Who knew?

… so I was sitting at the counter and had just ordered a hamburger, fries and a cup of coffee. I turned to the man sitting on my right and asked, “Do you know anyone with sleep apnea?” He answered, “Yes. Me.”

He was 41 years old and had been on CPAP therapy since age 35. Due to the nature of his apnea, he is only able to sleep four hours at night.

I told him that when I had my first sleep study done fourteen years ago, it was determined that I stopped breathing forty-one times an hour. He told me that his number was seventy-five.

Stunned, I said that I had never heard of an apnea number that high. He told me that his roommate’s was even higher. He has been on CPAP therapy for about a year.

During seventy-two years of life, I don’t recall sleep apnea ever coming up during a normal conversation. Now that my wife and I have invented a product to help people have a more comfortable and effective therapy experience, we find that almost everyone knows someone with sleep apnea. Who knew?

The next day I took my computer into the company that has been doing our work for several years. The woman at the counter asked what was new with me. I asked her, "Do you know anyone with sleep apnea?"

Naturally, based on my new awareness of the prevalence of sleep apnea, she told me that the owner is on CPAP therapy. He has trouble with mask leaks. Another customer.

[Story to be continued]

Norman Paulk

CPAP Comfort Cover TM        Deceptively Simple. Surprisingly Effective.