First Night

kg2v · Post by **kg2v** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:21 am

Last night, after getting home LATE from work, I found a nice big box from my DME

After then cooking dinner (yep, I'm a man who cooks for his family) and then doing evening chores, I finally got to bed with my machine (around 10:30 or so - maybe 11:00) - now this is LATE for me, as I get up for work at 4:40am on a "normal" day (and If I have to be in for the "early" shift, it can be 2:30am!!)

Anyway, I found the mask and machine basically comfortable - I did wake up at around 2:00am for a "call of nature" and had some problems falling back asleep - I felt too rested - I just was NOT tired!! So I stayed up and did a little reading for a bit. Eventually I did come back to bed, and get another hour or so of sleep

The machine says I got 4.7 hours of compliance in, so I won't complain - I feel fairly good today - I was still a bit tired in the AM (I expected that - heck, it's only one night), but I have NOT been falling asleep at my desk, and feel MUCH MUCH more rested than I have in the past

Only complaint is I could have used slightly more humidity than I did - so I changed the setting this AM from 1 to 2 - BTW the machine is set for 10cm, and I did NOT use the ramp feature - I find the mask uncomfortable with low/no pressure, but it feels fine with 10cm

-73 de KG2V
Charlie

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:43 am

Charlie, often the ramp is set to start at 4cm which is far too low, IMO. Many people complain of feeling choked for air at those low pressures. If you can, reset the ramp to start at 6 if you feel like you need it.

But, if you can do without the ramp feature, so much the better.

And of course you feel tired: you are 3 hours short of a full night's sleep, ignoring any sleep debt you are carrying. A normal (non-apneic) person who is well rested would feel tired with only 4.7 hours of sleep!

The good news is that you're not a total zombie today, so it must be working. .

Snoozie · Post by **Snoozie** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 10:09 am

Funny, I feel just the opposite. If I don't use my ramp, I have trouble exhaling until I get used to it. I usually lay in bed and watch TV while it is ramping and then when it reaches full pressure, I go to sleep - if I last that long. However, if I wake up at night, the full pressure is just fine, although I have a low pressure of 6 anyway. During my titration, I had respiratory problems at a higher number, so maybe that is why I don't have problems at the lower numbers.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 10:42 am

GO CHARLIE!!!!

FJC · Post by **FJC** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 11:43 am

Congrats on the first night - sounds like you have a good positive attitude, which makes a huge difference in my very short experience. I've only been on CPAP for about 10 days now. It seems my good nights are when I have a positive attitude, and the couple of bad nights I've had have all been nights where I was just too frustrated or irritable to put up with CPAP.

Keep at it, you have a good start!

kg2v · Post by **kg2v** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 11:58 am

So far, the most amazing thing about today is - no post lunch crash, where I have to FIGHT to stay awake - I just AM - it's wild. I have not felt like this in oh, 8-10 YEARS

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:54 pm

kg2v wrote:So far, the most amazing thing about today is - no post lunch crash, where I have to FIGHT to stay awake - I just AM - it's wild. I have not felt like this in oh, 8-10 YEARS

Yeah, isn't that a great feeling?

Not long after I started treatment I had to work late, really late, one night. I got in bed at 1:30am then up again at 5:30 with my son, then back into the office for shortly after 7am where I had to get some important, detailed, complicated work finished. Sure, I was tired, but my head was clear and I was able to draw on reserves that I though had disappeared years ago (must have restored them) to get my work done and make it through the day.

It truly is the greatest feeling when you get that breakthrough and know that it is possible to reverse what has been happening to you for years .

kg2v · Post by **kg2v** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 3:45 am

2nd night

Went about like the first, but got to bed earlier - got about 5.5 hours on the machine, and a small amount off (30 minute "nap")

Do NOT feel as dramatically rested this AM as I did yesterday.

Oh well, tonight is another night

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 6:17 am

kg2v wrote:2nd night

Went about like the first, but got to bed earlier - got about 5.5 hours on the machine, and a small amount off (30 minute "nap")

Do NOT feel as dramatically rested this AM as I did yesterday.

Oh well, tonight is another night

dk2v,

It may not be that you don't feel that "drastically" rested this morning, but it is not such a marked difference as what you felt from not being on therapy to the first night. You are probably now subtely going to notice things as they occur. Keep an eye out for the lessening of any fatigue or the need to nap disappearing. Those two were clues for me that things were really improving. Glad it's going so well for you.

kg2v · Post by **kg2v** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 8:04 am

Sleepless on LI wrote:...snip...
dk2v .snip...

Hey, I didn't know I moved to Germany......

(meant as a joke) - My ID here is my ham radio call sign - K calls are from the US (along with W, N and MOST A) DK = Germany

BTW the "73 de KG2V" in my sig means "Best Wishes from KG2V"