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I sought medical help. I was prescribed sleeping pills, which didn’t work. Each day, I grew more fatigued, and more convinced that something was very wrong. Visits to various medical professionals yielded no answers. Multiple exams and tests showed nothing. And yet I still felt as if I never slept, and no one could determine why. Finally, I went for a sleep medicine consultation and underwent a sleep study. Unbeknownst to me, this initial study did in fact show a slight anomaly- but it was deemed unremarkable by the physician and not addressed.

Now I was truly frustrated, depressed, and hopeless. I knew I could not keep going like this. As a medical resident, I owed it to my patients to be alert, sharp, and at the top of my game. And I knew I was slipping farther away from that. It became clear to me that I needed to leave. I decided that for the safety of my patients, I would resign from my residency. I needed time to heal, and to continue to dig into this mystery.

Further consultations with neurologists and psychiatrists produced nothing but more prescriptions for medication. I was treated for allodynia – a rare neurological symptom that, for me, involved painful sensations on the head and scalp. I was given more medication, but I still couldn’t sleep.

After a year and a half, I managed to return to and complete my internal medicine residency program. I was lucky enough to have a mentor who specialized in sleep medicine. The work we did together influenced my decision to pursue a fellowship in sleep medicine.

Although I wasn’t getting better, I felt such joy to be able to help patients get well. I struggled through my fellowship, tapping into my last reserves of energy. Another sleep study once again yielded no conclusive results. The irony was never lost on me: Every day, I treated patients with sleep disorders. Every day, people thanked me for helping them lead better, happier lives. Professionally, I was soaring. Personally, however, I felt as though I was plummeting, until a chance encounter with a sales representative changed my life.

The sales rep came into my office to tell me and my colleagues about a new oral appliance his company had developed to treat certain sleep disorders. It was an appliance fitted for a patient’s mouth, which held the jaw in proper alignment during sleep to prevent the tongue from slipping back toward the throat. He insisted I try it so I could understand how it might feel and possibly benefit my patients. I reluctantly agreed. He fitted me for the appliance, and I took it home to try. That night changed my life.

After my first night wearing it, I woke up feeling better than I had in years! I felt like I actually had a good night’s sleep. I was rested and refreshed and finally felt like myself again. I came to realize that I had the often overlooked upper airway resistance syndrome! My sleep studies had not detected the abnormalities that were causing my decline. No one had ever suggested this diagnosis because I didn’t look like a typical case. Finally, the mystery was solved. Finally, I had my life back.

I share my story with you so that you might gain insight into my professional life and my work at MelioREM Sleep Clinic. I struggled with an undiagnosed sleep disorder – and was able to overcome its debilitating, life-altering effects. I have turned my pain into my passion to help others.

Every individual I treat is on his or her own sleep journey, which will result in evaluations, diagnoses, and solutions unique to them. Knowing this, along with my own personal experience, motivates me to work tirelessly on behalf of my patients. I understand on a deep, personal level how powerful a proper diagnosis and treatment can be. This is why I’ve made it my mission to help my patients live their best lives.