Newbie Introduction

[sonadams1]

This thread mostly copy/pasted by suggestion, due to originally being tacked on to a different thread where it really didn't fit like I thought it would.

First some background. About 8 years ago in high school I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid (symptoms: lethargy, difficulty concentrating). After a year or so this seemed to fix itself (the blood tests were normal when off the medication).

This last year, after more issues with lethargy, trouble sleeping, concentration issues, etc. I was diagnosed with depression, which I was actually bad and didn't follow upon as I felt strongly the diagnoses went along the lines of the list being checked off and pills being prescribed. Just felt rather rushed and uncomfortable.

Well, then my mom was diagnosed with OSA (much better post machine). Suddenly my family history of depression on her side looked like it might be something else. (no bonus points if you guess her screen name on here).

She had a lot of symptom info from on here, and also had a pulse oximeter which I used to get an initial "are there any indications" reading. Signs were sufficient that my PCP and I agreed a sleep study was warranted.



I just got the results of my first sleep study:

During normal sleep I scored a 13.

To the best of my understanding <5 is normal, <15 is not really worth worrying too much about, and >30 is severe.

During REM sleep I scored an 82.8.



Titration was promptly scheduled for a week away. Looking forward to seeing how much difference the machine makes. It was kind of ironic that on the day of my sleep study, the song released on the FUnny Music Project was "Sleepwalking Zombies".

Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself and comment on the great information that's on here (and the great people giving information, and testing things like pressures at altitude and humidifiers in dry climates).

I do have a question: What sort of emotional response is considered "normal" when one learns they have apnea problems to some extent? It seems from various posts that confusion and nervousness is not unexpected, but (as you might have gathered from my post) my response is more looking forward to it with brief spurts of giddiness. I figure there's two parts to why I might be different (if I in fact am). A) As mentioned above, this is something I know the symptoms of which have been developing for a while, so I at least knew SOMETHING wasn't right, and apnea can be measured and treated, and B) With my mother having OSA, I already got the tour of some masks, her machine, how to clean it, chinstraps, etc. even before my first sleep study, so it's not some great unknown.

[Guest]

Well, you certainly have a head start on most of us. There is at least one other mother/son team on this board (come to think of it, maybe mother/son/daughter).

As far as my emotional response to my diagnosis, the overriding emotion was relief - I wasn't just crazy, lazy, hazy. I wasn't losing my mind or fading away with an undiagnosed terminal illness. After that came hope. Then came the cascade - frustration at the "system", anger at having to be my own advocate when too sick to think straight, appreciation for the support of my now peers on here, and gratitude to find doctors who want me to succeed. I continue to be frustrated by the unbudging boundaries of my successes, though I remain hopeful I will one day make it "over the hump". Gee, just saying that reminded me of something that happened to me back in the 80s.

[If you don't like stories, stop here]

Don't know how this will relate, but here it is. I'm a non swimmer - even beyond that very scared of water. But I loved the feel of the water as long as I was in control. I was at a local water park with a wave pool, and it would alternate between calm and waves every 20 minutes. So I would drape myself across the raft (wouldn't get on it cause it might flip) and doze in the warm sunshine in shallow water until the wave warning buzzed. This time the buzzer startled me from almost sound asleep, and I jerked awake to start paddling my way out. When I looked up I was panicked to see I was even with the lifeguard chair at 6 feet. But no - this was the second lifeguard - I was in 10 feet of water up against the wall and the waves were coming on!

I was caught between the waves and they kept tossing me forward and back - couldn't quite get over the crest to start paddling out. So I figured I'd go with the movement and when I neared the crest, I'd give a little extra push and make it over. I sing-songed a couple more times then saw my opportunity and lunged. Good idea, bad execution. Water got between me and my raft and I lost it and went under. My feet hit bottom and I pushed off as hard as I could. When my face broke the surface I saw a splash of orange and grabbed my raft. But the water was too wild for me to get up on it.

