I snore like a mofo. Always have. I musta been snoring in the womb. I'm not going to be shy about it (not that I'm shy about much). But, it seems like it has gotten worse lately and on several occassions, I've woken up and my tongue has appeared a weird shade of blue, leading me to wonder if evil smurfs are to blame or if I'm not getting enough oxygen. My mother thinks I may have sleep apnea.
The realization of my dilema was brought about when The Man said very kindly, "I don't mind your snoring. It's okay. But, I'm worried about you because it seems like you can't breathe." Translation: "You snore like a mofo. So loud, in fact, that it is causing cracks in the foundation of the bedroom. " He scored major brownie points by his nonchalant attitude, but again - this is the same guy who looked at me nekkid lately and told me that my ass is getting fat (NOT something you want to hear when you're nekkid). It is a delicate balance.
Desert Dawg has on occassion woken me up. She sleeps on my bed and is usually so quiet and treads so lightly that I never hear her. The times that she has woken me up have been when she is either staring at me at such close proximity that I can feel her doggy breath on me, or when the opera has been too much, bopped me in the face with her paw. "C'mon bitch, STOP!"
Ok, so here is my big question, Kuwait: Where in Kuwait do they diagnose sleep problems/apnea? I'm going to check with my medical staff. When you get to be "29," all of a sudden you don't just have a doctor, you have a "staff" (like Grey's Anatomy, only not as good looking).
House could come in and diagnose what I have. He'd say, "Have you ever had sex in the desert?" and I'd be all, "NO! Of COURSE I have not had sex in the desert." and then he'd be like, "LIAR! We did a yadayada test and we found traces of Dilmun-Sumerian camel dung dust on the inside of your lungs!" Everybody lies.
(What happens on the dig stays on the dig.)
Again, back to my question: Who diagnoses sleep disorders in Kuwait?
Then, my next question is: if they video tape me sleeping/singing opera like Luciano Pavarotti (God rest his soul), will it appear on YouTube?
LOL@ the dig thing
ReplyDeleteI have no idea where or how you get these things checked but i wish i did, being constantly on the receiving end of this "opera". good luck, really! i hope foundation-wrecking noise is all it escalates to cuz its not good waking up with a blue tongue...oxygen is good. we love oxygen o.o
i'd better start searching too...
i "facebooked" you if you dont mind =D
ReplyDeleteHi Desert Girl,
ReplyDeleteI am a Registered Respiratory Therapist and a Registered Polysomnographer (sleep technician). I have been wondering the same thing for a few years now. I can't find a job in my profession so I have been working as a teacher. Just recently a colleague went to the chest hospital because of the same problem and apparantly they have a sleep lab. The doctor gave her the option of being diagnosed at home through a satellite unit provided by Al Essa Home Care. Hope this helps.
Hey, my Dad was diagnosed, but he had to go to the Sleep Clinic at Stanford Medical Center outside of San Francisco...honestly I've never heard of anywhere else that does it. You might try Kuwait University if they have any affiliate research hospitals or centers. But your best bet would be to check out research hospitals.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing that Dar Al Shifa had a sleep laboratory. Can't remember where I saw that, but I was considering calling them at some point since I also thought I was suffering from sleep apnea. Try them out! Good luck
ReplyDeleteDG--
ReplyDeleteI've found one faculty member at KU who has lectured on some aspect of sleep apnea:
Dr.Khalid H.Al-Sebeih
Dr. Al-Sebeih's website is here:
http://www.khsclinic.com/about.html
Here's a relevant bit from his CV:
“Obstructive sleep apnea; diagnosis and management”. Khalid Al-Sebeih. Presented in the “Symposium on current issues on respiratory sleep disorders”. Kuwait university, Kuwait. April 11-12, 2004
I'd imagine that he'd be able to suggest someone for you.
I also found a note that Al-Rashid Hospital is hosting a visiting ENT doc from Europe who treats sleep apnea. It's coming up next week: "Al Rashed Hospital has announced the visit of Dr. Wolfgang Bergler, the Head of E.N.T, Head & Neck Surgery Department, University of Bremen -Germany- Member of German/Spanish Society of E.N.T, and Member of American Academy of ORL, Head & Neck Surgery.
Visit begins from January 23rd to 28th"
I hope that one of these docs is able to help you.
With best wishes,
Rod
Thank you all SO MUCH for your advice and recommendations. I really appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteRod, thank you for going into so much detail. I will give them a try.
Maybe once I get a good night's sleep I will be less of an iritable biotch! :)
Hey DG,
ReplyDeleteCan you please post if you find somewhere to go?
Thanks!
DG--
ReplyDeleteGlad to help. My dad (age 88) was diagnosed last year with sleep apnea and now wears a C-PAP mask. He's not real fond of it, but it keeps him healthy.
By the way, your Jan. 21 story about bad customer service (humidifier) reminded me that I'd sent an e-mail to you (back in March; please don't feel guilty!), requesting a copy of "DG Academy on Arabic". Are you still filling requests?
