Worried... Sleep consult did not go as planned!

Hi all. Hope everyone is having a good Monday.  I had my consult for a sleep study this morning.  No big deal, or so I thought.  I thought I'd go in, we'd chat, they'd schedule a sleep study, and that would be it.  Nope.  She came in, and I instantly liked her.  We talked, and then she put her light on her head and took a stick and took a good long look at my mouth.  

I guess I should give a bit of history and let you know that I've not slept a full night since I was a child.  It takes me hours to fall asleep and I'm awake so many times during the night that I no longer count.  There are nights that I never even doze off.  I've been prescribed many sleeping pills and have never found one that helped me rest successfully.  I'm a worrier, and I worry about everything, all the time.  When I lay down to sleep, it's like bumper cars in my brain.  My brain never stops.  And I toss and turn all night long.  The best thing that has helped me so far has been xanax, however, I've been out of it for some time now.  It just helped me to relax a bit to fall asleep.  

Anyway, onto this morning.... 

She said "honey, you have a tiny mouth and a BIG tongue".  Big deal, right?  Then she sat down and proceeded to tell me that the reason I do what I do at night is because most people have a U-shaped mouth, and mine is more closely related to a V, and a tongue that is too big for my mouth.  She said my brain is smart and what it's doing is keeping me awake to keep me alive.  There's nowhere for my tongue to go when I sleep except down my throat, cutting off my airway.  She said she can't believe I'm 44 and this has not presented itself until now.  I told her that my sleep has always been a problem, but I'd always been handed pills.  She said whatever I do, don't take sleeping pills because they have some muscle-relaxer tendencies and that could be deadly to me in my sleep.  So I have broke down and am absolutely terrified to even try to fall asleep now.  Scared to death.  She is positive that I have sleep apnea and she also said that most people get to come off the CPAP machine when they lose weight, but that won't happen for me, due to the shape of my mouth.  I have a sleep study on the 23^rd, then a week or so after that I will get the results, then have to go back to get a CPAP, and follow up with her on May 16^th.  So I definitely won't be having surgery in April, as I'd hoped.  I just can't believe I'm that close to death when I try to sleep.  I guess I've woke up for 44 years, so another few weeks should be fine.  However, I can tell you that I will be a wreck come bedtime.....  

Anyone else experience anything similar to this?  I really hope not... I wouldn't want anyone to have that worry.  I live with my children, and obviously do not plan to share this information with them, because I don't want them to worry.  But I don't have a sleep partner to 'monitor' my sleep, or lack thereof.  

Thoughts??

My friend has sleep apnea and now uses a machine. I don't know whether he's lost weight since, but I do know his quality of life has improved a lot since he has been able to sleep! 

During the process I also found that I had sleep apnea. The CPAP machine is a godsend. Even the first few nights I got a better sleep than I had in years. 

You also have survived this long...I am sure you will survive until you get your machine :) 

Did you get a surgery date yet?

Good luck!

Wendy

I too have a big tongue small mouth. I was told by a dentist that the tongue can be made smaller through surgery. I notice I actually bite my tongue while sleeping.

I too have a tiny mouth (dentist laughs at me and always gives me kiddy toothbrushes. ) but i have never been told about my tongue being too big, now i am wondering. i will have to ask the dentist when i see him next.  thanks for letting us all know about this. you may be opening quite a few eyes.