Sleep Gets Official
At State Capitol
By Eva D. Sti
for Awake In Philly
© 2002, Awake In Philly. All rights reserved.
HARRISBURG (APRIL 2, 2002) -- When it comes to politics,
terms such as lame duck are often used. Then there are always the
jokes about politicians being too busy snoozing to help out constituents.
For John Wozniak, however, it isn't a joke any longer.
“I'm Senator John Wozniak, I have sleep apnea, and
I want everyone to know that,” was the message heard by reporters
gathered for the press conference in the state capitol's rotunda.
Others, including medical professionals, also attended the press conference
and representatives of several sleep labs and home healthcare companies.
“There is nothing to be ashamed of if you don't sleep
properly,” Wozniak said today at a National Sleep Awareness
Week event he hosted in the capitol Rotunda. “It is not your
fault. You have a condition, and I encourage anyone with any of the
symptoms of one of these disorders to seek treatment.”
Wozniak said he was a typical male for years, refusing to
seek medical attention for his problem sleepiness.
“Despite experiencing sleep disorder symptoms for
several years,” Wozniak said he “stubbornly” resisted
treatment. However, after persistent urging from family members, he
said, “I finally went to a clinic and was diagnosed with sleep
apnea.”
Wozniak, a democrat representing the Johnstown area, said at one point, prior to being diagnosed with apnea, he "knew all the best rest areas along the Pennsylvania Turnpike" where he could sleep during his trips between Johnstown and Harrisburg, which is about a 140 mile trip, or roughly 3-1/2 hours of driving.
In making his announcement, Wozniak said he's been diagnosed
for about four years, which has made things easier for his wife's
sleep habits. He joked about waking her because of his loud snoring.
He added that as a result of being successfully treated with CPAP,
he felt he had to change his computer password a couple of years ago.
Wozniak said his old computer password was "Sleepy"
because he said constantly felt like the character from
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
In sleep apnea, normal breathing passages are blocked during
sleep, forcing the afflicted person to wake frequently, often gasping
for air. Since apnea sufferers are deprived of normal sleep, they
are generally tired during their waking hours and often fall asleep
at inappropriate times.
Wozniak said he was outfitted with a corrective device that
promotes normal breathing while he sleeps. "There is such a remarkable
difference in the way I feel from the time before I was diagnosed
and now," he said.
Also appearing with the senator was Dr. Stanford S. Weinberg,
a board-certified sleep specialist,
Dave Jackson, coordinator of the Awake In Philly Community Education Group, as well as Jackson's
daughter, Michele, 15, a
Philadelphia high school student, as well as the Information Specialist
for Awake In Philly.
“These sleep disorders are an epidemic,” said
Weinberg. He praised Wozniak for pronouncing his own condition in
order to call attention to the need to recognize and treat sleep disorders.
“You are a man of vision, of courage, and, I think,
of great fortitude,” Feinberg told Wozniak. “The people
of Pennsylvania owe you a great debt of gratitude.”
Jackson, who worked as a
journalist for about 20 years, said he was honored to be standing
next to a politician who was brave enough and bold enough to announce
that he had a sleep disorder.
“Many people try to conceal their sleep disorders,”
Jackson said. “Senator Wozniak, on the other hand, is making
a bold statement here today, letting people know that it is no longer
something to be swept under the rug.”
Speaking from the child's perspective, Michele said she
remembers being in trouble on several occasions as a young child,
and her father falling asleep while talking to her, literally mid-sentence.
She said David would often awaken 15 to 20 minutes later and resume
talking mid-sentence, apparently without knowing he had dozed.
Michele continued, saying that because she grew up seeing
her face doze off in the middle of a sentence, as well as fall asleep
as soon as he sat down on the couch, she never knew anything was wrong
or different.
“This was something I grew up with, and to me, it
was normal. But I'm telling you this: If you have a friend, a mother,
father, brother or sister, or anyone else you love who has these symptoms,
have them get to a sleep specialist to see if they have a sleep disorder.
It could be the difference between life and death,” she said.
Sleep disorders such as apnea, narcolepsy and insomnia affect health, public safety, and normal daytime activities such as work. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driving while drowsy causes at least 100,000 automobile crashes, 40,000 injuries, and 1,550 fatalities each year.
Medical studies have linked sleep disorders or and sleep deprivation to high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and depression, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
A recent National Sleep Foundation poll reports that 37
percent of the adults experience daytime sleepiness at least a few
days each month. According to statistics offered from the results,
that means up to 47 million adults could be at risk for injury or
health and behavior problems because inadequate sleep affects their
alertness.
On the Senate side of state politics, Wozniak sponsored a Senate Resolution 201, which declared April 1-7 as Sleep Awareness Week in Pennsylvania.
Also on the Senate side, Sen. Michael J. Stack (D-5), representing Northeast Philadelphia, sponsored Senate Resolution 203, which declared Wednesday, April 10 as Sleep Apnea Awareness Day in Pennsylvania.
On the House of Representatives side, Representative Alan L. Butkovitz (D-174), also representing Northeast Philadelphia, sponsored House Resolution 421, which declared April 7-14 as Sleep Awareness Week in Pennsylvania, as well as House Resolution 489, which declared April 10 as Sleep Apnea Awareness Day in Pennsylvania.
The Association of Polysomnographic Technologists attempted to use this article in its A2Zzz publication without permission or acknowledging the source of the article. Awake In Philly aggressively protects its copyrights.
|
