Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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RocketGirl
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My one-month anniversary

Post by RocketGirl » Tue Nov 22, 2011 6:35 pm

In late September, I went for my first sleep study.

I have struggled with daytime sleepiness for decades, but in recent years (probably due to a really damaged neck) it's gotten much worse, culminating in days when I had to leave work because the urge to go unconscious was too strong to fight anymore. On one such day I had a scary "almost fell asleep at the wheel" event. Using that event as ammunition, I finally convinced my GP to order the sleep study that I needed. Results: AHI was 21, RDI was 25, multiple desaturations as low as 74%, and I never got to Stage 4 or REM at all.

Went back for the titration, and ten days later, I picked up my new best friend.

I carried it with me on a huge overseas business trip, used it faithfully, and yesterday I took the little smart card in for my follow-up appointment. Results: AHI was 1 (!) and all the other parameters looked great too. The sleep doctor was grinning ear to ear.

I'm now one month into treatment, which qualifies me as a complete Noob at this, but I do feel and see the difference. I get through most days without that horrible passing-out feeling, and I have a bit more energy. (And I managed a trip that involved two 36-hour travel days without completely collapsing.)

I don't know how long it takes to repair all of the accumulated sleep debt. It has to be a lot. I do notice that my body and mind both want way more hours of sleep than I expected - I can easily sleep deeply now for 10 to 12 hours, if I don't set the alarm. (I didn't pick up on that at first, but realized it when my sleep doctor pointed out the days when I slept solidly for that long, and I realized they were alarmless, weekend days.) So I'm lengthening my time in bed for a while, to let my systems recover.

I figure that giving up some evening reading time for a while is a fair exchange, if I end up caught up on sleep for the first time in three decades.

lizzybeth
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by lizzybeth » Sat Dec 10, 2011 10:27 am

I'd been sleeping very poorly for a few years - snoring, waking up un-rested, had no energy whatsoever, wanted to nap all the time. Went for a check up with my Nurse Practitioner and she set up a sleep study for me. At the first study, I didn't met the insurance co's standards for titration (only by 2 episodes), so when I went & got the results, the doc said "Oh yeah, severe apnea...they're (ins co) gonna cover the study with titration!"

Got set up with my equipment in the middle of this past November. Woke up the first morning feeling almost like a different person. And it just keeps getting better! I have more energy throughout the day, the grumpies have disappeared, YAHOO! I average about 6.5 - 7 hrs of sleep a night, up from about 4 - 5. I've had a couple of little set-backs, skin under my nose got really irritated cuz I adjusted my mask too tight & got the hose wrapped around my arm one night. But those things are so minor compared to the benefits I am reaping from my Cpap!

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Forgot

Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by Forgot » Sun Dec 11, 2011 1:08 pm

After two weeks, I made myself use the machine. (threw it off every night for the first two weeks!). My compliance went from 50% the first month to 98% the second. I'm now at 4 months and love my cpap. It is supportive of my breathing and makes me feel comfortable as I sleep. I put it on while I watch tv in bed or read.

Unsuspected Severe OSA

Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by Unsuspected Severe OSA » Fri Dec 16, 2011 9:41 pm

I am a newbie with a success story. Sleep apnea was first suspected, only when my husband noted my snoring and nocturia incidentally during his apnea apt. So I requested my doctor order a sleep study. My doctor discounted the notion, reluctantly ordering a home study which was "basically normal" summary even though the oxygen sats decreased to 83 in the report. At my husband's urging, I pursued having the full overnight study. The study revealed severe sleep apnea, AHI-48.6, desats to 65 such that the doctor was called and I was awakened to start CPAP. So I've been on CPAP for the past three months. Sleep=mask up. No more headaches or double socks for cold feet. Now my AHI averages 0.4 alternating between the Swift nasal pillow and the Mirage nasal mask. Dramatic outcome. The forum has provided the advise for all the CPAP irritations (lanolin, pillow sizing, DMEs, etc...) and support.

cpworld

Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by cpworld » Thu Dec 22, 2011 6:42 am

I just came home from a thee night sleep study with a CPAP. This will be my third night on it and am still waiting to feel less tired.

