Testimonials From Patients At Gold Coast Pulmonary & Sleep

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"The Bears"

"My name is Paul Fiore, and I am a 49 year old with Chronic Obstructive Sleep Apnea. I was first diagnosed some years ago by Dr. Paul Licata at Gold Coast Pulmonary and Sleep Associates. After my initial exam, I was sent for a sleep study to help diagnose the severity of the problem. Since then, it has been uphill for me. For me, after being put on CPAP, I recieved almost instant positive results. Since then, my life truly has changed for the best. Before treatment, my symptoms were many: chronic severe fatigue, extreme irratability, a dullness and a decrease in alertness throughout the day, always feeling tired with no energy. It seemed that any physical problem I had would become intensified, even weight loss was more difficult. Symptoms of depression were also plaguing me. No matter how much sleep I had, I still felt tired and exhausted. The quality of a good night sleep was just not there for me. I would fall asleep almost immediately after dinner. I would awaken briefly throughout the night, never fully rested. Sometimes my wife would give me a "push start" in the middle of the night to help re-start my "breathing motor" if she noticed long pauses between breaths. The snoring part, well sometimes it sounded like two Grizzley Bears fighting in the forest, my poor wife!, no wonder she would notice that the bears had stopped fighting for a while. After my initial few times of using CPAP, I cried in happiness. I now sleep soundly all night, and wake up feeling like I truly had a good night's sleep. My alertness and energy levels have improved, and there's a dramatic change in my stamina throughout the day. Even weight loss has been easier. My concentration has also improved. These are only a few of the benefits since being treated for OSA. The bears . . . they no longer fight on my property. I am truly grateful for Dr. Paul Licata and his staff for giving me much of my life back."

A Very Grateful,

Paul Fiore, R.N.

"The Snoring Police"

"When my wife turned me into the "snoring police", I thought it was funny. So, it was off to my primary care physician who sympathized with my wife's plight about my very loud and constant snoring. He referred us to Dr. Licata. In the time between my office visit, my wife answered a questionaire about my sleep habits. Remember, you're supposed to be sleeping and wouldn't know the answers. From there, it was on to an overnighter at the L&M Sleep Lab for testing. The tests revealed some very concrete and surprising results about my sleeping, or in my case, lack of it! What I thought was funny was treated very seriously and with a great deal of professionalism. Dr. Licata instantly identified my condition as sleep apnea. Trust me . . . this is not the least bit funny and is a serious condition to deal with. Lack of sleep has far reaching and very serious consequences. The condition is a whole lot more than snoring, all-night frequent trips to the bathroom, and nodding off at all hours of the day. To me it is dangerous and a significant health risk. Dr. Licata and his staff explained the condition and, in my case, choices of treatment. My case was handled in the utmost professional manner. The treatment recommended for me produced immediately positive results. All I have to do is simply wear a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device when I sleep. It's non-invasive, comfortable to wear, very quiet, and the night's sleep I get is fantastic. Oh, by the way . . . my wife approves as well!"

Dennis Bacchiocchi

Groton, Connecticut