DENVER forum meetup: Saturday January 21, 10am

[Starlette]

I am very, very glad we met today. We brought a lot of things to the table today: We shared our frustrations, our victories and gave each other ideas to try before the next meeting in January. It was an awesome meeting!

I’ll let Ameriken promote our meeting for next month. I just have one thing to add for our group: As you know I have it scheduled for the back area for 1/21/12 @ 10am. She doesn’t have the new 2012 schedule out yet. So after the new year, I’ll kindly remind Perkins about our scheduled meeting to ensure they have it scheduled, then I’ll post on the forum to confirm.

Starlette

[jnk]

. . . things . . . frustrations . . . victories . . . ideas . . .

If you find the time, any details from the meeting would be appreciated.

No pressure. Just interested.

[ameriken]

.

Thanks for getting this going Starlette! Here's the details for anyone who would like to join us.

When: Saturday January 21 10AM

Where: LOCATION: Perkins Restaurant 8691 Sheridan Blvd. It's at the stoplight one block south of 88th Ave. If you're coming from the Boulder Tpke (Hwy 36), get off at Sheridan and head south about 1/2 mile.

Anyone and everyone is invited and there are no requirements to join. If you're new to sleep apnea, a forum member or guest, a veteran cpapper, or a spouse or partner of someone with sleep apnea, come and join us. We're a relaxed, casual group of sleep apneans who meet once a month to share our problems, concerns, ideas, support, and solutions with each other.

The only thing we ask, is if you plan to attend, please let us know in this thread so we can notify Perkins on the Friday night prior so they can make the appropriate arrangements.


Map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=8691+sher ... CBsQ8gEwAA

[carbonman]

Just interested.

We started w/a kind of round table, how have you been doing.
We talked about how some of the things that we talked about
last mth. worked throughout this mth.

ameriken/teknomom are teaching Starlette and me about ASV.
We heard about the teknomom's first nights w/her ASV.

We had a very good discussion concerning how important the
psychology of cpap is. Beyond the mechanics of blowing air
up your nose, the struggle to overcome the psychological
effects cpap presents, maybe the greatest challenge of all.

I, personally, reiterated my belief that cpap is the
grandest of adventures. It gives us a chance to experience
and learn so much about ourselves and how we are connected
to the world around us. It provides us an avenue to make that
scary journey into the darkness or enlightenment
of personal introspection.

I went looking for this kind of cpap experience at AWAKE meetings,
sleep ctr. vendor fairs, sleep ctr. support meetings and
was sorely disappointed. So, as w/all things in life, a positive attitude,
patience and perseverance, the message will be delivered.

I am very, very glad we met today.
It was an awesome meeting!
Starlette

Well said!
See you all next year.

[carbonman]

....oh, and for Starlette.....

no brag...well maybe a little....just fact....

when you get a ffm dialed in......well.....

'nough said.

[jnk]

Thanks, Carbonman.

I don't know much about ASV at all.

I recently switched my nasal pillows from medium to large (for my LT) to get rid of an occasional nose-whistle noise that was starting to bother my wife. I found I had to turn up the pressure a touch to maintain my numbers with the large. Odd to me that the size of the pillows would make that much difference, but it does for me. I think that the medium pillows gave me some breathe-out resistance somehow that the large pillows don't.

I've never quite got a full-face mask dialed in, myself. I only keep one available for if I can't use my nasal pillows for some reason, like a super-bad cold. Hasn't happened in a while.

Your attitude about the psychology of CPAP is well worth hearing on a regular basis, I think.

I haven't been to an A.W.A.K.E. meeting in a good while.

Wish Denver wasn't such a long drive from here.

Thanks for doing your thing, Carbonman.

And thanks, Denver group, for posting about your meetups. It's good to hear they are happening. Now it's MY turn to be jealous!

[Starlette]

@ Carbonman - OK, I'm looking for the events in your data and I don't see a thing. Oh , I believe that's the point right? *chuckles*
Yes, after today's discussion, my data will soon be looking just as jazzy as yours. It'll be just a matter of time. Then I'll be able to post my jazzy data! Swear to you Carbonman, I'll never look at a chainsaw the same way again, I'll NEVER forget. Thanks for the analogy

One additional point I forgot to make mention of today, I am practicing better sleep hygiene also by going to bed earlier. The goal is to start getting ready by 9:30pm at the latest I'm working on that.

