POLL: What got you into xPAP therapy ?

[cflame1]

Mine was that my dad had been tested... and found that he had it. I knew that I slept like crap (up every 2 hours), so I requested it get checked out.

[drj130]

I guess that my Soldiers would count as traveling mates. They are the ones who, even though they were joking a bit about my snoring, got me to look deeper into it. I should also mention my wife as well seeing as she told me no more cuddling with her because I would snore right into her ear.

David

[bonjour]

The first option, I KNOW I didn't have OSA, but went so I could get my dear wife off my back and tell her "I told you so".
At 72 AHI she won that round (thankfully)

Fred

[Komodo]

None of the poll choices apply to me.

In my case, I was RUSHED to the hospital's ER directly from my (PCP)doctor's office because she thought I was having a heart attack. They put me in the Cardiac ICU overnight, tested me up the wazoo, wanted to operate on me, (even though all the tests were negative). When I REFUSED the operation, they then told me to go see my lung doc, and then my heart doc.

When I walked into my lung doc, first time I saw this guy, he didn't even see my chart yet, just by looking at me, he said I had sleep apnea!!! (Yeah, I WAS that bad!) He sent me for the sleep study just to be sure, but yes, I did in fact have OSA.

BTW, my apnea has solved a lot of my other health "problems", that my PCP wasn't able to "cure", no matter how many drugs she gave me!

[DyannaK]

My hubby is the one who started me off thinking I may have sleep apnea. He always said that I snore pretty bad, and then he had his yearly physical at the VA and they mentioned wanting him to do a sleep study himself due to snoring and other problems. He brought home a checklist to go over and when I looked at I was shocked to see I could answer yes to every question... I went to my Dr and told her about the checklist and she set me up with a sleep study... Hubby also had his sleep study and we found out we both have SA.

[frenchie]

I had multiple answers. I was told about 3 years ago by a dr that I should have a sleep test since I have a large neck. I ignored it and was like yeah whatever, how could they tell by neck size. After I got married my Husband started telling me I snore - Ive always been told I snore, so I didnt think much of it. He started telling me I dont breath when I sleep and that it keeps him up because he is worried that I wont start again. Then I started falling asleep at work, my boss told me that I needed to get if figured out soon, because falling asleep at work is not OK. He also told me that his wife was a respirtory therapist and that from what he had observed when I fell asleep at my desk - they thought I had sleep apnea ( OK aside from being totally embarassed that I got caught sleeping at work I was mortified that my office mates heard me snore) Then I started having a really hard time staying awake when driving home from work. There a a few times Im pretty sure I fell asleep at the wheel. Luckly no accidents - but it scared the heck out of me and made me realise I had to do something about it. I did my sleep test in February 09 - they did a split night study - turns out I have severe sleep apnea.I am so glad that I finally did - I now realize I basically hadnt slept in like 2 years. I thankfully had pretty much instant results from cpap with a few issues here and there getting adjusted to it. I am also very thankful for this group of wonderful people who are more helpful then I ever thought possible. I will never go without Cpap again. It has definately been a life saver for me.

[SaltLakeJan]

I had a great PCP, I had no idea I had diabetes - no warning signs for me. But I had diabetes. Next he told me he would like to to take an over-night sleep apnea test. He had to suggest it several times. This was in 2000, SleepApnea wasn't a main-stream topic then. I recall reading several articles about huge ex-football players who had been dx. But I did have sleep apnea.


Another one of our friends may have died because he wasn't tested for Sleep Apnea. He was a doctor, and we frequently vacationed with he and his wife. I disliked having adjoining rooms because I could hear his snoring through the door and over the T.V. He fell asleep in midday in planes, cars, and on boats. When he slept he was a champion snorer. Both he and DH were private pilots. He was flying back to our city when we got word his plane had disappeared in mid-flight. We had flown in each others planes enough that I knew he sometimes put on autopilot and fell asleep. I never thought about him having sleep apnea, or worried about his "Naps" because DA flew copilot with him.

This night the air traffic controller reported he had spoken with him about an hour earlier, but when he contacted him for landing instructions there was no answer. He, his wife and 12 year old daughter were killed in the crash of the plane.
His brother was a Police Detective, and his department was aware of his napping habits, and told him to take sleep apnea test. He was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea a year after his brother & family were killed. His remaining family strongly believe our friend had sleep apnea and was napping before his plane took a downward spiral into the Monte Cristo Mountains. Jan

[Birddog]

Doctor alerted me to it after emergency surgery to remove a chicken bone that puncured my esophgus.I quit breathing for a long period while they had me knocked out and were afraid i was going to code.I had been up 20 hours so i was sleeping like a baby. Promised to get a sleep study and here i am.

