Howdy and thanks!

[notdecraw]

Hello, everybody. I've been diagnosed with a mix of OSA and CSA and have had my PRS1 for ten days. And since I am joining your community, I'll take a minute to tell my story and say thanks for being here.

For me, the sleep study was an amazingly miserable night, with all of the electrodes and cannulae and FFM and strange surroundings and on and on... But somehow they managed to get enough data to see some CSA hiding in there too. Doc says "gonna need a second night. Here's a couple of masks; wear 'em around the house; get used to them, just a few minutes at a time. They won't bite you. Then we'll do it again." He also lent me a CPAP set to 9cm H20 so I could get used to the odd sensations. So I took to wearing a mask while I watched baseball, and since I couldn't wear glasses along with the mask, I missed most of the pain of the Giants' latest meltdown. So that's a plus. But it was starting to sink in that mine was not to be an instant-success story.

The second night at the sleep clinic was, after all of that, anti-climactic. They woke me up to switch masks about 3:00 AM, then I dozed on and off until 6:00 when they kicked me out. I awoke without a headache or sore throat, though, which ALONE was enough to get me thinking that this process would be worth it.

The DME did a marvelous job of choosing and fitting a mask and letting me know she was there for me. After dealing with the sleep doc and the DME, my attitude was that the mask and BiPAP would take some getting used to, but I could make it work.

So every night I strap that thing on. Sometimes it's still there in the morning, sometimes it doesn't make it past 4:00. Sometimes I wake up with drymouth that dwarfs anything I ever had in the '60's, but that goes away quickly. Sometimes the dang thing leaks so badly I wake up with my ears ringing from the noise. (I'm at 16cm E / 12cm I.) I've had it (we call it "The Beast") for ten days, and each night seems just a little more normal, a little more natural. I don't notice a big difference during the day - yet - but I figure I am undoing many years of damage and it may take awhile.

Without the right attitude, I'd have blown this off weeks ago. Well, attitude and a survey of the stats surrounding the morbidity and mortality of sleep apnea. I finally get that this can kill you, and I am not yet ready to check out of the hotel. So we are going to make this work.

Anyway, I think I'm done talking about myself for the moment, and will get to the point: Every time I log in here, I see that I'm not alone, and I want to thank everybody who is part of this community. It's a great feeling to be involved, and I look forward to being involved for a good long time.

Cheers!

David

[fireman38355]

Hello and WELCOME!

I will hopefully begin my therapy tomorrow night. I have been on this forum since the day I got my diagnosis. ( last Thursday) I am SO looking forward to beginning my new journey. I have felt so bad, for so long, that I just can't wait to see what this will do for me.

It brings me alot of peace knowing that I am not alone in this and that when I have those bad nights (and I am sure I will) that I have people that have "been there" and can understand exactly what I am going through.

Welcome to the forum. I hate it for you that you have to be here, but I wish you the best with your therapy and hope that this is an easy process that brings you new life and good health.

Jeff D.

[mcdad]

Good luck with it. I've been using mine for over a month and its been great.

[DoriC]

Welcome, you've come to the right place. Read all you can and ask lots of questions. You've all got the right attitude for success. Knowledge is power. Keep us posted!

[Janknitz]

Hey David,

Welcome--as Dori says, attitude is key and you have a good perspective on things.

I live in Santa Rosa and I'm curious who your DME is. Do tell.

[notdecraw]

Hey David,

Welcome--as Dori says, attitude is key and you have a good perspective on things.

I live in Santa Rosa and I'm curious who your DME is. Do tell.

Thanks, everyone, for the welcome.

Janknitz, I also live in Santa Rosa. (sorry i missed the meetup last weekend.) I got my gear through Apria. Sleep study was at NBSMI on College.

-David