I knew 2 people that died from obstructive sleep apnea

by Tina Webster
(Burlington, NC )

I had a brother that had severe obstructive sleep apnea for several years; he was in his 70's and overweight.

He was found in his bed not breathing, and we rushed to the hospital. We were called to the hospital being told he would not last through the night. After waiting at the hospital for hours I went back into intensive care to visit him and he was sitting up in bed wanting something to eat, he was hungry. We laughed about that and i went home.

He was sent home that time. I had to go out of town a couple of months later for a training seminar and during the night I got a call at my hotel saying my brother had to be rushed back again to the hospital. I told the family to call me if anything happened and a couple of hours later they called me back and said he did not make it.

He had been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea but he waited too long since he had developed heart problems from not being treated with his OSA so i know this disease can and is serious.

My daughter also had a 42 year old neighbor that had severe OSA and one saturday he did some yard work and came in and told his wife he was going to lay down awhile and take a nap and to wake him up when she finished dinner and later that afternoon she told her son to go wake his dad up and he went into the bedroom and found his dad dead. He took a nap and did not put his CPAP on and died in his sleep.

So i knew 2 people that died from OSA.