Newbie and recovering from surgery - miserable

I was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea a few days before scheduled rotator cuff surgery. I got my CPAP 10 days after the surgery, so I've been trying to get used to it while sleeping in a recliner post-surgery. I have the nasal pillow mask. Last night I tried sleeping on a bed with a wedge pillow under me. I think I slept a little longer in one stretch but today I feel like my sinuses are bothering me. Also, although I felt OK in bed my shoulder hurt a lot this morning and I am probably going back to the recliner tonight. One of my problems is that I wake up frequently (most people who sleep in a recliner say the same thing) and I have trouble getting the mask to seal again.

I think mostly I'm looking for a little sympathy. My husband is nice about it but I don't think he gets it. This is tough

You picked a tough time to get used to CPAP. At one time I had bilateral frozen shoulders and could not lay in bed, it was too painful. Trying to get used to CPAP on top of it is difficult. OTOH, about 1 month into CPAP therapy, after YEARS of shoulder pain, it COMPLETELY disappeared! I can't explain it (suspect it was reduced inflammation when I wasn't sleeping with stress hormones coursing through my body all night), but CPAP helped.

Try adjusting your humidity if your sinuses are bothering you. Some people need more, some people need less. Change it ONE notch in one direction and see how you do. If it's immediately worse, then return it to the current setting and go the other way the next night. If it seems better, give it 2 or 3 days before adjusting again, perhaps another notch in the same direction. It can take a few trials to find that "sweet spot" where the humidity is just right.

Be patient with yourself. Between shoulder pain and getting used to the face hugging mask, it may take a while to sleep through the night.

KTinTexas wrote:I think mostly I'm looking for a little sympathy.

KTinTexas wrote:I have trouble getting the mask to seal again.

To reduce unintentional mask leak -

- Make sure the mask is fitted properly. (See mask manufacturer's video.)

- Make sure the headgear is adjusted properly (See mask manufacturer's video.)

- If you use a low ramp pressure or a low minimum pressure, you should fit and adjust your mask at the higher pressures it is operating at for most of the night. You would temporarily change the machine pressure settings while you do the fitting and adjusting. It's best to do this well before bedtime before you are tired and ready for sleep. Don't forget to change your settings back to the ones you prefer.

- Make sure to use good hose management - the hose should not pull on the mask. Notice how your hose is positioned between machine and mask. It should be positioned to minimize any pull on the mask. Hose management is an individual practice. How it is done depends on the mask, the position of the machine, your sleeping position and other factors specific to the individual.

- If you still have problems, learn from the forum what mask liners are available.

- If your mask still has excessive leak, try other masks. Many people report trying several masks before they find one that works well for them.

Note: Links to just some of the mask manufacturers' instructional videos can be found on the forum host's website - https://www.cpap.com/cpap-masks.php and https://www.youtube.com/

- CG