This past spring I met a wonderful, lovely woman who is smart, driven, and full of life. She is one of a kind! I want to be like her. I want to enjoy each second of life. I want to love freely, passionately, with no regrets.
Several years ago, for some reason I just couldn’t fall asleep one night. At first, I thought it was just me — too excited for life and love and unable to settle down for sleep. But one night turned into one week and one week turned into several months. At the time, I was able to function fine and my job performance didn’t suffer. But I knew it would eventually catch up with me. So after about a year I asked my primary doctor for help.
We tried a few different prescriptions. Some didn’t work, some I just didn’t like, and others were just too powerful and made me feel constantly drowsy. So finally my doctor requested a sleep study with a Pulmonologist.The sleep study revealed, I have mild sleep apnea and the sleep doctor recommended CPAP. Although I was hesitant, I went along with it. I was in shock! I was fitted with something called nose pillows and a machine that pumped heated air into my nose. It was hard to get used to the air pressure. It was adjusted several times but it couldn’t go any lower and I needed a chinstrap to keep my mouth closed. I wasn’t married and I wasn’t dating anyone at the time, which is good, because I kept asking myself, “who would want to deal with me and this machine?” I felt depressed and prayed for an alternative.
Luckily, after some months I visited a Sleep Psychologist, who taught me about Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI). I saw some improvement but overall the quality of sleep was still lacking. So the APRN referred me to a sleep dentist, who told me about the oral appliance from Whole You. It changed my life!
Getting off the CPAP machine was like cutting the strings that held me back. I like that the oral appliance is small and I can open my mouth to drink water at night. I can sleep in any position just like a child. And I can date freely without feeling embarrassed about my condition. It’s a great feeling! I want to share this positive experience with the world.
I’m just a small town kid, looking to enjoy every second of life Here in Reno, we are a strong community of people who support one another in good times and in bad. I moved here when I was 18 years old to attend the University of Nevada and this community has seen me grow up. I love the seasons, the ability to drive a few minutes and walk the beach at Lake Tahoe or ski Mt Rose, and of course I love all things Wolf Pack! I look forward to expanding my roots in the Reno community. I want to start a small business, raise a family here, meet new people, and fully embrace life again!
Location Guide: Reno Arch an iconic landmark in Reno, Nevada spanning Virginia Street at the intersection with Commercial Row. This arch has been featured in many movies as well as having many events that take place underneath it such as Hot August Nights a famous car and music show. The Reno Arch has served as a representative of the times with its many iterations and is a popular tourist destination.
Comment from Luis' Dentist