Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
sleepygranny

Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by sleepygranny » Wed Feb 04, 2015 8:26 pm

Hi Newbie,

I'm 72 yrs old and on March 30, it will be 4 years since I started on my BIPAP machine (my Battery Charger actually) Whatever you do, don't get discouraged. It took nearly 2 years of struggling to find the right mask, the right settings, etc. But it is sooo worth it. Just be patient. Tomorrow is a new day I no longer feel like I want to crawl back in bed after breakfast for a 3 hr "nap".. .. I have a lot more energy in general. Before being diagnosed I would have a hard time staying awake while driving to work. When
we went on a road trip I couldn't stay awake to save my soul. Now I never fall asleep even if we're travelling 6 or 7 hours in one day.

The biggest factor was realizing I do not want to risk brain damage, or stroke or heart problems. One day at a time is the best advice I can think of. My husband has been very supportive all the way along this process. It helped to have him remind me, "you need to do this the rest of your life Honey. You'll be fine you'll get used to it. "
He was right.

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JTPerrrine
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by JTPerrrine » Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:59 pm

I will have been on CPAP for one month tomorrow. I can't believe how well it has gone. I am sleeping 7-8 hours and have little problem with leaks or adjusting to the mask. My sense of improved energy and improved clarity is gradual but noticeable. I had some soreness on the bridge of my nose and an ache between my shoulder blades but that has passed. The advise on this forum has been a faithful guide through unknown territory. Right off the bat, you saved me from DME hell. I have the right machine. I have knowledge and this great support team to keep educating me. A few things I have picked up here have helped me get started. Rinsing my sinuses with a saline solution nightly and moisturizing with Ayr gel have allowed me to fight congestion. Installing a retracting reel CPAP Tube Hanger has eliminated hose hassle. I think my mindset that failure is not an option as well as focusing on the goal of improved energy levels have eased the transition to snorkel sleep. I know this is a marathon and not a sprint, but running the first 100 yards well feels great. My next goal is to post my sleepy head reports and get feedback. Thanks to all the coaches here.
Jack

Sleeping better!

Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by Sleeping better! » Sun Feb 08, 2015 2:18 am

My husband has been using his machine for about a year and a half. Before that he snored for probably 20 to 25 years. He started having heart problems about 4 years ago after being diagnosed with high blood sugar. At the time he was 53 and very active. He still played basketball and softball competitively. His diet wasn't too bad, but decided instead of taking medicine, he would go on a diet. He gave up sugary processed food and lost 25 pounds. At the same time, he started having heart arrhythmias. We thought maybe it was something he was eating since his diet had changed and he was eating a lot of nuts. We tried stopping the nuts and this seemed to help, but then the problems returned. To make a long story short, his primary dr. sent him to a heart rhythm specialist. He put him on medicine that didn't help. He stopped taking the meds and after about 2 more years with his heart beating faster, he mentioned it to his primary dr again. His dr asked him if he snored and he told him he did. He set him up for a sleep study which showed he had sleep apnea. It only took about a month for the heart problems to completely go away and we are both convinced that he probably wouldn't be living if he didn't have his machine. I hope this helps you or someone. It is important to keep using the machine because it can save your life.

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bbrs074
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by bbrs074 » Sun Feb 08, 2015 7:59 am

Most of these posts are pretty old now (2006 vintage) so I thought I'd post a newer one I knew CPAP would help me just from the sleep study! That second night when they hooked me up to a CPAP machine for monitoring resulted in about 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep, and I felt great the next morning even though it was 6 am and the sun wasn't up yet. After I got my own gear about 3 weeks later things weren't as positive the first week. Had a hard time staying a sleep very long. But the next week was better. It seems to me things are slowly improving and I can feel how much better I feel lately during the day. Heck I even stayed awake during Mass yesterday (I'm Catholic) ... I used to always doze off during the homily (ie. sermon). I also hope I can drive longer distances now without feeling drowsy .... I fell asleep at the wheel about 18 years ago and nearly killed myself, my wife and my youngest son. So CPAP for me was the right move, and long overdue.

Tripacer
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by Tripacer » Tue Feb 10, 2015 3:40 pm

OK My turn.... As of today, I've been using my CPAP machine one week. Not very long, I know, but I already can tell the difference in how I feel.

First night was only about 2 hours, then 3, now I'm over 4 hours per night, even managed 2 nights where I went 7 hours on the machine! I am still waking up every few hours, which frankly sucks, but today, I just got a brand new mask (see my new profile below)

I'm 49 and have had sleep apnea "Offically" only since October (That was my sleep study date) but I know I've had it at least the last 5 years. I would wake up and my heart would race, my wife said I snored so loud and stop breathing many times. My sleep study said 15 arousals per hour Avg. I was diagnosed with moderate apnea.

But I already can tell this thing works I am looking forward to using it more and more as time goes by.

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eddie864
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by eddie864 » Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:59 am

I guess I must be one of the old timers then as I've been using CPAP for some 10 years!

