New visitors to this forum

[steelheadid]

I just wanted to tell all the "Newbies" to cpap or any of these disorders that are also new to this site don't be embarrassed to use it. The information here is excellent and you, like me, are dealing with hundreds of others that have the same issues we do. Many of the suggestions here and the support from everyone is a wonderful tool to have. To many people, including me, sometimes feel embarrassed about expressing themselves in this type of format however I have found it to be very useful and informative. Even my daughter and wife keep asking me what I am doing visiting this site and commenting that they think it is silly thus adding to the feeling of embarrassment. All I can say to them, or to you, if you feel this way is ignore it and continue coming here to ask questions or to make suggestions to help the rest of us.
Just wanted to get that off my mind. Good luck to all! We are all here to make this experience as successful for each of us as we can.

[Fred D]

Hear!! Hear!! I second that emotion. This site has a wealth of information with constant activity and more caring people than you can shake a stick at. It is hard to stay away from for long. I mean, my gosh I am browsing hear while at the same time watching the Super Bowl....

Fred D

[dtsm]

I mean, my gosh I am browsing hear while at the same time watching the Super Bowl....

Fred D

+1

[kteague]

Good stuff. Hey, the next time your family comments on you visiting this forum, tell them you'll gladly refrain if you can turn to them to answer your questions. Then proceed to ask something like, What is the difference between the vent rate, flow rate, and leak rate? And if masks vent co2 at a rate proportionate to the style and prescribed pressure, what is an acceptable rate for my mask and pressure? Or just talk about nothing but cpap for a while and see how quickly they usher you you back to this forum.

[Patrick A]

Good stuff. Hey, the next time your family comments on you visiting this forum, tell them you'll gladly refrain if you can turn to them to answer your questions. Then proceed to ask something like, What is the difference between the vent rate, flow rate, and leak rate? And if masks vent co2 at a rate proportionate to the style and prescribed pressure, what is an acceptable rate for my mask and pressure? Or just talk about nothing but cpap for a while and see how quickly they usher you you back to this forum.

Good idea Katie. I agree........welcome to the "World of HoseWorship"

[Judy R]

Welcome to the board. I don't think you should be embarrassed about having this, it's nothing to be a shamed of. It's wonderful that you've found us and that you feel comfortable enough to post questions and answers. Hang in there where your family is concerned they will come around. It just might take some time.

[SleepyT]

... Even my daughter and wife keep asking me what I am doing visiting this site and commenting that they think it is silly thus adding to the feeling of embarrassment. All I can say to them, or to you, if you feel this way is ignore it and continue coming here to ask questions or to make suggestions to help the rest of us. ...

You know, I'm glad you brought this up. This has been on my mind for a while. My family hasn't actually said they think any of this (blogging, having sleep apnea) is silly and I don't think they are embarrassed by my situation....but...........they do seem to gloss over if I ever talk about it. And I don't constantly talk about it...but if I say something like, "Hey, my treatment is going really well....my apneas are down to below 2 compared to last year."....you can see them disappear behind their eyes and I know I'm losing them. I don't think they are being insensitive...but perhaps they don't want to think anything is wrong with me? It befuddled me at first. But then I remembered when my dad had prostate cancer...and had surgery...he wanted to go over some of the details...and I found myself shrinking back from talking about it at all! It was, for me, not wanting to believe anything could ever go wrong with him. So....long story short.....if anyone feels a lack of support/interest from their families....could just be they are afraid or in denial....because they love you so much.

My two cents.

[JohnBFisher]

You hit the nail on the head. There are lots of reasons we don't want to believe. Denial is part of it. Lack of real understanding. After all, unless you go through the problem you have no idea of how it impacts you. Even my wife, who complained about my sleep issues, still does not get it. She thinks I can just drop off and sleep without my machine. Due to the severity of my central apneas that will no longer occur. I even offered to poke her once every five minutes or so when she tried to sleep. Of course that is FAR less than most of us put up with when we don't use xPAP therapy. ... She was not happy about that idea. But still she does not REALLY connect.

So, you are not alone. I suspect most of us can relate.

[Jersey Girl]

Dear Friends,

I had no idea that a forum like this even existed. I was just fooling around on the internet and found you. I am surprised that my sleep doctor and my dme person did not suggest it. In fact, I told my dme person about it - she had no idea that people would even want to talk about their sleep apnea or equipment issues!

I am glad to find people who sleep like me - a little like Darth Vador, but who cares?

I do a lot of camping in the summer - down the Jersey shore and we have a lovely Keystone Hideout 40' trailer. I plan on bringing my equipment with me.

I suffered for years - going to my Endo for ever more blood work and telling him how fatigued I was...I described it saying that I always felt as though a truck had run over me - no energy, more than tired, truly fatigued. This went on for years! I finally went for lap band surgery - decided to do it to improve my type 2 diabetes - not a vanity surgery. I have been trying to lose weight - Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers only produced a 3 pound a YEAR weight loss for me and so I finally went for the band. It was my lap band surgeon who insisted upon the sleep study because he would be putting me under General Anesthesia and did not want any surprises. I used to joke that I was tired from my dreams - always had vivid dreams and felt exhausted from them. The reality is that my apneas increase 4 fold when I am dreaming. The good news is, problem solved! No more fatigue. I am finally a whole person again.

So glad to have all of you who can truly understand...

Warmly,

Your friend, Jersey Girl