Sleep apnea is a scary thing, more so for the person who shares a living space with the victim than the victim themself.
You can't imagine what it is like waking up to increasingly erratic "snoring", and then hearing the breathing stop - only to resume long minutes later.
Once a diagnosis is in, and treatment is begun, it takes weeks to get back to regular sleep patterns because of the length of time spent listening for the breathing to stop, just in case you needed to help get the apnea victim awake and breathing again.
Now imagine that not only does a person with this diagnosis fail to take ownership of their problem (you end up doing all the maintenance on the machine - changing the filter, cleaning the hose and mask, filling the water reservoir daily), they also directly contravene doctor's orders.
They continue to drink alcohol, and insist on taking the synthetic opiates (Percocet, Hydrocodone, Oxycodone) and sleep aids (Ambien), often in combination with the alcohol.
Yet multiple doctors have stated to not take any of these medications at all, as well as to cut back on the drinking, as they all depress breathing function and make apnea worse.
In the last few months of the relationship, despite him being at a fairly high pressure on his machine, he was once again having apnea episodes several nights a week (because of a huge increase in weight, and consistent use of these medications with alcohol).
It amazes me that the guy who is so concerned about regularly visiting a doctor has so little regard for the recommendations of his medical professionals.
I hope he breathes.
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