Sleep Apnea Stories

Emma was recently interviewed for the ‘Sleep Tech Talk’ podcast.

You can find the video version of this conversation at

https://www.youtube.com/@sleeptechtalk1797

Emma is joined by Geoff Eade, a Sleep Coach with BetterNight - a company offering home sleep testing and patient support.

Together they discuss:

* Geoff explains a bit about his background and how he got into sleep working as a sleep tech.

* BetterNight home testing and how patients can receive support over telehealth without leaving home.

* How better remote monitoring is improving outcomes for patients ensuring they meet compliance requirements for insurance.

* Geoff shares about the untimely loss of his father to suspected untreated obstructive sleep apnea and his own journey as an OSA patient.

* The CCSH qualification allowing sleep techs to move into sleep coaching and working more directly to help patients with their CPAP therapy.

Connect with Geoff:

LinkedIn

https://www.betternightsolutions.com/

Connect with Emma:

Follow the podcast on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @sleepapneastories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email Emma at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.sleepapneastories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Vote for Emma!

*Endorse Emma's nomination for the Social Health Network awards here: https://www.wegohealth.com/Emma34/awards - click "endorse this patient leader".

Sponsors:

BetterHelp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.betterhelp.com/emma⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 10% off your first month of online therapy

Sleeplay - click ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ to order CPAPs and CPAP supplies and use code ⁠⁠⁠⁠BEDTIME10⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 10% off.

NEW! Support the Podcast!

If you would like to support Emma and the 'Sleep Apnea Stories' podcast, you can now contribute monthly.

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/emma-cooksey⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click "Support this Podcast".

Disclaimer: This podcast episode includes people with sleep apnea discussing their experiences of medical procedures and devices.  This is for information purposes only and you should consult with your medical professionals before starting or stopping any medication or treatment.

Emma is joined by Laing Rikkers, co-founder and Executive Chair at ProSomnus. Together they discuss:

* Laing shares a bit about her background and experience with ProSomnus, an oral appliance manufacturer.

* Obstructive Sleep Apnea signs and symptoms and how difficult it can be to persuade a loved one to seek help.

* Laing talks about losing her sister who was only 46 at the time of her death.

* Coping with grief during the pandemic and how writing became a helpful practice along with grief counseling.

* Writing the book "Morning Leaves", a collection of poems written after Laing's sister passed away.

Connect with Laing:

ProSomnus Sleep Technologies - Get Better Sleep

Laing F. Rikkers (laingrikkers.com

Laing Rikkers | LinkedIn

Author Laing Rikkers | Facebook

Laing Rikkers - author of Morning Leaves (@morning_leaves_book)

ProSomnus® Sleep Technologies: Overview | LinkedIn

ProSomnus Marketing - YouTube

ProSomnus Sleep Technologies (@prosomnussleeptechnologies)

ProSomnus Sleep Technologies | Pleasanton CA | Facebook

Connect with Emma:

Follow the podcast on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @sleepapneastories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email Emma at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.sleepapneastories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Vote for Emma!

*Endorse Emma's nomination for the Social Health Network awards here: https://www.wegohealth.com/Emma34/awards - click "endorse this patient leader".

Sponsors:

BetterHelp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.betterhelp.com/emma⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 10% off your first month of online therapy

NEW! Support the Podcast!

If you would like to support Emma and the 'Sleep Apnea Stories' podcast, you can now contribute monthly.

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/emma-cooksey⁠⁠⁠⁠ Click "Support this Podcast".

Disclaimer: This podcast episode includes people with sleep apnea discussing their experiences of medical procedures and devices.  This is for information purposes only and you should consult with your medical professionals before starting or stopping any medication or treatment.

Emma is reunited with her first podcast guest, Karen Wolk. Together they discuss:

* Karen talks about her journey with her Inspire Implant.

* She explains how the hypoglossal nerve stimulation therapy works to move her tongue out of her airway and demonstrates the remote control, turning it on and off.

* Karen describes working with Dr. Sarah Silverman on CBT-i techniques to help adjust to CPAP therapy before she found Inspire.

* Working with Pat McBride and the team at Inspire to adjust settings to Karen's changing needs.

* Karen shares a new diagnosis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and how it explains her fatigue symptoms still present after her sleepiness was resolved.

* Emma encourages Karen to start her own podcast or youtube channel to use her voice to spread awarenesss.

