Share your success stories so that new folks can find hope

[BrettMC7]

For years I had lived in a tired state. Driving across Texas for work would find me drifting off or nodding off while on the highway. What was interesting was the fact that in those few seconds I would nod off I would begin to dream immediately. I was told later that this was due to my lack of deep sleep or a consistent sleep cycle. I went for testing 9 months ago after my wife talked with me about my gasping at night. I would often wake up covered in sweat even if the temperature in the house was very cool. My body spent every night struggling to stay alive.
I had hesitated about doing a sleep study as I had no desire to be hooked up to a machine with a mask strapped onto my head all night long. So since I was keeping my new bride from getting a good rest as well I scheduled a study once I received a nod from my general MD. I did a split study and all the wires hooked to my body and head were indeed annoying but so was my nodding off in meetings and at my desk, behind the wheel-anywhere! After the first half they allowed me to try the device of my choice and I went with the breeze since it came over my head and into my nose only, as I did not like the idea of the mask. After the second half of the night I left looking forward to learning my results.
As it turned out I had on average 62 apnea events per hour-that's over one per minute. I was not sleeping or nor was my body resting but rather every night when I went to bed my body was struggling to stay alive! No wonder I was so irritable and tired all the time. I met with a local provider who brought me a machine with a humidifier (I keep distilled water in it and do not turn it on to heat, except when really cold and dry-as it turns out we expel a great deal of moisture through our lungs) and now I spend less that 60 seconds a night in apnea and after usually 6-7 hours I awake feeling rested and in much better condition all the way around throughout the day.
Since I am a stomach sleeper the over the head device works perfectly for me and I am able to keep the pressure at 10 and now we both sleep peacefully through the night. I tell my wife I am in love with my breeze and machine and she does not mind one bit.
For the ones still suffering-just do it! Yes it is not as simple as just flopping into bed and going to sleep but after a couple of weeks your body and mind adjust to the gear and with the benefit of waking refreshed will have you experiencing life as you have not in many years.
Get over whatever thoughts keep you from it and know that there are many choices in head gear and most providers will allow you to exchange masks that you end up not liking (I tried a newer model of an over the head device but it did not perform like the breeze and they gladly took it back and gave me my first headgear of choice.) I would also recommend that you get a second mask/headgear to travel with you as I was out of town over Christmas and a part broke and I was miserable without it working properly. Most insurance companies will allow you a second one after 90 days as well as replacement nose pillows or seals/straps. Insurance companies know that thousands if not millions die from the stress that sleep apnea places on the heart and mind.
I wish you much success on your new journey and the machine I got travels very easily and it has a smart card that allows me to view my progress anytime I want to on my own PC.
Breath, breath in the air-Don't be afraid to care......

[alnhwrd]

What a great story! Thanks for sharing it!

[Catnapper]

I asked for the same thing when I was a newbie. Here is a link to the thread.

Newbie with nose to the hose would like to hear success stories,
http://tinyurl.com/3x4ed9

Hope that helps. There are more of these to be found if you click the yellow lightbulb.

Good luck!

[greenvelvetdragon]

thanks for that great story Brett, its good to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. i will keep reminding myself of this when things look bleak.

cheers from down under

GVD

[Rachael]

My full saga is around somewhere on the site, but after one year I have to say:

I actually LIKE my cpap. I look forward to breathing with it. It feels GOOD.

How freakishly strange that sounds, but it's true.

I often think during the day how nice it would be to keep a spare cpap by my desk so I could breath and type at the same time. The humidity, the warm breeze, the gentle sounds.

Who would have thought?

[Mile High Sleeper]

for success stories, see the lightbulb article above on CPAP adaptation stages. near the end there are 4 links to success stories
cpaptalk-articles/recovery-CPAP-adaptation-stages.html