So I frantically clutched it to my shoulder, my nose bobbing in and out of the water, with my body stretched underneath it and my toes wrapped around the bottom. What a sight. But I was not going to let go. It was my only hope of not being swallowed up, So I did the best I could do - squeezed my eyes shut to keep down the rising fear and focused on catching a breath when I could, and hoping I could last long enough to survive. Every time I took a breath I yelped a feeble "Help".

Finally I heard a voice say, "Lady, you got a problem?" "Help" I gasped. He replied, "Put your feet down and stand up." I opened my eyes to see a lifeguard standing in the water, and my face was right beside his hip. While my eyes were closed and I was just hanging on the waves had washed me to safety in the shallow end. Can we say "most embarassing moment"? If I'd unclenched just a bit my behind would have dragged the bottom.

That story wasn't for anyone but me. Having a bit of a pity party lately because my sleep sucks so bad it's easier to not go to bed. (Not due to cpap -it's working fine.) Sometimes with these sleep issues I feel like I'm in that big pool again and my best efforts haven't gotten me to where I need to be. Guess I needed reminded to just keep hanging in there, that one morning I may open my eyes and be surprised to find I have arrived.

That's what you get for asking about emotions around a sleep deprived woman on steroids!

[kteague]

Typed so long it logged me out. Hmmm - maybe there's a message there.

[DreamDiver]

I do have a question: What sort of emotional response is considered "normal" when one learns they have apnea problems to some extent? It seems from various posts that confusion and nervousness is not unexpected, but (as you might have gathered from my post) my response is more looking forward to it with brief spurts of giddiness.

Sonadams1,

I too am noticing the giddiness, but I wonder how normal that is. Perhaps that only happens to some. I'm starting my third week. I don't feel like I'm getting more sleep, but I don't have head-splitting headaches when I get up, and I have considerably more energy than I did before. I can stay awake all day and walk around for hours without needing to nap. The problem is focus and concentration. It's like my body is so unaccustomed to normal levels of available energy that it's buzzing.

I woke up this morning not in a fog, but skittering across topics that I wanted to cover with my wife. She looked at me like I was on speed. I would be in the middle of doing one task, remember that something else needed doing and start that. Then I'd reverse what I was doing on the first task and wonder where was the stack of items I was going to put a away and... you get the idea.

I suspect it's part of the repair process for some. I can feel my body starting to heal sleep-deprived muscles in my back, feet and heart. It doesn't know what to do with the excess energy. I also feel overly emotional, happy or sad at the oddest times.

It's got me wondering too what is the norm when it comes to reactions, first night, first week, first month, six months. Are there obvious phases that all of us go through, and then phases that just a segment of us goes through?

I've been tooling around "Our Collective Wisdom" and found this little gem from Mile High Sleeper Gal:
http://smart-sleep-apnea.blogspot.com/2 ... tages.html

Check it out!

[sleepycarol]

I am just soooo glad that I finally have gotten to answer to why I was always so exhausted!!! I thought it was just me -- I lazy, crazy, both, or had some "strange alien type of dreaded disease".

When I told people that I was always tired I would get "the look". I am sure you all have gotten it at times as well.

I happened to have an appointment this past week with my psych doctor (I take an anti-depressant) and talked to him about decreasing my Zoloft in a few months once I am more fully established with my APAP. He looked like I had grown two heads when I told him I had severe sleep apnea.
His response was well how did I know I had it and how could I tell it was severe and how did I get an APAP, etc.? He stated that I had told him I slept just fine -- I said that was my problem I could sleep all day and all night and still be exhausted!! I didn't realize it was my sleep that was causing the problems.

I told him I HAD a sleep study ordered by my GP and had completed it and was now on my way to getting a better nights sleep and I was feeling so much better. I can't imagine sleeping without my machine!!

Yes, I am delighted to know what was causing me to be the wicked witch of the midwest -- to the point of giddiness!!