Connect with Karen:

https://www.instagram.com/kwolk/

More about Inspire and their hypoglossal nerve stimulation therapy:

https://www.inspiresleep.com/

Listen to the first conversation Emma and Karen had in July 2020 here

Follow the podcast on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @sleepapneastories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email Emma at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.sleepapneastories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode is sponsored by:

BetterHelp⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.betterhelp.com/emma⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 10% off your first month of online therapy

NEW! Support the Podcast!

If you would like to support Emma and the 'Sleep Apnea Stories' podcast, you can now contribute monthly.

⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/emma-cooksey⁠⁠⁠ Click "Support this Podcast".

Disclaimer: This podcast episode includes people with sleep apnea discussing their experiences of medical procedures and devices.  This is for information purposes only and you should consult with your medical professionals before starting or stopping any medication or treatment.

Emma is joined by Dr. Pat McBride, Executive Director of the Foundation for Airway Health and a Board member at the American Academy of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry (AAPMD). Together they discuss:

* Dr. McBride's background working with her late husband in his dental sleep medicine practice.

* The founding of the AAPMD and developing a new collaborative approach to the treatment of airway disorders.

* MMA surgery and the importance of choosing the right surgeon and doing preparations with a specialist orthodontist.

* Working with Inspire patients helping them optimize their treatment outcomes.

The Foundation for Airway Health

https://www.airwayhealth.org/

The American Academy of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry

https://aapmd.org/

Two articles mentioned in this episode:

https://dentalsleeppractice.com/precision-medicine-paradigm-dental-sleep-medicine/

https://dentalsleeppractice.com/they-are-not-their-disease-clinician-and-providers-need-to-feel-that/

This episode is sponsored by:

BetterHelp⁠⁠⁠ https://www.betterhelp.com/emma⁠⁠⁠ for 10% off your first month of online therapy

Follow the podcast on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ @sleepapneastories⁠⁠⁠

Email Emma at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠www.sleepapneastories.com⁠⁠⁠

NEW! Support the Podcast!

If you would like to support Emma and the 'Sleep Apnea Stories' podcast, you can now contribute monthly.

⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/emma-cooksey⁠⁠ Click "Support this Podcast".

Disclaimer: This podcast episode includes people with sleep apnea discussing their experiences of medical procedures and devices.  This is for information purposes only and you should consult with your medical professionals before starting or stopping any medication or treatment.

Emma is joined by Trent and Theresa Tidball to discuss Trent's journey with OSA. Together they discuss:

* Trent's symptoms of daytime sleepiness as a teen and doing a sleep study but not following up.

* Undergoing a UPPP, tonsillectomy, septoplasty, and turbinate reduction at the same time with an ENT without ever having a sleep study.

* Getting a sleep test and diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea.

* Titrating study showing the need for ASV rather than CPAP or BiPAP.

* MMA surgery to advance jaws hoping to improve Trent's airway.

* Mental health impacts setting in for Trent and Theresa after trying all these treatment options without a positive outcome.

* Theresa starting a blog to help process the emotions around coping with Trent's illness.

* Trent having a DISE procedure showing his tongue was the main reason for his obstructive apneas

* Trent undergoing Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation surgery and starting to dream again.

* Speculating that UPPP surgery had affected the function of Trent's tongue.

* Deciding to do a revision MMA surgery with a new surgeon.

Connect with Trent and Theresa:

sleepilyeverafterblog.com

https://gofund.me/c899511d

This episode is sponsored by:

BetterHelp⁠⁠ https://www.betterhelp.com/emma⁠⁠ for 10% off your first month of online therapy

Follow the podcast on Instagram:⁠⁠ @sleepapneastories⁠⁠

Email Emma at ⁠[email protected]⁠

⁠⁠www.sleepapneastories.com⁠⁠

Check out Gary Knight's Story Sharing on Project Sleep's Facebook Live, hosted by Emma - click here to watch!

NEW! Support the Podcast!

If you would like to support Emma and the 'Sleep Apnea Stories' podcast, you can now contribute monthly.

⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/emma-cooksey⁠ Click "Support this Podcast".

Disclaimer: This podcast episode includes people with sleep apnea discussing their experiences of medical procedures and devices.  This is for information purposes only and you should consult with your medical professionals before starting or stopping any medication or treatment.

Emma is joined by Dr. Jill Ombrello, a dentist from Dallas, Texas. Together they discuss:

* Dr. Ombrello working with families to get to the root airway causes of problems she sees in many of the kids in her practice.

* Moms dealing with poor quality sleep and being told they are fine because their AHI is too low for a sleep apnea diagnosis.

* Dr. Ombrello stepping in as "Quarterback of Care" where patients have been left to navigate their treatment options without any help.

