True Story of an Young Indian Snorer
Mr. Sajeevan hails from a village in the outskirts of Trivandrum city, called vedivechaan kovil, the kovil (temple) is famous for it fire works by the passing by devotees. The bursting of barrel crackers (`kathina vedi’) is a main offering (`vazhipadu’) at this kovil.
Sajeevan is 32 year old, bit obese character engaged in a small shop not far from the kovil. Most of the day time he used to sleep in the shop and only wakes up when the fire work sound thunders from the temple. Life changed dramatically when he got married a year ago to a girl from nearby village.From the first night, things got sour. He had a habit of waking up from sleep now and then , at time tossing and turning in the bed, even kicking her out of the bed (Restless leg syndrome).
This poor girl got shocked, who to complain except her own parents. The “noises” of his loud snoring which was kept secret from his family, came out in open. She tried hard to “adjust” but could not continue the sleepless nights with him. After few months the girl went back to her house. After a while, his grandmother made a strange diagnosis that the sounds he produces in his sleep and keeping him awake is of his own grandfather’s soul. The soul needs peace. They engaged a local astrologer cum magician to do certain pujas and they spent a lot of money for it.
He continued to make bizarre sounds of snoring and waking up and walking around the bedroom several times at night. He was taken to several healers without any avail. Eventually, everyone agreed, he is a “vattan”-crazy fellow. He had some herbal treatment by putting “thalam” herbal oil bath in his head to cool off his brain.
Nothing changed. After several months he himself started to think, he may be out of his mind, may be crazy. So he was taken to a physician, a colleague of mine. He immediately diagnosed that he is suffering from obstructive sleep apnea and loud snoring with day time sleepiness and other symptoms associated with. He was referred to my clinic.
After listening to his sad story, I explained to him all about OSA and snoring. He was so relived, at the end he said to me “doc so at least I am not crazy after all”
(He underwent Coblator/laser surgery the next week, completely cured his OSA .He is a very happy man now, not snoring anymore, and sleeping well. He got back his life and his wife too)