Starlette

[ameriken]

We started w/a kind of round table, how have you been doing.
We talked about how some of the things that we talked about
last mth. worked throughout this mth.

ameriken/teknomom are teaching Starlette and me about ASV.
We heard about the teknomom's first nights w/her ASV.

We had a very good discussion concerning how important the
psychology of cpap is. Beyond the mechanics of blowing air
up your nose, the struggle to overcome the psychological
effects cpap presents, maybe the greatest challenge of all.

I, personally, reiterated my belief that cpap is the
grandest of adventures. It gives us a chance to experience
and learn so much about ourselves and how we are connected
to the world around us. It provides us an avenue to make that
scary journey into the darkness or enlightenment
of personal introspection.

I went looking for this kind of cpap experience at AWAKE meetings,
sleep ctr. vendor fairs, sleep ctr. support meetings and
was sorely disappointed. So, as w/all things in life, a positive attitude,
patience and perseverance, the message will be delivered.

Great recap carbonman. It's exciting to hear when others are benefitting from these meetings in a practical take-it-to-bed-with-you-tonite kind of way. Personally, any discussion about the psychology of cpap is of interest to me. I enjoyed last month and this month hearing about Barry Krakow's book "Sound Sleep, Sound Mind" and how we can easily sabotage our own sleep, and the psychology behind getting good sleep.

Being on a forum like cpaptalk.com is absolutely essential to our cpap therapy, however meeting other people like this in a small group face-to-face setting takes it to a new level.

And on that note, I would highly encourage folks in other cities and locales to start you own meetings. It's not a lot of effort...find a restaurant like Village Inn or Perkins, and if you can gather a minimal core group of 3 or 4 people that are committed to getting together once a month, that's all you need. Just make sure you promote it and keep bumping the thread so that members and guests get to see it and see it often.

For you folks that may have to drive a bit to the Denver meeting, I know it may be quite a bit of a drive, however I can assure you that once you get here, you'll be glad you made it.

I look forward to seeing everyone again next month!



Edit: typo correction

[teknomom]

Kim and I love the meetings in Denver! It's a chance to talk with like-minded people, share experiences, ask questions, really get a look at the data that other people get each night and have a good brunch! Sometimes threads on the forum take a turn that answers some questions but leaves others up in the air. A face to face meeting lets us have a real conversation about issues. I hope people in other areas can arrange to meet also. It's just FUN!

[Starlette]

I love the fact that we've become a cohesive group!
hehe, I remember that term from group dynamics in college

Starlette

[ameriken]

I'm really happy to hear good things about our meetings, and I'm glad to be a part of them. You all make it worth while!

If you are outside of Denver and live in the mountains or the plains and travel to Denver on occasion for shopping, family, doctor visits or whatever reason, if you'd like to join us perhaps you can plan your trip around the meeting. The Perkins is easily accessible from I-70, I-25, I-76, Hwy 287 and Hwy 36 (Boulder Tpke). Our meeting generally lasts a little over 90 minutes so you can plan from 10am to 1130 or so.

If you're a cpapper, or live with a cpapper, or if you think you may have sleep apnea (symptoms of fatigue, daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, memory and other cognitive problems, etc) and want to talk to others who are living with it, this meeting is for you.

Starlette always informs Perkins the night before the meeting as to how many will be there, so please let us know in this thread here if you plan on attending! We really hope to see you.

[ameriken]

Happy New Year everyone!

3 more weeks till our meeting

[dilawhart]

Hello: I've never heard of this -- how useful! I wonder how word gets around about the meetings? Anyway, I'll be there on Jan. 21. Thanks, Diane

[Starlette]

Happy New Year to my Denver cpap friends!
Cheers to us! May we have many, many more restful/restorative/deep sleep in 2012
Lookin forward to seeing you all on the 17th, yay!

Sarlette

[ameriken]

Hello: I've never heard of this -- how useful! I wonder how word gets around about the meetings? Anyway, I'll be there on Jan. 21. Thanks, Diane

We just started this in September, and it is only promoted here on cpaptalk.com or via word of mouth. I try to bump the thread every so often to keep it on the front page of the forum. Outside of that, if you know anyone else who would like to come with you, bring them along. We're open, friendly, there's no signup, no fees, etc. Just a great group of cpappers (and sometimes the partners of cpappers) who get together each month to help each other out.

I'm excited to hear you'll be there, you'll really enjoy it.

Have a Happy New Year and see you on the 21st....