[elg5cats]

After learning about sleep apnea, then having a client who's MD spouse expressed concern client having sleep apnea, I encouraged a sleep study..bang, OSA diagnosis, CPAP started and the reason client was seeing me resolved. I continued to refer male clients with similar characteristics for sleep studies...all diagnosed,treated resulting in lost clients..all male!!!! I changed jobs moved away. Went on vacation w/my sister who teased me about snoring. Didn't believe her, but remember gasping as I went to sleep. Remembered a roommate teasing me about "weird noises" I made as I went to sleep on an earlier vacation. Returned home, put a voiced activated recorder in bed with me......uhm, that was scary!!!! Made appt, requested sleep study, diagnosed started CPAP. Was very compliant even had some special wiring in my new house to accommodate the CPAP..injured my hands working on my new house needed carpal tunnel surgery on both hands......Sleep Clinic nurses bad mouthed me about being "noncompliant." I couldn't put the leaky humidifier, noisy machine, mask on with one hand.missed a couple weeks of use..was 2nd time I was critized for noncompliant.when was very compliant.I quit and created a sleep clinic self fulfilling prophecy of noncompliance. Five years later change MD's who noted I had OSA as "history." MD encouraged another sleep study...had a horrible sleep study experience (nosy room, uncomfortable bed, tv on, nosy environment)...no outcome report received. PCP kept stating sleep study didn't make sense. I reviewed sleep study report realized OSA was described but not diagnosed. I called all sleep clinics within 100 miles, interviewed staff and decided one more try. Consulted insurance for level of coverage. Printed referral forms from clinic, made an appointment with my PCP with completed forms except for physical notations. PCP complete physical part and signed forms, I faxed my referral to sleep clinic. Had an excellent experience, slept great--so I thought-for the study. Left with enough info to know I would get another OSA diagnosis. Scheduled my Titration appointment before getting results, started researching equipment, scheduled appt with sleep MD, went in with specific request for equipment, not the favored brand in the clinic, and left with the information I needed to fulfill my request. Take my laptop to follow up appointments for review of results. Well received. Only have missed one part of a night use due to illness. So, I'm a mixture of self referral, family referral, friend referral and MD referral.

elg5cats

[Cassandra]

I started having miserable daytime sleepiness and would doze off every time I sat down for a few minutes. When I started sleeping upright in chairs, I would feel myself stop breathing as I was falling asleep. This also happened if I fell asleep on my back. I could feel my diaphragm pulling my chest down, but no air was getting in. Then, I started waking up gasping for air when I was sleeping on my side. Felt like I was drowning. Plus snoring so loudly that I would wake myself up. :p

Cassandra

[dsm]

The doctors, I had a heart attack, a month later they did a quad-by-pass, and it took 20 minutes to get the breathing tube in, that and low O2 stats in recovery and after, earned me the test.

I wouldn't recommend this method of finding out, there are easier ways. Jim

Jim,

Yowch

I agree. It is good though that you found out & are here to talk about it !.

Cheers

DSM

[Brian123]

On a visit to a specialist, for an unrelated matter, he said
"Thats no concern but lets talk about your sleep apnea, you have that don't you?"
After a quick warning I was sent to a sleep clinic for a take-home monitor.
My results the next day, I cant remember the numbers (I was overtired) seemed to scare everyone I met in getting a script for and buying a machine.
The best thing the supplier of overpriced equipment did was to suggest I research my condition online.

[MoneyGal]

I was sick all the time. I caught every cold that ever went around. I had pneumonia 6x in two years, requiring IV abx pretty much every time. My 02 sats with pneumonia were very low.

I went into the doctor in mid-January 2009 because I feared that I was getting pneumonia again. There were no crackles, but my 02 was low and my heart rate very high. I had an EKG on the spot and a lung function test, both of which were normal.

A lung specialist *happened* to be in the office and *happened* to have a cancellation. She asked me if I had morning headaches and indigestion. I said yes. She said, you need a sleep study on an emergency basis. That was Monday. I had my sleep study the following Friday. I had a CPAP the Friday after that. My AHI was 93, with 02 sats dipping below 70.

I did not have daytime sleepiness. I didn't fall asleep at work, in restaurants, etc. I passed the Epworth test. I would not have described myself as "sleepy."

[RipVW]

I awoke 2- 3 times (that I remembered!) gasping to start breathing, sat up in bed, felt like I was recovering from being choked, struggled to begin breathing again. Then, my wife awoke during the night on another night and said I was so still, not breathing at all, that she thought I had died! That did it, went to the doc, and he sent me to a sleep doctor. The rest is history :<)

[Violet West]

landed in the hospital with MI and atrial flutter/fibrillation. no fun at all.

ETA: Oops, this is an old thread. I didn't revive it, I swear!