Duke had every excuse in the book…
No, really! At ADVENT, we've heard them all.
Yep, Duke sounded just like so many patients before him.
And that's really the trouble with having an issue that is so often brushed off: you get shoved inside a box. Your diagnosis is minimized, your treatment is mishandled with a one-size-fits-all approach, and you're left on your own to fit it into your unique and dynamic lifestyle.
Just because Duke's complaints sounded like everyone else's, doesn't mean his treatment plan should, too. And that's just what would happen if he went to his doctor. He'd be sent down the same dysfunctional route as so many before him… Sleep study. CPAP. Misery. Repeat.
It's no wonder so many people, just like Duke, find every excuse to avoid getting the care they need.
Duke's Excuse #1:
Sleep Study? Heck No, I Won't Go!
Duke made it very clear he wasn't interested in going to a sleep center to undergo a sleep study. But when we introduced him to our super small, at-home sleep study, he was much more willing to participate.
After his sleep study, which he was able to easily understand, operate on his own, and was able to review the results right on his smartphone, he was more convinced of his condition - he had sleep apnea.
Duke's Excuse #2:
A CPAP Won't Work For Me
He wasn't exactly wrong about this one. You see, a CPAP forces air into the airway, and if your nose isn't functioning properly, a CPAP is not going to do its job very well. And with his thorough and comprehensive Breathing Triangle evaluation with ADVENT, Duke was able to see first-hand the obstructions his airways were working against.
Duke's Excuse #3:
My High Blood Pressure is to Blame
Again, not a far-fetched excuse, however the ironic thing is that his high blood pressure was actually being caused by his sleep apnea. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is when the airways collapse why you sleep, putting strain on your heart, lungs, and entire circulatory system.
While many of these other systems of OSA - hypertension, risk of stroke, diabetes, sexual dysfunction - can also come with age and other factors, you can decrease your dependency on medications when you focus on getting better and healthier sleep.
This is why we built a different kind of sleep and ENT clinic.
When we were able to poke holes in Duke's excuses, and his continuous rationalization of why he wasn't getting or didn't need help, we were able to help him face his issues head on - and with a treatment plan he'd have a hard time saying 'no' to!
If you sound like Duke and you're ready to stop making excuses, ADVENT is waiting to help you breathe better, and live better!