Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
amyandtoby2011
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Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 12:00 am
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by amyandtoby2011 » Fri Oct 28, 2011 7:01 am

I've mostly felt fear/anxiety, and acceptance. I've always known that I snore. There was a time when I thought I didn't, but that was quickly proven wrong

I haven't felt shock, denial, etc. Perhaps grief for all this time gone and nothing done, but mostly a very deep and profound sense of relief and a readiness to change. I'm ready. I want my machine, and can't wait for next week's study, so they can hopefully find what works for me, and then I can (hopefully soon) get my machine.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has felt this.

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Mask: Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Diagnosed 10/25/11; sleep studies on 10/24/11 and 10/31/11; CPAP received on 11/3/11. Set to ramp from 12-16. Climateline and small quattro.

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abloodragon
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Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by abloodragon » Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:21 am

I have lived in denial of not the aprea part, but that it was OK for my whole 47 years. I have always snored. Even young and skinny, I snored loud enough to be heard in the next room. I work full time, volunteer, have 5 kids, and generally have been a very busy, but tired gal my whole life. I have always slept through TV shows, sitting in the recliner, and it wasn't until I started to fall asleep at work during meetings, that I considered it a problem. My husband has slept on the couch for a while and that didn't bother me since I have always considered him a 'light sleeper'. I have had all kinds of night time problems of my own....nightmares, waking up with headaches, waking up with dry mouth and throat, reflux, waking up choking and waking up with a headache.

Finally, I went for my sleep apnea study. My AHI was 49, with breathing pauses as long as 88 seconds, and worse yet my nightime O2 sat had dropped to 67% during an aprea spell where they woke me up. I cried at the Dr's office when they gave me my results. Not because I was afraid, but because I now knew what was wrong with me for all these years. I wasn't crazy, there was something actually wrong with me. My days of denial were over.

Last night was the first time I wore my CPAP at home. I woke up an hour early more refreshed then in a long while. I'm looking forward to finding out how I feel after using it for a few weeks.

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amyandtoby2011
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Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by amyandtoby2011 » Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:06 am

Abloodragon...
*hugs*. I hear you. I'm so glad you got your CPAP and that it helped you so much the first night!
What pressure/s do they have you on?
That's scary about your apneas, and your desats, but I am so glad they got you the help you need. IT's a wonderful, though extremely vulnerable, feeling to recognize that no, you're not crazy, yes, there really is something wrong with you.
Take good care, and please keep us updated on your progress.

_________________
Mask: Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Diagnosed 10/25/11; sleep studies on 10/24/11 and 10/31/11; CPAP received on 11/3/11. Set to ramp from 12-16. Climateline and small quattro.

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abloodragon
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Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by abloodragon » Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:24 pm

Not sure why my post now says 'aprea' instead of apnea, unless some type of spell checking changed it. But anyhow, my pressure is 13. Looking forward to sleeping with it again tonight.

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newCPAPguy

Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by newCPAPguy » Sun Nov 06, 2011 3:13 pm

Hey folks, I am a new CPAP user and was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea. I'm really having trouble getting used to this mask. Is anybody else in their early 30s and dealing with this?

My symptom is that every time I fall asleep I wake right back up - the doctor's theory is that these are "sleep starts" caused by sleep apnea. It keeps me up all night and drives me insane from lack of sleep. The doctor prescribed the CPAP to see if it helps. But I've been on Ambien for months and am having a very hard time stopping its use because it's the only thing that gets me to sleep. And the CPAP machine just freaks me out and I find it hard to sleep with a mask on my face. Any advice?

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idamtnboy
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Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by idamtnboy » Sun Nov 06, 2011 4:50 pm

newCPAPguy wrote:Hey folks, I am a new CPAP user and was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea. I'm really having trouble getting used to this mask. Is anybody else in their early 30s and dealing with this?

My symptom is that every time I fall asleep I wake right back up - the doctor's theory is that these are "sleep starts" caused by sleep apnea. It keeps me up all night and drives me insane from lack of sleep. The doctor prescribed the CPAP to see if it helps. But I've been on Ambien for months and am having a very hard time stopping its use because it's the only thing that gets me to sleep. And the CPAP machine just freaks me out and I find it hard to sleep with a mask on my face. Any advice?
For issues such as this we prefer you start a new thread. Two reasons, one it avoids having this thread getting bogged down with a lot of conversation, and two, and of more value, is a stand alone thread will attract more attention and likely more responses that are pertinent to your question.

Please register and fill in your equipment information and then repost this question in its own thread. You'll get a lot better response rate. Thanks.

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Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Hose management - rubber band tied to casement window crank handle! Hey, it works! S/W is 3.13, not 3.7

tomzzz
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Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 2:04 pm

Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by tomzzz » Fri Nov 18, 2011 2:43 pm

I guess I'll check in to this posting. Thanks for the writeup. I think it asks me to focus on how I've felt since being diagnosed in April. I was relieved to discover there really was an issue. I'm mild/moderate case of AHI ~60. The overwhelming thoughts I've had are that of now being old. I have a diagnosed condition. I'm 46, and generally feel younger than my age. But this grogginess, irritability, general sense of stress and occasional forgetfulness that has set in over the last decade had me wondering. And the prospect of sleeping like Darth Vader puts me in the mindset of being 50-ish. I can't count the number of times I've had talks with friends about feeling old, and there's sadness here.

