I think I told you about my Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) problem. Sleep apnea runs in my family, and runs through me. Apparently, I haven’t been well rested for several years. So says my sleep study. That explains the catnaps I take while waiting for the light to change.But I tell this story for another reason. I was forced to attend a sleep lab an hour and a half away on two occasions, to both determine my apnea and to try continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy to see if it would help. I was scheduled for a follow-up with the sleep physician (a respirologist) to discuss my results.So I met with him at the hospital. A nurse did a short history, focusing on my sleep and attendant issues. I then entered a room, sat down and had a chat with the physician. He was an affable fellow, and he followed up the history with some questions to fill in the blanks, much like you would when assessing a patient’s problem. We talked a bit about sleep apnea, its effects on my life (including, as he called it, “evictions” from the bedroom) and how severe mine is. He looked in my throat, commenting on my large uvula (I am not sure how one responds to that), had me turn for a profile (I have an underbite, which is also apparently bad), and marveled when I told him I had had my septum removed because it had been bent beyond repair.He described the issue of OSA as a change in muscle tone, telling me it had gone from what, in my youth, would be like elastic hospital tubing, to that of a condom. The flapping of the flaccid tissue in the breeze is snoring, the folding shut is what makes me stop breathing—apparently I do that up to a 100 times a night—waking me before I get into deep or REM sleep.We talked about CPAP, and my experience with it in the lab, and how it should help me, including my low set point for PO2, which was 95% that day (it should be 98% or more) causing me to gasp for air when flying at altitude.All in all, it was one of the more positive, informative and interactive interactions I have ever had with a physician. Oh, and I forgot to mention that when I was talking to him, the doctor was about 250 miles away, and we were speaking over a live video link through the Ontario Telemedicine Network. I, like many, initially thought this was a terrible way to see a doctor. But it was fine, even good. My appointment was on time, and I didn’t have to wait around. Eventually, I could do this from home with today’s technology.Something to think about in your professional future.