confused by son's new diagnosis

[sleepyjane]

Mine was 102 but I think I have had apnea for the past 25 years or more ... that is when I was first told that I snored like a chainsaw. I did not become so fatigued that I noticed it affecting my life until a couple of years ago. I had never heard of sleep apnea before until my PC doc had me take a sleep study last summer.

The human body is amazing at adapting ... but at some point, a critical point is reached and the body can no longer cope with the abuse and neglect of an unhealthy condition.

I was lucky I did not have a stroke or heart attack before being diagnosed with OSA ... others are not so lucky. In addition, your son's inability to loose weight may be related to his untreated OSA. He needs to accept the treatment and get with the program if he wants to maximize the length and quality of his life.

With the help from this forum ... I have reduced my AHI from 102 to 0.4 and the difference it has made in my life is like night and day ... pun inteneded


wow..it is lucky you found out..like you I believe I had it at least ten years before my doctor mentioned it 15 years ago and am only now getting any help via this board as because of people here and insisting on things, I today got my new autobipap, with hopefully the right settings and I full face mask for first time..only recently realized all that air puffing out through y lips as I started to drift off was mouth breathing and diminishing my pressure somewhat. Now I also have a new full face mask so I am doing good..if this works I have to figure out PLMD next.

I start my first night tonight and am feeling excited and hopeful.

I also think his weight is tied to this like you said. I recently read if one is sleep deprived they do not produce enough leptin and other hormones/enzymes and that it doesn't allow people to know when they are full, to carve carbs, and generally mess up the metabolism and such. It seems there is a lot of data showing the links between sleep deprivation and weight..it is well known that overweight people make up a number of the sleep apnea patients but is is also causing it..which came first? Who knows? My provider said his brother finally got his pressure right and lost 70 while doing nothing due to increased energy he had from finally getting some sleep. It's something.

My sister, brusque girl that she is cut me off with her judgemental ways..

me--Did you hear J--- had sleep apnea, they said...

she cuts me off..well no WONDER as big as he is (full of judging tone)

me--he was having 80 apneas an hour. this is very severe and I think this has something to do with explaining his weight cause...

her--I'm sure it is a lot more than that.

He is real motivated..going to comply with treatment, and was trying to watch his diet..he lost 30 pounds in less than a month and was very careful what he ate when we went to a tempting Easter buffet. My other son who is thin and goes on 100 miles over hilly bike trips and real into healthy foods is helping him..so I think this is going to be really good for him.

what does this mean "I have reduced my AHI from 102 to 0.4" I am new to this..
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): AHI

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): AHI

[sleepyjane]

sleepyjane,

I have to chime in here.
It's true.
I never had drowsiness.
I had rage.
I drank a lot of coffee to compensate.

I found it very annoying that so many of the Apnea screening tools are based on DROWSINESS when you do this and when you do that because that sure wasn't me.

-Bev

you know although I have had total exhaustion about 30 years, (no sleepiness) but fatigue, I was full of rage as well...just real bad and my son seems to fly off the handle over nothing and thinking back, he wasn't like that when he was younger and thinner, so it well well be affecting him. Now that is a hopeful thought that treatment may get hm calmer as he has recently been told his has kind of high blood pressure and as mad as he gets, I worry he's gonna have a heart attack. I am thinking God he listened to my advise and took it on himself to get tested. I was very surprised when he called me up to say he had had a sleep study..this may make him one of the lucky ones like dreamstalker.

The fact that I will tell him about this link and maybe he will try to get software and good machines may help spare him the 15 years of suffering I had due in part to doctor's errors and in part to my lack of knowledge.

Also I notice if I get little sleep for a few days due to other factors like plans, schedules, staying up all night on computer and so forth, I am real emotional across the board (never the good emotions, but worry, anger, crying, sad, over-reactive to things and so forth).

I wager it just messes with one's emotions in general being sleep deprived night after night and year after year. I definitely feel my anger, severe clinical depression, and high anxiety are all related.
wouldn't that be something..finally get treatment right and discover that over emotional person isn't even me..as a child, teen, and young woman, I was real cheery. Maybe that person will emerge again.

[sleepyjane]

Get him on a machine ASAP! The longer he waits, the more damage it will do to his system.
And, like the others have said, make sure he gets a machine that gives him data so he can monitor his own therapy.

Best wishes,

Den

He said the first study, then did not use the machine at all..just monitored him without it and the next appt is to test the machine and pressures and then he goes in and consults with doctor and gets machine.