Mitzu
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Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:23 pm

Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by Mitzu » Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:46 pm

tired, exhausted and fatigued no more!! WOW started this process in August with an at home apnea link, got a overnight study in September, had another with cpap was prescribed for machine and picked up December 1st, used first night and it was unbelievable how good I felt the next morning and have ever since! I did not believe my husband when he said I was snoring for the last year or so I always thought it was him waking me up, then the snoring started getting so bad I could hear myself snoring. couple of issues with settings, asked to have it changed from set number to auto tritrating since after two weeks or so I was snoring with the mask on and woke myself up. I would have only know to do this from reading all the posts on here...Thank you so much for the education because I sure am not getting a whole lot of information from the so called professionals out there, regarding machines, and all of their features. Will keep up to date on here, just watched the video on the Resmed to learn all its features.

PS how do you get the info on your machine to show up on the bottom of posts?

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Titrator
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by Titrator » Sat Dec 24, 2011 4:51 pm

Greetings Mitzi,

In CPAP therapy, I would consider myself a success story. I am just like thousands of people who use this therapy in the world. It works for me better than anything else I have tried. I owe my life and career to being diagnosed and treatment of OSA.

Instead of typing my long story, I will post a link to an interview that I did while working for the board sponsor, CPAP.com. I do not work there now, but I still have the same level of advocacy that I did when I started this message board. Yes, I said started this message board. I didn't do it alone. There way myself, Johnny Goodman, Adam Robison, Theo Chow, and others that helped. But, the reason I was hired by the Goodman's was specifically to start this forum and provide sales and patient support. My first post was August 23, 2004. That was the beginning of what has become the most successful sleep apnea patient forum in the world. I have very fond memories of this board and working for the Goodman family. They are good folks, who really care about people. Though I am not part of the organization, I still feel a very strong affection to this site and to their family. I am now back working in a sleep lab and running a custom guitar company called ModShop Guitars. I love both.

Here is my story.

https://www.cpap.com/DisplayNewsletter/ ... light.html

God Bless,

Titrator

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MiracleSue
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by MiracleSue » Mon Dec 26, 2011 11:13 am

I just started using CPAP in July 2011. I didn't feel dramatic results immediately, but now after 6 months of use I am feeling great. I'm not sure how much of it has to do with the CPAP and how much has to do with my hip revision (I was one of the lucky ones to get a hip replacement that was recalled). I actually look forward to going to sleep now, I used to be afraid that I would die in my sleep...

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pablo marques

Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by pablo marques » Sat Dec 31, 2011 10:00 pm

I've had headaches most days of my adult life, and remember as a child being told by my mother that I couldn't have a headache because children don't get headaches. I've also had trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep for as long as I can recall. A few years my wife [who has insomnia] told me that I stop breathing when I sleep.

Finally, my neurologist sent me for a sleep study. 14 episodes of apnea per hour. I tried diet changes and a new pillow, without success. Finally a colleague told me her husband used a cpap, and it changed his life, so I gave in to getting a machine. I went for the titration and fell don't remember being awake more than minutes after the lights were out, woke once to go to the bathroom, and was sound asleep when they woke me 7.5 hours later. I woke up dead tired, and drove the 30 minutes home in a daze. Mostly i was amazed at how quiet the machine is - almost like white noise, instead of the horror stories I'd heard from spouses of users in years past.

By 7:00 I was wide awake, no headache, and sailed through the day. Same the next, and the next for about a week until I caught a cold and tries sleeping one night without the mask because the congestion was too uncomfortable. Woke in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, and felt lousy the next day. Since, cpap every night. I sleep in much later now - instead of being awake at 6:00 and getting up because i can't sleep, but still to tired to really wake up, I usually awake fully rested at 7:00.

Although it's only been 20 days, I feel my life has changed. No headaches, plenty of energy, and the only trouble I've had sleeping was last night - I'd gone out for coffee in the afternoon with a friend - when he took our cups to get refills I forgot to tell him decaf - won't make that mistake again.

I look forward to putting on the machine and mask every night, now. I'm trying to push my wife into going for a study.

ResMed S9, with humidifier
Mirage FX nasal mask

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tmcb1125
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by tmcb1125 » Mon Jan 02, 2012 6:36 pm

Just joined the forum and have been using my CPAP for three nights now. I feel much better all around. I have adjusted to the mask and have been able to sleep all night. So far so good. I have enjoyed reading all the success stories and I have learned a great deal from this forum already. Thank You All!