* The need for healthcare professionals, including doctors and dentists, to work together and send referrals for the best sleep apnea solutions.

* Working with an elite athlete to improve her sleep with oral appliance therapy.

Follow Jill on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/jombrello and www.instagram.com/centraldentist

BetterHelp⁠ https://www.betterhelp.com/emma⁠ for 10% off your first month of online therapy

Follow the podcast on Instagram:⁠ @sleepapneastories⁠

Email Emma at [email protected]

⁠www.sleepapneastories.com⁠

NEW! Support the Podcast!

If you would like to support Emma and the 'Sleep Apnea Stories' podcast, you can now contribute monthly.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/emma-cooksey Click "Support this Podcast".

Disclaimer: This podcast episode includes people with sleep apnea discussing their experiences of medical procedures and devices.  This is for information purposes only and you should consult with your medical professionals before starting or stopping any medication or treatment.

Emma is joined by Maggie Carr, a small business owner from Vermont. Together they discuss:

* Maggie describes having a tonsillectomy as a child to improve her airway.

* Having 8 teeth extracted for braces and Dr. Bill Hang's concept of "Extraction, Retraction, Regret Syndrome".

* Getting a diagnosis of Sleep Apnea and finding a CPAP during a recall and shortage.

* Maggie's decision to start palate expansion using an MSE appliance and what is involved.

* Maggie working with an executive functioning coach to help her manage daily tasks with significant brain fog.

Connect with Maggie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diaryofawimpyairway/

This episode is sponsored by:

BetterHelp⁠ https://www.betterhelp.com/emma⁠ for 10% off your first month of online therapy

Follow the podcast on Instagram:⁠ @sleepapneastories⁠

Email Emma at [email protected]

⁠www.sleepapneastories.com⁠

NEW! Support the Podcast!

If you would like to support Emma and the 'Sleep Apnea Stories' podcast, you can now contribute monthly.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/emma-cooksey Click "Support this Podcast".

Disclaimer: This podcast episode includes people with sleep apnea discussing their experiences of medical procedures and devices.  This is for information purposes only and you should consult with your medical professionals before starting or stopping any medication or treatment.

Emma is joined by Ken Hooks, a Sleep Tech and owner of True Sleep Diagnostics.  Together they discuss:

* Difficulties trying to integrate oral appliance therapy into the current medical system.

* Women with an AHI under 5 testing negative for Sleep Apnea but still trying to find answers and treatment options for their symptoms.

* RERAs - Respiratory effort-related sleep arousals and the diagnosis of Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome.

* Ken explains why nasal masks are far preferable to a full face mask.

* Airflow limitations and how these can disrupt sleep but go ignored during traditional sleep apnea testing.

* Ken describes how he offers at-home testing.  He also explains that he offers second opinions on sleep studies already performed where no treatment options were given because the AHI was too low for a sleep apnea diagnosis.

Contact Ken via his website: www.truesleepdiagnostics.com 

This episode is sponsored by:

BetterHelp https://www.betterhelp.com/emma for 10% off your first month of online therapy

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @sleepapneastories

Email Emma at [email protected]

www.sleepapneastories.com

Disclaimer: This podcast episode includes people with sleep apnea discussing their experiences of medical procedures and devices.  This is for information purposes only and you should consult with your medical professionals before starting or stopping any medication or treatment.

*trigger warning* - discussion of suicidal thoughts

Emma is joined by Jason Webb who comes from a small town in Queensland, Australia.  Together they discuss:

* Jason's debilitating sleep apnea symptoms and his difficulties in getting a diagnosis.

* Doctors' attitudes that sleep apnea is only for "older, overweight men".

* Jason's mental health deteriorating to the point of feeling suicidal.

* Finding a doctor who listened and ordered a sleep study and made a referral to an ENT surgeon.

* Diagnosis with obstructive sleep apnea and beginning CPAP therapy.

* Jason's experience with septoplasty and turbinate reduction.

* Access to sleep apnea treatment in small-town settings where there are no sleep specialists.

Follow Jason on Instagram: @thefaceofjase 

This episode is sponsored by:

BetterHelp https://www.betterhelp.com/emma for 10% off your first month of online therapy

For more info on the "NasoClenz" clinical trial, Emma spoke about in the intro, email [email protected] and [email protected].

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @sleepapneastories

Email Emma at [email protected]

www.sleepapneastories.com

Disclaimer: This podcast episode includes people with sleep apnea discussing their experiences of medical procedures and devices.  This is for information purposes only and you should consult with your medical professionals before starting or stopping any medication or treatment.