a sleep study but have patience. You’ll be glad you sought treatment once you see the astounding difference that it makes.

Adult tonsillectomies are rough

I was super nervous about getting a tonsillectomy to treat sleep apnea, but I was also hopeful about the results.

What might life be like if I actually got good, oxygen-filled sleep at night? Would my sandpaper throat no longer be a problem? Would I feel what it was like to have energy again in the mornings?

Would that terrible snoring go away so that I could actually snuggle with my partner all night rather than worry about keeping him up?

I couldn’t wait to find out, even though I knew a tonsillectomy would be a monster to get through.

The doctor, surgeon, and everyone I knew in the world told me how miserable recovery would be as an adult. Way worse than when you were a kid.

They were not exaggerating.

I did a lot of research and prepared the best I could. The surgeon recommended that I put in two weeks of medical leave at work because I wouldn’t feel up to even sitting at a computer for at least that long.

The surgery went well, and recovery was, indeed, a doozy.

It hurt so bad to eat or drink anything, and the strong pain meds made me throw up on multiple occasions.

Eating was a nightmare, and I became so hungry that I felt like I was slowly starving. I even got covid while I recovered, but fortunately, I was nearly asymptomatic.

I was able to keep down enough food and liquids to avoid starvation and dehydration, as difficult as it was. I don’t take for granted that I had amazing people helping me through, checking in on me, and stopping at the store for popsicles, meds, or whatever else I asked for.

The most exciting part of the whole ordeal? My snoring was immediately gone. And so were my symptoms!

When I slept, I was quiet and breathing great, or so I was told. When I recorded myself, I was amazed to hear how quiet I was.

Even though my wounds from surgery were scabbing over and my throat was swollen, my airway had improved drastically before I fully healed.

My relief was immense. And even on pain meds that made me feel funky, I felt so much more rested after a good night’s sleep.

The power of great sleep

Now that those suckers are out of my throat and I’m fully healed, I’m starting to experience the glorious difference between sleeping with limited air and sleeping with all the air you could want.

I wake up feeling refreshed. Mornings find me with more energy, and so does the rest of my day. I’m also able to fall asleep easier.

Not to mention, I find it easier to work out and breathe better while I’m doing cardio. Even stairs are easier.

My sex drive is better too. Better sleep is leading me to have better, more active sex.

As for my weight — it’s still too far up there for my frame. I’m not immediately cured of my eating disorder just because I sleep better.

But I do have the tools I need to heal now that my body is getting the rest it needs.