I told him he should request an autopap or autobipap and he said..I will just take what they give me, but I am going to give him more info on that..but even if his insurance only gives a cap or bipap, he can still monitor it (I am assuming the machines now all have the smart card --I had same one 8 years and didn't realize they had these as not very informed before,

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): bipap, Smart Card

[sleepyjane]

SleepyJane,

I was one who was able to remain high functioning for many years even with multiple sleep disorders. Ditto to what others said about the body's amazing ability to somehow compensate for shortcomings, and that sometimes the changes are so longstanding or with subtle progression that one does not recognize how far from feeling well they really are. Mine "slipped in" under the radar during a 3 year struggle with another illness, so it took a while to realize that what was affecting me was not residual effect of the other illness.

Funny, but as I was writing this I thought of something for the first time in over 20 years. My ex told me I snored (didn't believe him). I was young, trim and athletic. In the early 1980s the doc ordered a CT scan of my head due to chronic headaches and memory glitches. I assumed it was the stress of having my head knocked up against the wall from time to time. (Notice I said "ex") Wonder if I had sleep apnea even then...

Reminds me of the oft used illustration of a frog in water with gradually increasing temperature that will stay in till it dies because it doesn't recognize impending danger. (Wonder if that's really true?)

Hopefully your son will discover a new normal and the years to come will be better than he even imagined.

Kathy

good points, Kathy, the body is amazing when you consider all the abuse we put it through..makes me feel if we put half the energy into dong good things for the body as we do bad things, it will respond quickly. Now that you mention it, I stayed o this overnight retreat when I was in my late 20's early 30's and could not sleep at all..I remember hour after hour passing. I said to this woman I didn't sleep a wink last night and she said "oh yes you did at least some..you were really snoring" The way she said it made me feel I must have been real loud.

My younger son recently told me that when he goes on trip with my older son, even if they are in adjoining rooms he can barely sleep as my older son is unbelievably loud when snoring.

The frog is the perfect analogy and thank goodness you got out of that relationship..I had one of those once and believe me, I count myself lucky I got away in time. It always exacerbates.

Imagine all the people who never find out they have sleep apnea..

[sleepyjane]

Ask your son to read the articles under the light bulb above, starting from the top including Are You Sleeping with the Enemy? You, too.

I did go over there and read this one article as soon as I saw your post and it was eyeopening. When I think about how nearly every emotional, mental, and physical problem I have relates to sleep apnea (and the 2 other sleep disorders I have) and its resultant sleep deprivation, and multiple up the suffering over at least 25 years that has resulted and then multiple that by 60 million people and all their effects and suffering, the totality of it all is just staggering..this great cost (not to mention the financial cost and cost to people who know victims of sleep deprivation and apnea.

What also struck me was realizing the release of stress hormones I never even thought of that but surely it is true wow

I have long thought I had adrenal exhaustion and felt this was due to having continual problems every single day for 15 years and testing in the highest numbers on stress tests of life events..I consistently tested off the charts (I think over 250 was 99% chance of serious illness in two years and mine was generally around 600 or 700 every six months for 15 years straight (I may be off on the numbers but this seems close ..my memory is shot) BUT I never dreamed the entire night I was going through this mass release of stress hormones..not wonder the adrenals seem as exhausted as I am. Very eyeopening (I will send him the link to that article and read some of the others. I didn't realize all those articles were on there.

Also thinking of the many associated effects and health conditions of apnea and sleep deprivation and just amazed when I realize how it is all linked nearly everything I have...this certainly is eye opening and makes one realize the importance of getting this problem fixed.

Everyone on here helping others to do this and getting as many people feeling better and healthier as possible with their advice, insights, support, and sharing of knowledge is an ambassador of goodness and truly using their time to make the world a better place.

As I anticipate going to bed soon for the first time with equipment that I never knew existed 6 weeks ago with pressures lead by advce I received, I realize but for the kindness of people on here, I would have continued not getting better as I didn't have the knowledge,

Realizing this feels my eyes with tears and me with hope that someday things will be better and my life will improve. As wekll as those of others on here. Never forget the great service you are doing for others in helping them and sharing what you know. I thank everyone who helped me.

Thank god for the Internet (though I am addicted to it far to much)..

[sleepyjane]

Again thank you for your comments and if anyone thinks of anything important my son should know or ask the doctor or fight for, please let me know so I can get it to him in time for his appointment.