Preetam Bandla, MD

I OWE MY LIFE TO 3 PHYSICIANS, 1 OF WHOM IS DR. BANDLA. HERE’S WHY…
This is not an average review, as I am not an average patient. Perhaps by sharing my story such as it is, other patients will see the value of Sleep Medicine and seek help sooner rather than later as well as help you decide whether to place your care in the capable hands of Dr. Bandla.
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–MY BACKGROUND–
I lost 2yrs of my life to Sleep Apnea and the poor health it caused that wasn’t necessary had I listened when my doctors suggested a Sleep Study. But I decided –wrongly– that it wasn’t a priority (not so much «decided» but just let time go by without pursuing an appointment; I didn’t make it my priority). Trust me, IT IS.
Because of that, my disordered sleep would be THE contributing factor to my deteriorating health, of which all the symptoms I now know are scientifically documented consequences of chronical lack-​of or chronic poor quality sleep:
weight gain & muscle loss, difficulty walking; poor emotional regulation, lack of patience, depression, and then severe depression; increased pain & headaches, then severe depression; isolation & social withdrawal, loss of friends & damaged relationships; severe fatigue, indescribable sleepiness, lassitude, insomnia with occasional severe over-​sleeping (18hrs a day but never feeling rested); canceling meetings & events, forced to cut back at work, financial strain, martial strain; memory trouble, thought disorganization, confusion; most recently heart palpitations…
Despite being a smart, reasonable self-​advocate (and also the daughter/​granddaughter/​great granddaughter to three generations of physicians), I STILL didn’t get the message! One day, I’d had enough and lined up the appointments: Endocrine, Hematology, MS, Neuro, Audiology, Pain, Gyno… EVERYTHING. Most all were negative, & most all said the same: «SLEEP SPECIALIST!». So, i finally got the hint and found Dr. Bandla.
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— DR BANDLA–
At my initial apt, Dr. Bandla asked a few questions to prompt me, then carefully listened to my confused babbling about my symptoms, and somehow he understood me and never got overwhelmed nor short with me. Once he got the information needed, he explained everything very carefully until I understood every detail: like what my diagnosis likely is, why he believes that is, and then what the next steps are.
We decided a Sleep Study would be the next step, and he made sure every single detail was taken care of: he made sure a special Mouth-​Breathing Sensor would be available for my study date after I mentioned having blocked sinuses and other help her offered that’s quite rare that is in today’s medical system
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–ABOVE & BEYOND–
Any time I have called or emailed, Dr. Bandla would respond immediately, and he himself would respond personally most often (that is a MAJOR rarity these days, let me tell you). The most significant gesture was during my second study in which I was test-​driving the breathing machine. That Friday night as my tech helped situat then says that once I’m asleep, she’ll call the doctor because… He was at home and staying up late on his Friday night, waiting, just to hear how I was doing. I’m a well spoken person, but I struggle to adequately describe how honored I felt from such a gesture.
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–CONCLUSION–
I was diagnosed not long ago and have been using the treatment machine, worn at night, for nearly a month. My body and my life is changing rapidly (It’s the best diet & religion rolled into one: it’s true, you CAN become a better person inside and out, all while you sleep!) I have a rarer type of apnea called Central Sleep Apnea caused by my brain, not the throat like most folks. At night my brain stops telling my lungs to breathe, and my breathing literally stops, as if I’ve died. This is related to damage caused by a Chiari Malformation (KEE-​ARR-​EE) in which my brain is so big it doesn’t fit in my skull (I’m not kidding here either: Google «ConquerChiari»).
My prognosis is good, and if you’re in the Pacific Northwest, I highly recommend Swedish Sleep Medicine (Redmond or Seattle), as I do with all the Swedish Clinics. There’s a reason I drive 4hrs round-​trip to be a Swedish patient, time and again.
I am and always will be eternally grateful to Preetam Bandla and to his family for allowing us –his patients– to borrow him from you so that we may return to ours.
–Audrey
Central Sleep Apnea