I'm considering a couple of faculty positions in Kuwait (different than those that I was evaluating, last year), and expect that knowing a bit of defensive Arabic will be useful. If you want to put a link to your "request line" in the referenced post, I'll follow up from there.
Thanks.
-Rod
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteIt's been a while since I last was here.
Sleep Apnea, is being diagnosed nowadays more than before, many sleep disturbances including nightmares are explained in the new shedlight of Sleep Apnea, commonest form is when someone puts on some extra weight, especially if he sleeps on his tommy, it makes it difficult to breath, while he's unaware of that on the conscious level -because he's still asleep- that debrives body from Oxygen, most people wake up at this point with variety of symptoms,Sleep Apnea is commoner in snorers.
Number one advise is excersice, and I'm not talkig losing weight through dieting, I'm talking exercise, even for 30 minutes 4 day week, second advise is Try to keep a longer gap of time between your last meal and your bedtime, i.e. try to sleep with as empty stomah as you can.
In most patients this is enough to fix the problem, but if it doesn't get any better, you'll need to see a specialist.
Unfortunatley I'm not aware of any sleep clinics in Kuwait, I don't think there's any, and I'm talking the sleep clinics like that in US or UK, even if you find one, I doubt it'll be equipped.
Not sure about that "Chest Hospital" thing, it's a modern hospital though, so if they have it, it'll probably be up to the standard.
In that case you go to an ENT doctor, few good ones are availble in Kuwait. But on geneal principle, I don't advise visiting doctors, as they're having very short time for each patient, and you don't get a chance for follow up with the same doctor, basically it's a method to promote the hosting hospital, and bring more traffic to it.
I know a good ENT - I don't know him personally, but during my practice I get many referrals from him and I got to know his work- he's a famous one as well -although famous doesn't always mean good- but that one has a quite good reputation, he's Dr. Abdalla Al-Ali, he's running a private pracice as a part time, his clinic number is registered in yellow pages like this
5644660
must add 2 I think.
Good luck dear
I am a doctor working in the ministrey of health, my husband was diagnosed with sleep apnea. He had a referral from an ENT specialist to Alrashid allergy center in Sabah medical area.they have a sleep lab there where u spend the night under monitoring.
ReplyDeleteA chest physician there would diagnose the condition & will advise any further managrment.
all the best.
my husband was diagnosed with sleep apnea. He had a refferal letter from an ENT specialist to Alrashid allergy center, as they have a sleep lab. He had to spend the night there under monitoring. Later a chest physician counselled him regarding the condition & the options of treatment. all the best.
ReplyDeletemy husband was diagnosed with sleep apnea. He had a refferal letter from an ENT specialist to Alrashid allergy center, as they have a sleep lab. He had to spend the night there under monitoring. Later a chest physician counselled him regarding the condition & the options of treatment. all the best.
ReplyDeletemy husband was diagnosed with sleep apnea. He had a refferal letter from an ENT specialist to Alrashid allergy center, as they have a sleep lab. He had to spend the night there under monitoring. Later a chest physician counselled him regarding the condition & the options of treatment. all the best.
ReplyDeleteI solved sleep apnea without medical treatments - personal experience
ReplyDeleteAt first I didn't know what sleep apnea was nor that I have it.For several months I didn’t even realize I had sleep apnea. In this period I felt tired, I had no energy and I was sleepy all the time. I didn’t understand why I was tired and sleepy because I was spending more than 10 hours in bed.
http://www.sleepapneasymptoms.info/stop_sleep_apnea_without_medicine.htm
Hi DG
ReplyDeleteCame thru the post bu chance
OSA usually managed by a respirologist ( chest doctor). if im not mistaken there are many in Kuwait, what i have recently heard , there is a new sleep lab opened in Adan hospital and the doctor who works there ( Dr muabarak Alajmi ) is a Canadian graduate (Vancouver,BC , he works also in Taiba Clinic ( saba7 al asaleem ).
Regard
Treatment for sleep disorders can be found at Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital in Jabriya. They have a sleep lab as well as mobile units.
ReplyDeleteDr. Vincenza Tiberia, Licensed Psychologist, Al-Razi Center
Hi, I hope you managed o get a sleep study and are now being treated. My name is Richard a Brit-American living in London. I'm a registered polysomnographic sleep technologist working in the field of sleep disorders. I'm looking for a job in Kuwait and wonder if you or anyone could tell me the names of any clinics offering that service. Thanks a lot if u would post my comment. Ricciricardo@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteDesert Girl did you ever get onto the Sleep Clinic in Kuwait? I think my 10 year old may have it as he snores and sometimes sounds like he's stopping to breathe for a second or two. I have been recommended a Dr Nasser Behbehani but can't find where he practices from. Any help appreciated. Thanks
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 11:02 - No I didn't. I think Seef hospital may have someone, but I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteMowasat Hospital in Salmiya.
ReplyDeleteyou can do sleep study free of cost in sleep lab zain hospital kuwait,
ReplyDeleteit is the biggest sleep lab in kuwait under ministry of health
more details go through this link https://sleeplabatkuwait.wordpress.com/, https://www.facebook.com/sleeplabzainkwt/ sleeplabzainkwt@gmail.com