Joe Piekarski

Although Heimbuck won't be given his results for a couple of weeks, both Diess and Joe Piekarski of Roseburg have already been through the sleep study.
...
Piekarski, on the other hand, had his first sleep study a year and a half ago.Up until that time, he said he always felt exhausted, so much so that he would escape to his truck or take a nap in his office at work.He'd feel sleepy when he was driving, and he'd even have difficulty listening to customers, a requirement of his job as a technical support agent for Romtec Inc. near Glide. At first excusing his condition as a natural part of aging, he was propelled by his wife, Susan, a respiratory therapist for oxygen supply company Lincare in Roseburg, to seek medical advice.He was initially told his problems were due to a pre-existing respiratory condition, but when he went to Silver and underwent a sleep study, he found out the true reason for his symptoms. Now that he knows what's wrong and has been treated for the problem, the 41-year-old said he's never felt better in his life. "I'm not tired anymore," he said."I have energy, my headaches are gone and my blood pressure has dropped.I feel young again." Piekarski, like Diess, is being treated through continuous positive airway pressure machines, which are hooked up when the patient is sleeping.The device is the size of a small vacuum cleaner, and it works by providing a gentle flow of positive-pressure air through a nasal mask, which splits the airway open. There is also a similar machine, which provides bi-level positive airway pressure.This device lowers the pressure of the air when people exhale, and is generally better tolerated. Through this therapy, which is the one most often prescribed, breathing becomes regular and snoring stops.Restful sleep is restored and the overall quality of life for patients improves.But to yield these desired results, people must commit themselves to wearing the mask every night of their lives.