To sleep, perchance to dream, to breath

"To sleep, perchance to dream- ay, there's the rub."
Hamlet (III, i, 65-68)

A number of years ago, too many to remember exactly, I received an email from an apnea patient on the island of Curacao who was interested in starting a patient organization similar to the American Sleep Apnea Association.

I am always happy to help and sent copies of educational information we had and the old video... as much as we could fit into a large box, twice, because the first box did not make it.

Over the years there were friendly exchanges of email that always closed with the promise of my visiting the island.

About four months ago I got an email inviting me to visit and asking me to make to two presentations - one to healthcare professionals and one to the general public. To the left is the poster announcing the meeting dates and location.

The decision was made to include a second speaker, an ENT surgeon for the purpose of CME credits.

For the past couple of months I have worked on my presentations... tinkering with themes and images. One concept that I feel very strongly about presenting is the importance of sleep as contributing to a healthy life.  It has become clear to me that it is very nearly impossible to persuade someone about the seriousness of untreated sleep apnea until they understand that without healthy sleep, they can't have a healthy life.

We leave today and I will report as I can from the Neatherland Antilles.