I initially went to an ENT for snoring, who sent me to my first sleep test, then recommended all sorts of surgery. But it was against my philosophy, I don't like the cut and ask questions later approach. I think the fact that I dragged my feet for 6 months before going to a sleep specialist and getting the CPAP speaks to denial.

My girlfriend laughed the first time I wore the mask. I'm 3 weeks in with the CPAP, and now she's adjusted. That was my biggest concern frankly. But her sleep has improved in the meantime, and I understand that's normal too when a bed partner starts using a CPAP. I'm still sleeping inconsistently, occasionally frustratedly, but today I had 7.5 hrs on-device, and really feel good. So I'm cautiously optimistic for the future.

There's a lot more of life to live, and accepting the need for a good night sleep full of oxygen and solid steps into each stage of sleep are worth the sacrifice of what was once considered a normal way of sleeping. So now I'm a medical-device-supported being. Think of everything Darth accomplished after he went on medical support ;-P

Mrs. Snuffie
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Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2011 8:20 pm

Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by Mrs. Snuffie » Sat Nov 26, 2011 8:38 pm

Thanks for this posting....I have had all of these stages in the past 2 months/maybe not heart, yet. It's good to know that
I'm really OK. I do wonder why the sleep professionals don't make you more aware that these emotions could/can occur. Thanks
to my primary care physician I have made it this far.

bina
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Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2011 10:34 pm

Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by bina » Mon Nov 28, 2011 10:51 pm

:) thsnk you

bina
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Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by bina » Mon Nov 28, 2011 10:55 pm

I also in the same state mind, fighting depression and can't share a hotel room es result of snoring.

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Kohkie
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Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by Kohkie » Sun Dec 04, 2011 2:19 pm

It was good to read here that there are those like me, who were not shocked or upset by the diagnosis of OSA but thrilled to find that there was a problem, and Oh Yeah! a solution. I went to my sleep study scared to death that they would not find I had OSA and they wouldn't let me have a CPAP, and I wouldn't for the first time in years be able to sleep again. I had the sleep study on November 13, 2011, and got the diagnosis, Severe OSA, a week later on November 21, 2011. I got my CPAP that same day and have been on it every night for the entire night since I got it. It will be 2 weeks tomorrow. Yes, there have been times when I was tempted to take it off, because I was having problems falling asleep, but so far I have hung in there. Some nights I don't even notice the mask, and I fall asleep immediately, and sleep like a log all night. Other nights I just can't seem to fall asleep. The good news is that once asleep, I stay that way. And better yet, even if I only sleep for 4 or 5 hours, I wake up feeling so much more relaxed and refreshed then I did on 10 hours sleep in the pre-CPAP days. So happy!

J of Ohio

Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by J of Ohio » Wed Dec 14, 2011 7:39 pm

Hello every one I am starting cpap therapy after dealing with two years of misdiagnoses. Any advice for people on CPAP with allergies? Also I am a side sleeper and I prefer a full face mask , so any one knows about the c pap pillows.
Thanks I need all the help I can get

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idamtnboy
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Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by idamtnboy » Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:11 pm

J of Ohio wrote:Hello every one I am starting cpap therapy after dealing with two years of misdiagnoses. Any advice for people on CPAP with allergies? Also I am a side sleeper and I prefer a full face mask , so any one knows about the c pap pillows.
Thanks I need all the help I can get
Welcome to the forum. Two things you need to do to get the best help possible. First, register and fill in your profile including your equipment list. Second, for questions of this sort you are much better off to begin a new topic. That way you will get more direct notice of your question and therefore more help. Also, as the originator of this thread I want to limit as much as possible the comments in this topic to the subject of the topic so it does not become weighed down with a lot of extraneous comments and become unwieldy in its length. I trust you understand. You will receive a lot of help on this forum. We just ask you follow the path that has been proven to lead to the best help. Thank you.

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Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Hose management - rubber band tied to casement window crank handle! Hey, it works! S/W is 3.13, not 3.7

1.41

Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by 1.41 » Sat Dec 17, 2011 5:21 pm

As someone else said, "that was beautiful".

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Alienart
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Re: Especially for newly diagnosed - Dealing with Change

Post by Alienart » Sat Dec 17, 2011 9:34 pm

I was a bit worried too that I didn't feel any kind of denial when I was diagnosed just last weekend. I was relieved like many of the other folks posting in this thread. Of course, I haven't tried the mask yet. That's still two weeks away! I can hardly wait.

For me, being a life long science and science fiction geek, I have often felt that people my age, the baby boomers, would be among the first cyborgs with machine assisted body parts. So for me this is only a first step toward that and one I looked forward to. I'm looking even more forward to getting my life and career back.

I may change my outlook when I actually try the device. You folks will know better than I about that. My main worry after reading some of these threads is that it won't be a quick fix. It may be an ongoing process. That prospect does get me down, so maybe I can apply this article to those feelings. Thanks for it in either event.