Mal Tongue is a motivated man. As a leading New Zealand professional golf coach (Mal was coach to U.S. open winner Michael Campbell) a father, husband, successful author (and more), Mal can’t afford fatigue to put him off his game. Fortunately Mal discovered the solution to what may have been a game breaking health disorder. Mal talks about the positive changes in his lifestyle as a result of CPAP Therapy.
Mal Tongue is confident, engaging and constantly brimming with enthusiasm for life. He is literally positive proof that with the right treatment, living an energized lifestyle with a previously constraining health disorder is possible. Possessed of a wicked sense of humor - you can’t help but think in talking with this gregarious man, that there must have been certain points in his life that his humor was all that carried him through, as there just wasn’t much else left to draw on in those times.
“I used to wake feeling like I’d just gone 15 rounds with Mohammad Ali and I hadn’t won!”, jokes Mal.
Mal suffers from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). He is not alone. Twelve million Americans are diagnosed with this disorder and more than that again, struggle on in a constant cloud of fatigue, not knowing that there is a successful treatment for their malaise.
Mal first noticed problems in 1997 when he would wake choking after trying to doze off. Numerous hours in the offices of ear, nose and throat specialists didn’t offer any resolve.
Remembering those pre-diagnosis days Mal remarks, “I don’t know how I performed being constantly fatigued - and of course, I had a high profile job that demanded performance!” Mal was at that time New Zealand National Golf Coach in charge of all programs. “When you are at the top of the tree and others depend on you – you have to perform”.
Finally a doctor in Wellington recognized the need to get Mal checked out for Sleep Apnea. After a night in a sleep laboratory he was informed that he was choking 160 – 240 times per night. The clinic sent him home with a CPAP machine and full face mask, but with little in the way of instruction and support, and feeling, to quote Mal, ”like Darth Vader”, he didn’t take well to the changes this new treatment required. “The travel was hard, getting into bed was hard. I guess with a combination of less sophisticated equipment and my own negative mindset - I decided I didn’t want the hassle”.
In the years that followed, he struggled on, at least knowing what it was that he was dealing with, but still making the choice not to treat his OSA. The fatigue continued, the strain on his career was enormous. As a result of sleepless nights and his body’s inability to get re-energized from sleep, Mal began eating more to try to make up that energy void. To no avail, his weight continued to increase and his esteem continued to plummet. To exasperate things further, Mel suffered depression which required medication.” When you are living in a continual fog of fatigue, overweight and constantly struggling with a raft of other side effects, you can’t feel good about who you are – its hard to get by, let alone get any fulfillment out of life”, says Mal.
In 2005 when things were at an all time low, Mal visited his doctor again, requesting sleeping pills to try and still his mind and let sleep come. Mal recalls what his Doctor told him at that point, “Mal, unless you do something about treating the Sleep Apnea your health is going to continue to spiral downwards until you die”. The advice came as the jolt that Mal needed. Further, his doctor recommended Fisher & Paykel Healthcare CPAP equipment.
He listened and in a matter of days after using a Fisher & Paykel Healthcare SleepStyle™ 600 CPAP machine at home and persevering with treatment each night, Mal noticed a huge difference in this health. He was sleeping through the night and waking feeling refreshed and active.
“Aside from my family, this is the single most important thing in my life now. It has really changed my world so dramatically! I am a different person. The symptoms of my depression are gone, I have lost 26kg because my body is back in balance and my metabolism is performing like it’s meant to. I feel good about myself and who I am, which is of course good for those around me and those who rely on my professional performance,” says Mal.
In asking Mal about the equipment he says, “I’ve actually been surprised and delighted by the changes in CPAP equipment since my early 1997 diagnosis. My CPAP machine is so small and portable; it’s quiet and easy to travel with. I take it all over the world with me and don’t have to worry about changing settings, I simply fill up the little humidification chamber with water beforehand and give it a wipe afterward and I’m away. Likewise, I’ve now got a small and light over-the-nose mask which is really quiet and comfortable. I call it Snorky – and Snorky and I go everywhere together now - sharing the love so to speak!”.
Mal’s advice to anyone who thinks they may potentially have Sleep Apnea is, “Find out if you have it and face your fear. Once you set about treating it, everything in your life will improve. Anybody that snores should try it. You have to learn to accept this new regime in your life and learn to go to sleep again. Sure it takes a bit of getting used to – but if the end result is being a better person, then you just have to get over the mental barrier don’t you”.
“Even my relationship is better – CPAP is better than Viagra as far as I am concerned! I’m convinced that if people can just get their head around CPAP therapy and get on with it, with this equipment they can move mountains”.
Since taking up treatment again in 2005 Mal has not only shed an enormous amount of weight, he’s continued to build on a successful career, written his autobiography and has been able to stop his anti-depression medication. “I’m amazed at how rounded you can make yourself feel when you accept that you need this therapy and just get on with it. I can now be the active person that I want to be and have the energy to feed my personality the fuel that it needs – after all I am a bit hyper!” That he is - delightfully so.