When you don't always feel those "good" numbers

[Rainmom17]

Pugsy, so happy to hear you are getting better sleep and increased daytime energy!
Thank you for all the help you give here.

[Pugsy]

Just a quick update.

I had my second set of SI joint injections the 19th of this month so 5 days ago. It's been remarkable the relief I have had.
Not perfect by any means but then I have a mess up around the upper lumbar area that the SI joint injections can't fix.
It's like cpap...we can't fix everything that is wrong with us with just one fix. Wish it were that easy.

My mobility in the mornings is hugely improved. No longer walk like a 100 yr old granny for 3 hours in the mornings...better yet I no longer feel like it either.

So the overall pain is greatly reduce and now manageable and not nearly as disabilitating and I am still sleeping SOOOOOO much better which makes all the difference in the world with how I feel during the day.

I am gradually phasing out the bedtime "help me sleep sounder" meds that I was taking in an effort to sleep through the pain which would wake me so often. Already stopped one.

I have no idea how long these cortisone shots will last...could be months and could be years. I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
I have already accomplished more in the past 3 weeks since the first injections than I have done all year long and actually didn't kill myself doing it.
Plus 2 days ago we took the Honda Pioneer UTV out and went trail riding...bumpy, climb hills, went fishing...had a great time...bounced around all over the place and not one ache or pain the next day to remind me how stupid I was to do those things.

I just now looked at my last week's worth of data from the AirSense 10 for Her...most nights AHI less than 1.0 and a couple between 1 and 2 and maybe one barely over 2.0.
I finally can say with confidence and pride that I feel my good numbers.

[Okie bipap]

Glad the shots are working for you. I have to get one about every three or four months to keep the pain caused by bursitis in my hip at a level where I can stand to walk.

[TASmart]

I can only pray that the shots continue to bring you relief. I'd hate to see less of Pugsy on the forums because she is out living the good life, but we will adapt. Go Pugsy!

[Pugsy]

Well maybe I will be a little less grouchy and short tempered if I don't hurt so bad and sleep better.

Though I won't be here as much for a while. Many of you may know that my mom has breast cancer. She's 85 and it's an aggressive cancer and she is unable to drive other than short distances in her little town. Surgery scheduled 10/5.
Plus her mind is a bit overwhelmed...so I am going to be busy with family issues for a while. I will still stop by but will try to limit my comments to more important technical stuff and let others handle the basics.
I will be away most of the day tomorrow as I am taking her to Springfield for a bunch of pre admission pre surgery stuff.

[TASmart]

Family comes first - best wishes for you and your Mom

[esel]

Just a quick update.

Plus 2 days ago we took the Honda Pioneer UTV out and went trail riding...bumpy, climb hills, went fishing...had a great time...bounced around all over the place and not one ache or pain the next day to remind me how stupid I was to do those things.

I feel my good numbers.

Thanks for the nice update.

Well maybe I will be a little less grouchy and short tempered

We, well me for sure, love your temper and all those But most sure happy about

I don't hurt so bad and sleep better.

Good luck with your mom.

[Arlene1963]

Pugsy, I'm so glad that you're feeling better and sleeping well again. I'm sorry to read about your mom. She is very lucky to have you to care for her during this tough time. Take care of yourself as well.

[A MESS]

Dear old dog:

Since I am new here had no idea you had all these problems. But interesting to hear them. Tells me that no matter how long you use CPAP theres always something that is not right. Good luck with your future endeavors. Arrf Arrf.

[Pugsy]

Pugsy, I'm so glad that you're feeling better and sleeping well again. I'm sorry to read about your mom. She is very lucky to have you to care for her during this tough time. Take care of yourself as well.

Thank you Arlene.

I guess the hardest part with my mom is that I am actually forced to face her mortality. It's not like I didn't know it was always there...I just didn't want to face it head on.

Took her to big city yesterday to do some of the pre surgery stuff and we went out to eat.
Last week I got the tags on her car renewed (she still drives but I have asked her no long trips into the city and just stay with going the 2 miles to WalMart) and she gave me money for a 1 year renewal...but I did a 2 year renewal.
She laughed and said "Now I guess I have to stick around for 2 years huh?" and I told her "damn straight".

[AMK]

Yeah, mortality issues are tough. I'm glad that you are going into this time with your mom in less pain and sleeping better, Pugsy. I have thought that microarousals due to discomfort may be part of why I don't feel the numbers. Good luck to you and your mom and nice job on the two year tags.

[Pugsy]

A brief update on my mom and me.

My mom came through the surgery and now we begin some sort of IV therapy every 3 weeks for a year.
It's not traditional chemo though. Something new that I need to read up more on to understand. Nodes were clear but the kind of cancer is a kind that can pass through the nodes and not leave the usual trace so we don't know if it has spread or not. It's a particularly aggressive cancer.
She had the surgery 3 weeks ago this coming Thursday and resumed driving (local only) about a week ago.
I don't want her having to deal with the big city traffic so I am her chauffeur now for all the doctor stuff. She can go to WalMart which is about a mile away but that's it.

So things have really been stressful this past month and my sleep has been hit or miss but it isn't because of the OSA or even the pain.
Since the SI injections the pain that was messing with my sleep so much has been reduced dramatically. I am sleeping much sounder even if it isn't as many hours as I would like.
If I can manage 7 or 8 hours now I feel quite on top of the world...unfortunately between the stress and an old dogs bladder I am lucky to get 6 and my butt drags considerably the next day. It's still a lot better than it was before the injections.
I don't wake up nearly as often tossing and turning from the pain and I am actually taking less pain medication than I was before.
It's a win win for me. Not where I would like to be but still in a better place than I was before the injections and it's really not so much from the pain as it is from the other stressors I am dealing with right now.

Got another trip to the city to take my mom for another doctor appointment tomorrow morning...so will have to get up early again tomorrow. Won't get as many hours as I want but that's what life sometimes does to us.

[TASmart]

You are amazing to be able to deal with all this and still contribute all the things you do to this community. Thank You and God Bless.

[Dorhero]

Awesome post!

I really appreciate all that you do on the forum.

I pray you get total relief and get all the sleep stuff out of the way so you can enjoy the rest of your life.

[Okie bipap]

Thank you for the update on your mother. Remember to take care of your self as you continue to take care of your mother. We will continue to pray for both of you.