Ep. 48 // The Wake-Up Call That Saved His Life: Richard Jones

Whether you want it or not, Richard Jones is going to give you a wake-up call because a wake-up call is what saved his life.

Richard recounts a tale that is full of anything but fables. It’s his real tussle with sleep apnea that could have cost him his life. With goose-bump raising clarity, Richard gives you reason to pause before laughing at your loud-snoring family member and realize there may be a bigger underlying problem: sleep apnea.

Know the signs of sleep apnea. Know it’s a real problem. And know that there are solutions that will give you not only better-quality sleep but a better quality of life.

Typically, sleep apnea is one and done: wear the CPAP, and you’re good to go! But what happens when the CPAP doesn’t work?

Lean in and listen in to Richard’s scary tale that we’re glad he lived to tell.

Quotes

• “You’re not breathing. I’m scared. You’re not breathing! I’m having to wake you up just to make sure you’re taking a breath.”
• “Maybe twice or three times during the workweek, I’d stop. I’m buckled up in my seatbelt and sitting straight up, and I’d take a nap. Now, I’m only seven miles from home. But I’d have to stop and take a nap.”
• “They stopped the sleep test, and they put a CPAP on me because my numbers were so bad… I was having an apnea episode every three minutes, and up to one minute long I was not breathing.”
• “Yeah, it’s irritating on your head a little, and you’ve got to get used to it. But once you learn how good your body feels – oh my gosh – you do it! It is for your sleep; it’s for your health; it’s for your family.”
• “Do it for your family. You’ve got to do something. Don’t just let it go.”
• “Trying to live life with a trach tube – it sucked. But it allowed me to breathe.”
• “They take the upper and lower jaw, break it, move it forward, and bolt it back together.”

Links

• Mayo Clinic – Sleep Apnea