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phyless

Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by phyless » Tue Jan 03, 2012 2:00 pm

Hi, I'm a newbie to C pap and joining in this experience was never on my bucket list of things I wanted to do in life. I am however, very thankful and feel particularly fortunate as I could see a difference after just a few days. I got the machine 10/18/11 and the only issue I have is the thing "spitting" sometimes. The first week wasn't great since I wasn't sure what I was doing and was restless getting used to breathing with it. My hubby however could sleep since he didn't wake up constantly to make sure I was breathing. It took about a week to relax with the breathing and figure out which nose pillow was the better fit. But since then, acid reflux has improved, bp has already lowered, I don't need naps at all (I used to nap daily sometime twice), I have energy to get up and get going and KEEP going. I seem to be dropping a little weight and hope that will increase as I focus on it more. At the 2 week check, my rates went from not breathing 34 times an hour to 2 times an hour. I think that's huge. I still have aches and pains but am beginning to feel like my former self, so for me it's obvious how much it helps and that certainly is motivation to use it every night. I think it would have been more challenging to "get on board" if the evidence was more subtle. But then, it's like bp meds....I can't see any difference or feel any difference, but when I use them and have my pressures taken, they are better meaning I should live healthier, therefore, I would take them. I'm just very thankful and thrilled that it's been such a good experience for me.

jr906
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Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2012 9:16 am

Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by jr906 » Wed Jan 04, 2012 9:41 am

phyless wrote: I'm just very thankful and thrilled that it's been such a good experience for me.

I'm right there with you, phyless....

I have read many posts by those who have had a very hard time with this adjustment. Honestly, it just makes me feel like the luckiest guy in the world. My wonderful wife has been nothing but understanding and encouraging through the entire process. After suffering for years with no energy and feeling much older than my 61 years, I was delighted to find that the cause was something as simple as severe sleep apnea. After my diagnosis, I couldn't wait to get my machine. After only about a week of having it, I felt like a new man. I feel like I am suddenly 20 years younger. I have no problems openly discussing this with friends or collegues. And a great side benefit is that my wife loves my new found energy too...

luckydude
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by luckydude » Thu Jan 19, 2012 10:06 pm

phyless - you may have your humidity a tad high... thats what happens to me when I turn it up.
My story...
I used to sleep all night, and have to drive an hour to get to work. Along the way, in the morning, I would have to stop, sometimes twice ON THE WAY to work, and then twice on the way home, because I was falling asleep at the wheel. It was so bad, that the doc put me on cpap immediately THEN ordered the sleep study. I have no doubt this machine saved my life, and maybe the lives of some others I would have wrecked into had I fallen asleep at the wheel. No telling what heart issues would have developed over time as well. Its a love/hate thing.... I love what it does, but normally dont like wearing it... However, I do call it "MY POWER SLEEPER" now, as soon as I put it on I am out. But honestly, sometimes still during the night, the hose and I still have a tussle.
Live life completely, let happy things make you happy and sad things make you sad, but be present in life! OH and one more little thing, CPAP saved my life, NO DOUBT. Two naps on the way to work every day after a full nights sleep is a symptom isn't it?

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Alienart
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by Alienart » Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:57 am

It's too soon for a full blown success story, but here's a minor one.

After waiting and waiting for my device to come in (and wondering why it took so long) I had my first experience using it at home last night. I slept soundly as far as I know all night, and woke up refreshed and nearly perky of my own accord at 6:30 am. 6:30 on a Saturday?! That just doesn't happen. Maybe it's an elaborate placebo effect, but I don't think so.

I'm already looking forward to other lifestyle changes. I've got a treadmill I want to move down into a den, and hook up a TV and DVD player up in front of it with headphones so I can hear over the treadmill noise. Watching movies while working up a sweat I noticed will keep me exercising longer. My doctor had said he doubted I could lose weight until the sleep apnea is treated because we tend to cram food in trying to self medicate. Naturally I was discouraged and stopped trying to use the treadmill, but now I don't have that excuse.

I'm also hoping to get my illustration career going again and not just get up, drag myself to the day job, come home and crash immediately wherever I plop myself.

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teknomom
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Re: Newbie would like to hear success stories, please.

Post by teknomom » Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:30 pm

Hi! To be brief: I have worn my nasal pillows all night every night for over a month now despite the far ranging pressures of my ASV. And for the most part I was comfortable and slept better than I have for quite a while. I'm still making minor adjustments with humidity but I consider myself a success story! Good Luck to all new users!!

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Mask: Swift™ FX For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: EPAP 5-15, PS 0-20, Auto BPM, BiFlex 2. SleepyHead software on a Mac, CMS50E Pulse Oximeter, Zeo
My new machine is called Maria,
because: "They Call the Wind Maria"
from the musical "Paint Your Wagon"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG4rxHgq ... re=related
PS: I love my "Wind", Maria