Hi there I'm Norm

I was born in November 1951 to two wonderful parents, perhaps too wonderful. During that time and era I guess it was thought that having a cute chunky baby was considered to be very healthy for the child. Little did my parents know it would lead to a long life of obesity. I never lost that so-called baby fat and I grew up always being on the chunky side.

As time went by my parents tried to put me on diets to get my weight down to normal. I wasn't what you would call obese but I was always overweight. As in almost all cases of children being overweight, I developed a complex about myself but no matter what I tried to do I just couldn't lose the weight to be like other kids. Later in life I grew up to be a big guy but I felt pretty healthy and strong. It wasn't until the last 10 years that I really felt I was becoming obese. I had injured my back on my job and I decided to change my career. I attended night classes and took some accounting courses to prepare myself for this change. Then one day opportunity knocked on my door and I was offered a position as a bookkeeper. So, I took the position not realizing of the long hard road that was to come.

I thought it was great to be able to sit at my desk all day and not have to work hard physically. Well because I had never given a thought to exercise I would just go home at night and I would feel tired from the tedious task of working with numbers all day. Instead of going out for walks or doing some kind of exercise I would just sit and watch television. That was the biggest mistake of my life. I started to put on weight and this led me to my fight with SLEEP APNEA.

I had been hospitalized in 1996 with bi-lateral pneumonia and the doctor told me that if I had waited to go to the hospital one more day I would have died. So after being in the hospital for 3 weeks I thought that I would be ok. I could never have been so wrong. I was in and out of the hospital every 3 months because of low oxygen in my blood. Finally the doctor ordered a breathing test and I was diagnosed with having emphysema but nobody could understand how I could have it because I had never smoked. I was put on oxygen around the clock and I finally decided to get a second opinion from a specialist. This doctor immediately looked at my x-rays and told me that I didn't have emphysema and he diagnosed me to have a sleeping disorder called SLEEP APNEA.

I went for a sleep study at the hospital then I was put on a machine called a CPAP which forces air into my lungs (go to the links on this page for more info). I now sleep much better and feel more rested. I am now losing my weight and in time I should be able to get my life back again that I feel had been taken away by this terrible disorder.

I had never imagined just how much being overweight can do to affect your life until this happend to me.
UPDATE: AUG.11, 1998
Since being on my CPAP and oxygen I have been on the road to recovery. I went to the doctor last Thursday and had great results. He has reduced my oxygen usage to only needing it at night or when doing very strenuous exercise, and I have lost 27 pounds which alone has helped me gain more stamina. My blood oxygen level is remaining in the 92% to 97% bracket which is excellent. Maybe someday I will be rid of this horrible nightmare and have a much better life for myself.

UPDATE: AUG.10, 2001
I have been without oxygen for 2 1/2 years now, I have been working part time for a college, along with taking college courses seeking my degree. I still get bronchitis every spring and fall and usually get admitted into the hospital for treatment. This year has not been a very good year so far, I have been bothered with kidney stones and diversticulitis. I was in the hospital for 9 days and 8 days with nothing to eat or drink except for ice chips and the IV feedings they were giving me. On Aug. 22, I have to go for a cystoscopy for the urinary tract at which time the doctor will retrieve one of the kidney stones. I also need to have surgery for the diversticulitis, which the doctor will be removing about an 18 inch section of the lower intestines. It will be a very high risk surgery and I know that all of my friends are saying special prayers for me. Especially my very best friend in British Columbia, Terri.

Links to other sites on the Web

Index to Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea-Related Links

© 1997 NFourn2@excite.com

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