Please Success Stories

I have been suffering the cumulative exhaustion and physical breakdown of sleep apnea for months and hopefully now within a week or two will have a CPAP machine.

I am asking the good people of this forum to please send me their success stories with CPAP. I have been down so long I am losing hope and starting to doubt that there is any hope for me. I do have some comorbid conditions that might make CPAP complicated but I am sure I can use it.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I’m a success story I’ve been using my cpap every night faithfully since June 2013. My AirSense 11 is now my 3rd cpap device in my history of my apnea. When I was diagnosed I had Ahi of greater than 100. Cpap does work it doesn’t come easy it takes some getting used too for a lot of people.

Excellent inquiry.

Over fifteen years ago I began having 10-30 minute episodes in which I blanked out while sitting. It was like the clock advanced suddenly. I wasn't tired, there was no yawning, and energy was good. It was freaky. My GF said I snore at night. A friend gave me his old Phillips CPAP machine and I arbitrarily set it at 8 max. OMG! The next day and from then onward, no more episodes. After several years of the Phillips, I got a sleep study (AHI was 25 and I snored most of test and had multiple wake-ups. I changed to ResMed 9 then 10. It's such a comfort to know the CPAP and mask are available and the electricity is on. The mask is like a comforting blanket.

Sure seems like many people have SA and don't know about it, or they get diagnosed and refuse treatment. Just read about the multiple dangers of untreated OSA which include increases in stroke, heart attach, CA, accidents, et. al.

No need to start or continue a new discussion here. There's already an ongoing thread with almost 800 posts linked in the forum's sticky, as Pugsy already helpfully linked to above.

It's been a LONG time since I've participated in a discussion on this site, but I'll chime in to add encouragement.

18 years ago, give or take, I started CPAP and it changed my life and that of my wife.

The results from my sleep study showed that I averaged 56 episodes per hour. Basically, I was getting 4 minutes of sleep per hour. I was a zombie all day long. I'd sleep on the train to and from work and still fight falling asleep any time I sat down. Drinking only one pot of coffee per day was for amateurs. Go big or go back to sleep!

The day after I started using my CPAP machine was probably the longest day of my life! I woke up early in the morning, long before my alarm clock went off. I saw the sun rise AND set. I was active all day and didn't require a nap. The best part was that my wife was a nice person all day because she too slept through the whole night. She even told me that she loved me!

Joking aside, my CPAP saved my marriage, and I'm sure my life. I don't nod off during the day. I don't feel unsafe driving, even after a long day. My wife now sleeps through the night, no longer bothered by my snoring or when I start struggling for air during an episode. Sure, I had to adjust my sleeping positions and learn how to best manage a pillow. I had to find a mask that worked right for me (about to try something new, just out of curiosity, so we'll see how that goes!). I read that some people can struggle with their mask or the addition of a hose to their bed, but for me, putting on my mask at night is actually comforting. It helps me relax and get to sleep because I know how much it helps. I know I'll have a restful, productive night, sleeping.

Honestly, I think it's that mentality that helped me adjust: knowing that "my machine" is such a benefit to my life and to my marriage. Go into it with a positive attitude - not "Ugh, I HAVE to use this thing," but thankful that the technology is available to solve a problem that you otherwise have no control over.

eoram wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 25, 2026 6:33 pm

within a week or two will have a CPAP machine.

Typically, obstructive sleep apnea is caused by the soft palate and tongue dropping back and blocking the airway. When sleeping on one's back, gravity is directly pulling these two anatomical features into the airway. Sleeping on the sides or stomach moderates the pull of gravity, and many people's apnea is less severe, but not cured.

While waiting for your machine, avoid sleeping on your back. When you get your CPAP system properly set up, you can sleep in the position you prefer.

Do you mind saying what your comorbidities are? Untreated sleep apnea causes many serious health conditions.

Hi, I am Catnapper. and I asked the same thing almost 20 years ago.
I recently turned 85 and my husband is 81. I can tell you that using my cpap has saved my life and allowed me (and my husband) to live so long and so well. Using cpap every night keeps oxygen going to your organs, and I am talking from your skin on in. We see our doctor every year so he can make any adjustments we might need to the pressure or anything else to give us the optimum support and therapy.
My sister died from untreated sleep apnea. She said there would be no point in doing the sleep study because she had no intention of wearing a mask. Her organs failed from constantly being deprived of oxygen at night. She died in her sleep.
Find a reason to make you determined to stick with it. In my sleep study, my oxygen saturation fell to 71%. That was enough to convince me to stick to using the machine all night every night no matter how much I didn't like it. Obviously you don't have to like it to make it work. You just have to use it every time you go to sleep.
Good luck to you.

Catnapper - Joanie