Newbie

[cAtLeYx]

Hi All, I hope everyone is well.

I am new here and this is my first post, so please be gently with me. I have be reading many threads and this place seems to be full of very knowledgeable people. I have no experience what so ever and all I know is that yesterday I was diagnosed with Moderate apnea. I brought home a CPAP machine and wore it for the first time last night. It was so alien and caused me to wake many times during the night. That said, and this may just be psychological, but I do feel more refreshed this morning despite waking around a dozen times. Is this possible?

So many questions, so many abbreviations on this forum I don't understand, I think I may be a long time visitor. Any advise would be really appreciated.
Thanks

[zoocrewphoto]

Yes, even with some wake ups, you can feel better since you were most likely getting more oxygen during the times you slept. As you get used to it and sleep straight through, you will feel even better. Welcome to the group.

[kteague]

Hello and welcome. The good thing is you don't need to know everything - just those things that pertain to you, and only as you need them. You'll be surprised how quickly you learn. I remember asking in one of my early posts what AHI means. You would think after several months and several visits at the sleep doctor someone would have told me that, but nope. Don't be discouraged by frequent wakeups. Your brain has to figure out it can trust all these new sensations as a new normal. If you run into problems or have questions, you'll get more targeted answers if you let us know some things about your treatment, like which machine and mask and what settings, for starters. Good luck going forward. Hope every night you continue to feel a bit more rested.

[cAtLeYx]

Thanks for the quick responses. I did laugh though as I had to look up AHI this morning. Im I right to say that mine on diagnosis was 19 its a number I remember the doctor saying before advising me it was medium? I have also been reviewing various accessories this morning, some I really don't need like pink fluffy straps and some that seem to make sense. As I have received my equipment from the NHS I assume, possibly wrongly, that its fairly basic. Heres what I know. Philips Respironics System One (60 Series), RemStar Auto with A-FlexModel 561P - P1464574310C3, PAP Mode: APAP (Variable), Min 4.5 Max 20 (cmH2O). Obviously means nothing to me. The nose mask is fairly cumbersome and the straps just dug in my head and cheeks all night. I sleep on my side which I guess doesn't help. The hose grated against the side of the bed every time I moved. So, and I appreciate everyone is different, I was looking different types of masks and the DreamWare Nasal mask appears to be a good recommendation, this along with a hose cover, to stop the grating nose, may be my first accessory purchase. Again any advise or comments would be really appreciate.

Thanks Again

[kteague]

At least you learned what AHI is early on. Did you have a study done wearing the mask to determine a pressure (called a titration) or is this machine supposed to determine your pressure at home? Wondering if this is the machine you will keep or if it's for a test period. If they are doing a home titration on this machine, I would be hesitant to make any changes at this point. If you've already had a titration study, that range of pressures may need discussed.

It's kinda soon to know what comfort items might help you. Mask liners, strap covers, and hose covers are pretty popular. You'll find you can rig most things to help yourself until you can get a more permanent solution to problems that may arise. I used to drape my hose over the headboard and was concerned about both the noise and the stress on the hose. I just threw a thick towel over the headboard - problem solved. One winter I was getting condensation and needed a hose cover and while it was on order I cut the toe out of a couple pairs of old long gym socks and slid them over my hose. Good luck figuring things out.

[Sheriff Buford]

Welcome to the forum! You are really fortunate to feel refreshed with interrupted sleep and limited therapy thru the night. Don't forget the refreshing feeling as you work at sleeping with the machine all night. It won't take long. If you can feel this good after a few hours... all night will be much better. Also... it's the healthy thing to do! As you stated, check out padacheek.com. They make affordable liners that are sift. Look into a hose hanger. A hose hanger keeps the hose outta' your way at night and won't flop around. I use the Hose Buddy, but there are other brands, and if you search "hose hanger" on this sight, you'll see some innovative ways folks have made their own home made versions.

Keep up the good work and don't look back!

Sheriff