CPAP Newbie - Hello!

[Bets]

Hello, All! I've been reading here for a while today - what great infomation! How I wish I had read here BEFORE getting my machine almost 3 weeks ago - I would never have accepted the sleepeasy had I been more informed! I'll be making calls on Monday to see what can be done to get me a better machine. I'm still working through mask issues - was having lots of eye leaks but my RT helped me with that and the last few nights were much better.

Here's my story. I'm 47 years old and had been complaining to my internist for the last couple of years about my snoring and suspected apnea. He continually told me that my issues would resolve if I lost weight (I'm about 60 pounds overweight). This year at my physical I again brought up the snoring and suspected apnea and the added concern of increasing fatigue that had begun to really impact my daily activities. He wrote the order for the sleep study which I had in late November. I've requested the full report but haven't gotten it yet. The results reported to me by phone suggested moderate - severe apnea. It was a split study and in the first 3 hours I slept for only 90 minutes and had 54 apneas or hypopneas (I think it was about 40 apneas and 14 hypopneas - I don't have my notes here; this is from memory). The second half of the night, they tried me at pressures of 6, 7, and 8 - I was at 8 for 75 minutes of which I slept for 71 and had only 1 apnea and no snoring.

I got my machine on December 22nd - was brought one machine and one mask and didn't even realize that there were other options. In the 3 weeks since, I've had 2 fabulous night's sleep - where I woke up rested, didn't hit the snooze button at all, and didn't yawn all day. I was told my color even looked better those days. The rest of the time has been more challenging - I had a couple of pity party nights where I felt sorry for myself and threw the mask across the room - and many nights where things start out ok and then I wake up to a leak that I can't fix fast enough and give up. I know that I can find the right equipment and set-up, and the beauty of those 2 great nights helps me stay motivated to stick with it. Having all of you here helps too!

Bets

[birdshell]

Aww, shucks! We are good, but are we really THAT good?

Wait a second, we probably ARE!!!

Kidding aside, welcome to the forum, Bets. I know that I speak for many others when I say we have had some of your experiences ourselves. Of course, we cannot say that any of us has exactly duplicated your entire experience.

I have a few thoughts about your posting:

1. If you had a split study, then you were considered pretty seriously impaired by sleep disordered breathing. Sleep labs seem to like to bring back most of us for a second night (of titration).

2. The major manufacturers, working with DME providers, all have a 30-day return policy on masks. I think that starts over with each mask(?) So, even trying a few is useful.

I returned mine, a Swift (yeppers, the original). I then got to try: ADAM Circuit (precursor of the Breeze), ComfortLite, and then my ComfortLite 2 arrived. THAT whole experience was a wonderful introduction to masks.

3. You are determined to make this work, aren't you? Good on you, because that is a major part of the battle. IMHO, there are enough products out there that, with the help you may find here (the best forum on the web, ahem...again, IMHO), you should be able to get a working system. Then, the real fun begins as we all start to tweak our systems to get even BETTER results...and it never seems to end.

4. Although I never really *think* I threw a pity party, you certainly are within your rights to do so. It is good to throw your mask and get rid of the anger. (Umm, that did get rid of it, I hope?)

5. Thank you very much for lurking and checking things out. It means a lot to us that you found us so intriguing. SOME of us have those BIG egos, y'know? (I'm not going to mention any names. YOU know who you are, or at least, you SHOULD know.)

6. Take a minute to click the link for the User Control panel (above, on the left). Then, go to the Profile Tab, and the left column option of Edit Equipment. If you would be so kind, it helps us more to see the text names of your equipment than pictures...and you can easily change them, so do not be shy.

I am really sorry about your doctor being a slow study on the CPAP front. Your improved sleep will hopefully help you with weight loss as ghrelin and leptin are produced. And, you were right! So I'm guessing that your doctor is now a believer and might be sending anyone who complains of fatigue and/or snoring for a sleep study.

Welcome again, and keep us up to date on your changes and choices. It is always nice to see things from the point of view of one coming into the CPAP user's world and looking through the "menu" of new and improved choices. Some of us have slowly added the improvements and have forgotten that the options have increased--and changed--as much as they have.

Karen,
Who is betting on Bets

[beachgurl_1988]

HURRAY TO YOU FOR BEING SO DETERMINED AND STICKING WITH IT!!!
(I knew you were gutsy and determined b/c you kept bringing it up with your doctor!

[GumbyCT]

What Birdshell meant was Welcome to the BEST forum on the planet

oh btw make sure you are logged in - go up to top left side of page
select Control Panel
Profile tab
Edit equipment
change How would you like your equipment displayed from Image to Text
Select Submit
All those pictures look alike

Double check to be sure it matches exactly what is written across the top of your machine and you select the correct equipment and mask. The make & model of the mask are on a tag on the back of the Headgear and in the included brochures.
Indicating your pressure is also useful.

Welcome,
GumbyCT

[Gerryk]

Welcome aboard Bets,
You will find like I did that if you have a question this is the place to ask it. At first the Doc I saw when I had my first sleep study done said I can't have sleep apnea because I am only slightly over weight. I was 170 pounds and 6' I am was not really overweight but anyone who is as skinny as a bean pole told me I was. Anyway, it doesn't matter sleep apnea is sleep apnea and it needs to be treated. If you get treated for it and lose weight and the sleep apnea goes away you are that much better off. Get it treated now even if you will be losing weight in the future, don't put it off.

[rested gal]

Hi Bets, welcome to the board!

Here's a link that you might want to stick somewhere for rainy day reading -- lots of stuff!

ALL LINKS by rested gal
viewtopic.php?t=17435

Sounds like you have the determination and smarts to make "cpap" therapy work for you. Takes some tweaking and finding the right mask. You'll get there!

[Bets]

Hi again, everyone! Thanks so much for the warm welcome - I appreciate all of the replies.

I have changed the settings for how my equipment is displayed - I am now seeing it as text and not images - please let me know if images are still showing.

Someone mentioned that the split night study indicated a pretty significant problem - I wanted to clarify that the reason I had a split study was that it is the only kind my insurance pays for!! Crazy, isn't it?

I'm off for more reading now. Thanks again!

Bets

[RipVW]

Hello & Welcome, Bets! Glad you found this forum--SO much useful info and SO many helpful people here!

Took me a year of ineffective CPAP before I found cpaptalk.com. Glad you found it during your first three weeks! Good luck!

"You are getting sleepy . . ."