I was a driver and increasingly having issues with sleepiness at the wheel. My family were moaning that I was grumpy and short tempered generally and eventually I went to my doctor. I was referred to the sleep clinic at the Oxford Churchill hospital and did a night there to assess my sleep apnoea which was classed as moderate and I was prescribed and issued with a Resmed S6 light. Things didn't improve instantly but over a few weeks my sleepiness certainly lessened, my grumpiness also lessened and things got much better. I kept the machine for about 8 years and was upgraded to an S9 Escape with H5i and climateline heated pipe etc.. I hardly use the H5i and mostly use a standard pipe on the bare S9. I know the Escape model doesn't give stats but nor did the last and it works for me fine. Maybe if I had a more functional machine I could manage things better - I don't know as I've no experience of monitoring my sleep incidents.

The masks.. I've had quite a lot - all Resmed as the NHS uses them exclusively (I think). I started with a nose mask then moved to a full face mirage. I've been using a Quattro FX that I've got on with pretty well for a couple of years and now I'm moving to the F10.

CPAP has been a definite good thing for me, I don't ever sleep without my machine - it goes with me if I travel overnight and if I can't use it I don't go (no camping for me)!

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SleepyinMT
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by SleepyinMT » Wed Feb 11, 2015 10:07 pm

I had a sleep study done four years ago--I was diagnosed with severe OSA, with 79.7 episodes per hour and oxygen desaturations as low as 83%. The night of the sleep study was miserable, and I convinced myself that I would be a noncompliant patient, so why even bother getting the CPAP machine? I decided I'd try to lose some weight hoped the problem would just go away.

Fast forward to last December, when my lack of sleep got so bad that I finally decided I had to do SOMETHING. I contacted our local provider of CPAP equipment and got set up with a machine, nasal pillows, humidifier etc. And I told myself that I was going to make this work, because my quality of life was really suffering with the lack of sleep.

So, I've been using the CPAP machine religiously for almost two months. I've been lucky--I had a great experience with the DME--she took the time to make sure I understood how to use the machine and made sure I had a good fit with the nasal pillows. I won't say I enjoy sleeping with the mask--but my sleep quality has really improved. Thanks to the wonderful folks on this board, I've learned a lot...I downloaded the Sleepyhead software, and my AHI is under 1 almost every night, with many nights at 0. I'm less sleepy during the day--I'm dreaming again--a definite improvement in my quality of life. And my husband is sleeping again, too.

It's definitely an adjustment...but it's really been worthwhile for me.

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spmccord
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by spmccord » Sun Feb 22, 2015 9:44 am

I had my one yearsish followup last month. The doctor was ecstatic!

According to my machine stats the number of times I stopped breathing per hour dropped to 0.1 (My Doc says that may just be me adjusting the mask), and my o2 stayed above 92%! It dropped to 50% during my sleep study!


There is hope!

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Big_B

Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by Big_B » Sun Feb 22, 2015 10:06 am

I had my sleep study in April of 2006. I only went for it because a friend told me he felt as giddy as a newborn kid immediately upon his first experience. Well.......... I did not experience the same miraculous results.

My problem was the masks. I always pulled them off during the night without knowing it. I didn't know if it happened immediately after going to sleep, or just before waking up. I felt like there was an Alien on my face! Finally, I got the Breeze mask. Nothing touched my face except for where the pillows went in to my nostrils and a small pad on my forehead. That was a huge step forward, and I felt pretty successful for about 5 years. The way the back pad of the mask was between my head and my pillow was a little bothersome, so I started looking for an alternative.

I am now using the Swift mask. It still utilizes Nasal Pillows, which are my preference, but it's held on with small slings hooked over my ears. Nothing behind my head. Yes... my ears feel a little sore sometimes, but as compared to the straps wrapped all around my head or a huge pad on the back of my head, it's wonderful.

Thankfully, I did immediately stop snoring, regardless of the mask (as long as I kept it on). And I also felt much better during the day. Much less tiredness. But certainly not giddy like a newborn kid, as my friend experienced.

Now, I don't know what I would do without my CPAP. The reason I am on here now is that I needed help finding a replacement power adapter for a discontinued CPAP. When I can't use my CPAP now, I always have nightmares of drowning, and wake multiple times throughout the night. I have one of those anti-snore mouthpieces as an emergency back up. I can get some sleep with it, but very fitful! I am not looking forward to the next few nights as I wait for the adapter to come in.

Stick with it.

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Tracy1968
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by Tracy1968 » Sun Feb 22, 2015 12:59 pm

I'm another newbie (actually, I'm still waiting for the DME/Insurance/Doc to fork over my CPAP).

Since I'm still in the feeling hungover/zombie/fighting to get through each day phase, I cannot tell you how valuable posts here are to someone like me. It gives me hope.

