Success!! Finally!!

[tiredgrl]

I think I've made it!

I want to share my journey for those who are discouraged or frustrated, thinking that they will never get used to this "hosehead" way of life.

I've probably had sleep apnea for years and probably didn't know it. Constantly tired, no ambition to do anything, spending my Saturday's and Sunday's sleeping, etc. I'd always been able to get into the office for work between 8:00 am and 8:30 am, which I did because getting up early just killed me. I now work for a very demanding boss who wants me to be in at 7:00 am. Even though I knew I would get a talking to, sometimes I just couldn't do it and would roll in at 8:30 am. I would rather take her wrath rather than try to get in at the time she wanted me to be there.

I finally went to a sleep center and had a sleep study done. Found out I have very severe apnea - 52 episodes per hour. Then the journey began on Jan. 30, 2009.

If fortunate in that I have a very good DME. Since January I've been through 7 masks, trying to find the one that wouldn't leak, rub sores on my skin - all of the things that a wrong mask causes. Finally found the Mirage Micro. Fits perfect, no sores, no leaks.

But I had constant problems with rainout. Tried hose covers, changing the humidifier settings, changing the temp in the bedroom, closing the bedroom window, raising my CPAP higher, lowering it, etc., etc., etc. I felt like I had to be a scientist just to figure out how to set up the condition to prevent rainout.

Bought a heated Aussie hose - and BINGO!! everything came together! I sleep like a baby through the night, I don't wake up, don't have to adjust my mask, let the water run out of the hose, etc.

I know this therapy is working for me because I had to go a couple of nights without using my CPAP to let a couple sores heal up, and I felt like crap in the morning and all day.

The moral of my story is that persistence pays off. I went through a lot of experimentation to get it right. And when you get it right, it changes your life tremdously. I'm glad I hung in there when I wanted to quit.

[harry33]

glad to hear from you, yes helpful and sympathetic people are a big help, a very nice person originally fitted me with a mask that was good enough and I only needed that type for many years

BTW, I know that humidifiers are now all the fashion, but with my nose only mask, Ive never used one in 14 years or felt the need for one

[mipookiebear]

Thanks for the encouragement. It has only been 4 weeks. I have been looking for some hope. I'm glad to hear that there is light at the end of the tunnel.