Stories

Brent writes:

"I can't express deeply enough my gratitude to Dr. Lawler for his help in treating my sleep apnea. If it hadn't been for the more restful sleep the oral appliance provides and the help of another health professional Dr. Lawler referred me to in getting my weight down, I truly believe I would have had a heart attack, a stroke, or been in a serious car accident by now. The effects of the disorder on my body were becoming more severe and evident: my blood pressure and my weight were skyrocketing, my alertness and energy level were bottoming out, and I just felt like my overall health was going down hill quickly. I'd encourage anyone, even those with minor sleep apnea to see what combination of treatments Dr. Lawler could put together to help treat the disorder."

Fred writes:

I'm a 63 year old male. Prior to 10 years ago my blood pressure was consistently below normal. Suddenly my blood pressure shot up and I had to be put on several medications. All my life I have been very active, but about the same time I was diagnosed with high blood pressure I started noticing a significant tiredness/sleepiness that caused me difficulty in driving and reading without dozing off. I'm single, but travel frequently with friends. Their complaints about my loud snoring prompted me to get a sleep study. This test indicated that I had borderline sleep apnea, but that treatment wasn't required. The snoring continued along with the complaints until I found out about Dr. Lawler. He reviewed my symptoms and suggested that we do a home sleep study with a small device that attached to my wrist. The results from this test indicated that my "borderline" sleep apnea was probably much worse than suspected.

Dr. Lawler recommended a mouthpiece to manage my snoring. Immediately after using the mouthpiece I noticed improvement in my fatigue and sleepiness. After a couple of months of wearing the mouthpiece, I was feeling much better and my blood pressure was starting to drop a little. Dr. Lawler did a second home sleep study to verify my progress and the results showed significant improvement from my first one, however, he was still concerned that the mouthpiece was not adequately treating my problem. A hospital-based second sleep study verified that there was still significant sleep apnea remaining and a CPAP was recommended. I have always dreaded the idea of using CPAP since the thought of wearing a face mask during sleep makes me feel claustrophobic. Dr. Lawler solved this problem by attaching a CPAP nose piece directly to my oral appliance and eliminated the face mask. Now, I am consistently getting a full-night sleep and have an energy level that I have not experienced in many years. Indeed, I feel "reborn"!! My blood pressure, which was never normal even on medication, is now 120/80 or lower. Altogether, it's been a magnificent experience and I could not have done it without Dr. Lawler.

Jim writes:

Dr. Lawler was not the first doctor suggesting I might have sleep apnea. He did the best job of explaining its consequences. He also offered a range of solutions that no other doctor had discussed or presented.

I had always assumed that my growing lethargy and tiredness was due to "growing old." I was also gaining weight uncontrollably. Dr. Lawler explained that disrupted sleep patterns could actually be at the root of these issues. My energy level increased greatly after just one night of sleeping with the new dental appliance. I had been on a weight loss program the preceding six months. Losing weight immediately became easier. I lost eight pounds the first month with the dental appliance, and they were the "easiest" eight pounds I ever lost.

I want to thank Dr. Lawler for his persistence with his sleep apnea diagnosis and effective treatment. I am the ultimate skeptic when it comes to things like this. He was patient with me and his patience has made a big difference in the quality of my life.