I'm not expecting an overnight miracle and I know there will be bumps in the road, but anything is better than the nightmare of not being able to function almost every day.

I hope one day I can post in here as a success story.

Thanks again

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drone1066
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by drone1066 » Sun Mar 01, 2015 2:54 pm

I'm still fairly new to this world, but I'm about out of the woods regarding this therapy, so I consider myself something of a qualified success (thanks, Pugsy!).

All I can say is what mattered to me most was a) right gear, b) right settings, c) motivation high, and d) patience.

Much of this is a head struggle--the right psychological relationship with your gear can mean a lot. I think if people look at it as a burden, it's probably going to tempt them to quit at a much higher rate. When I look at that full mask, I see a friend above all things. It helps that I sleep alone, I'm sure, and that I don't have to deal with the silly stress of a work schedule that many of you do. Yet, I also started early on to find something I *liked* about the mask--something that actually relaxed me. For me, the cool blowing air of the first hour or so from the cooler humidity (before the heater kicks in) reminds me of sticking my head out of the open window of a moving car. I feel like a dog! I find that sensation really relaxing. The point is to try and find one feature of the process that is a relaxing or positive experience--you only need one. And stick with that like glue.

This gear is your friend. It's trying to help you/save you.

Edit: There's something else I wanted to add for people that are pretty imaginative or active dreamers. It might help to play a little mind game with your mask, especially if you're using full gear. One thing I do if I'm having a tough night with nose itches and twitches, I'll pretend I'm wearing a diving mask and playing around underwater, or being a jet pilot with the O2 mask on, or something like that to use as a distraction. Some people are really good at that kind of thing, and if you are, it's just an idea that might help if you're not relaxing right.

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NMchop
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by NMchop » Mon Mar 02, 2015 8:36 pm

I was a little leary when they put the full mask on me. I felt like I had a leaf blower on my face.

Now that I've started therapy at home with the CPap machine, I'm still tweaking things, but I feel so much better.

My friends have said they have noticed a difference. I've noticed a difference. A big difference.

I still have a few issues to work out (I wake up with ice face, feel like I iced my nose and chin all night). Maybe a heated hose
is in my future, but overall, even my "bad" nights are so much better then what I thought a good night of sleep was and I
no longer need to pull over twice on a 3 hour drive to take a nap. And I don't get as edgy on the little things that can aggravate
a person. A lot less dwelling, a lot less "grumpiness" and bad moods. A more optimistic outlook.

I hope this keeps up.

Good luck to everyone in the journey to healthy restorative sleep. I've found CPap to be a blessing.

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Lemonbud
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by Lemonbud » Wed Mar 04, 2015 7:19 am

I got my sleep study done and diagnosed with sleep apnea. My insurance is Humana and unfortunately medical devices are in my plan are not covered until the deductible is met which is $1500. The doctor forwarded my info to Apria which they are ordering me a machine they say with a $400 down payment and $70 monthly payments for 13 months. That's a little steep for me so I was looking into other cheaper machines or perhaps a gently used one. I just don't know where to start. What are the things to look out for and what are differences? I know I'm not providing examples to compare but I just don't know anything about the machines. Some are as low as $200 to over $1000. Any advised or suggestions I would really appreciate.

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Pugsy
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by Pugsy » Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:51 am

Lemonbud wrote:I got my sleep study done and diagnosed with sleep apnea. My insurance is Humana and unfortunately medical devices are in my plan are not covered until the deductible is met which is $1500. The doctor forwarded my info to Apria which they are ordering me a machine they say with a $400 down payment and $70 monthly payments for 13 months. That's a little steep for me so I was looking into other cheaper machines or perhaps a gently used one. I just don't know where to start. What are the things to look out for and what are differences? I know I'm not providing examples to compare but I just don't know anything about the machines. Some are as low as $200 to over $1000. Any advised or suggestions I would really appreciate.
Check your private message box (upper left side by the user control panel) as I sent you a private message

Target either ResMed or Respironics brands.
Then target only Respironics models 460 and above in model numbers...560 would be better and that is the PR System One 60 series Auto CPAP

For ResMed machines...target only these models.

In the S9 Series.....the Elite or the AutoSet
or in the Airsense 10 series (that's the newest)...target the Elite, AutoSet or AutoSet for Her (the for Her model would be your best choice as it is like 3 machines in one...even if you are a guy).

You posted your thoughts in a more or less "read only" section of the forum so you won't get as many responses here. It would be better if you started a new topic/thread of your own on the main forum section.

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dcell59
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by dcell59 » Sat Mar 14, 2015 10:31 am

I had my sleep study in late 2012 and have been using a ResMed S9 AutoSet and the Swift FX mask ever since. It only took me a week to get acclimated and ever since then I have been sleeping great! I sleep about 6 hours a night and I almost never wake up during the night. When I wake up, I am ready to start the day, so I have a lot more time to do things.

I have taken my CPAP on vacations and even on multi-day river trips and have never really had a problem with it.