Who do you wear it for?

[the_nap_ster]

Hi all,

In the spirit of support and encouragement (especially for people who are having a tough time), I thought it might be nice to have a thread dedicated to the people we love, the ones who motivate us to be our best and healthiest selves.

In the ideal world, the person at the top of this list would be ourselves, and doing what it takes to keep ourselves healthy would be enough motivation. But given the low compliance rate for people on XPAP, I think this is hard for people sometimes. But, our love and relationships with others can be a nice reminder to keep us going, even through the rough patches.

So share your stories! Who do you wear your XPAP for? Your significant other? Children/grandchildren? Parents? Close friends? Pets? Your bridge club? Whatever, lay it on us!

Here’s mine:

I wear my XPAP for my partner.

On Dec 1, 2011, I took him to the ER for what we thought was an asthma attack. He couldn’t breathe, and had been having trouble breathing for a while. We’d been to the doctors many times, and he kept being given more asthma medication. It didn’t work. When they took his temp in the ER, it was 103. It wasn’t asthma.

It turned out that he – an otherwise young, healthy, fit, athletic man – had endocarditis, an infection of the heart. He had a congenital heart defect no one had ever known about, and it made him vulnerable to this infection. The bacteria had eaten almost entirely through his aortic valve, chewing other holes here and there. His heart was failing.

On December 13th, he had emergency open-heart surgery to replace and/or repair the damage. The two of us lived in the hospital for the entire month of December.

I am faculty at the university our hospital is affiliated with. I work in the molecular bio department, and I am a bioethicist by trade. I joke that we bioethicists are the military police of science. We study science so we can stop it when it goes bad. I researched everything there is to know about maintaining cardiac health. I was going to keep him alive if it killed me.

And like a flashing neon sign, it stood out. OSA. The doctors had him on intensive medication to keep him from A-fib, and he’s snoring/stopping breathing CONSTANTLY while he’s asleep. NOT. OKAY.

I asked for them to wire him up for a sleep study while we were in the hospital, since I know the department that does it and we weren’t going anywhere. They refused, said they needed to focus on “more important” things. I ended up having to schedule one for after he was discharged.

What did they find? “Extremely severe” OSA. AHI: 62. O2 desat to 64%. And this was happening all night, every night.

Taxing his newly rebuilt heart could have killed him. And it was being taxed, EVERY NIGHT.

My partner is not a guy who was used to being sick, and after what had happening to him, he was not thrilled with having to wear even more tubes/wires/masks at home, especially when the doctors told him it was “no big deal.”

Between you and me, know what his real fear was? Having to wear something I’d find “weird” to bed every night.

So I made him a deal. I told him if he wore one, I’d wear one. And I got a sleep study of my own. Though I didn't snore, I was a light and crappy sleeper, so I figured it couldn't hurt. And I was diagnosed.

My OSA isn’t as severe, and I didn’t come anywhere near touching his O2 desat numbers. But I do have it. And there is no such thing as moderately bad levels of strangulation.

After two months on my XPAP, here’s what I’ve learned. I thought I was doing this *just* for him, to support him and keep him upbeat about wearing the hose. But I realized I had it all wrong. I am also doing this for me, to stay healthy so I can be there for him. And in him getting sick, he actually helped both of us get healthy.

I know this is long, congrats if you made it through! I’m feeling sentimental today. And I want to hear about your loved ones!

[BlackSpinner]

I started wearing it for me and my daughter. She was in college and having a hard time. I was having a hard time just surviving. I hoped to survive long enough to be there for her when she needed me in school. She is finished school now and I am doing much better.

Now I need it to keep my mother,father and sister out of a home. I am the housekeeper, cook, chauffeur, nurse and handyman for them. In my spare time (when the renos are finished) I will be an artist again. I have started working out so I won't have such a hard time lifting mom in and out of her wheelchair. I need to stay healthy for them.

[nanwilson]

I need to stay healthy for my kids and grand kids...I'm it, hubby passed away suddenly 8 years ago at age 62. I was the one with the health problems not him....but that is the way things work out. I want to be able to see them graduate, go to university and if possible, see them married and on their way to a successful life. I will do whatever it takes to keep healthy, I don't care how many meds I have to take or what I have to do to get there.......but I WILL!!!!!!!
Cheers ..and good health to all my friends
Nan

[Goofproof]

I wear mine for the Good People of the U.S.A., to help keep their medical Ins payments down, unlike Obama, my point in life isn't to spend as much of others money as I can, that'ds why I didn't marry his wife. Jim

[SleepingDVader]

Like many folks I do this as much for my better-half as myself. And actually, I think she's maybe getting more benefit out of this therapy than I am. I wake fairly often anyway due to shoulder or hip pain and have to change position. We've only been married 6 1/2 years now and I never would have gone for a sleep study if not for her. I knew I snored but had no idea how often I'd stop breathing. For the first 6 years of my marriage this sweet lady got very little sleep because she made it her job to nudge me whenever I'd stop breathing. When I found myself having to nap every single day after lunch and was still exhausted, I agreed to the sleep study and have really been thankful ever since. Over the last 4 months I've experienced for the first time waking up and my wife is still in bed beside me sleeping. Too cool

[Janknitz]

I put it on for my husband. I was snoring him out of bed every night. He tried to be so sweet about it. He was enjoying buying himself fleecy, footie pajamas so he wouldn't freeze to death on the couch, and every morning I'd get a funny story about how easy or difficult it was to convince the dog (who is NOT allowed on the couch) to move so my DH would have room to sleep. DH was having chronic back problems and he was really having a lot of trouble sleeping because of me, so for him I agreed to do it. I wouldn't let him in the bed the first night, but he's been back in our bed every night since.

I do it for my daughters, too. They deserve to have a healthy mother until they are "launched" on their own. And my youngest has a way to go yet, she's only 11 (the joys of being an "older mother").

Now I do it for me, too--I know I'm healthier and safer, and some day I want to hold my grandbabies in my arms.

[LaurieP]

I started a year ago and when I started I was doing it for myself but the benefit to my daughter has been huge. She said that my snoring was so bad that when I started on the machine and the house was now quiet at night she had a hard time falling asleep. I had two really scary events within a week of each other. I thought I was having a heart attack, couldn't catch my breath for the life of me. When I went to the doctor the EKG was abnormal that lead to a sleep study and here I am today

[PST]

I wear it for the pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers who have to share the streets and crosswalks with me when I'm behind the wheel.

[NightMonkey]

I was going to say only for myself because I am single (so far) but I like these ideas also:

I wear mine for the Good People of the U.S.A., to help keep their medical Ins payments down, unlike Obama, my point in life isn't to spend as much of others money as I can, that'ds why I didn't marry his wife. Jim

I wear it for the pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers who have to share the streets and crosswalks with me when I'm behind the wheel.

hahahaha

[jab1972]

At first, it was for my wife (so she can sleep without listening to me snore or worrying that I've stopped breathing) and my kids (who deserve a healthy father). After falling asleep for a couple hours on the couch without CPAP, I realized it was for me as well. I woke up feeling like utter and complete... well, you get the idea. The fact that I used to feel that way every morning is a scary thought.

[smurfyabs]

For my daughter. She just turned two and not only do I want to be around for her, I also do it to set a good example for her.

[LSAT]

I wear mine for the Good People of the U.S.A., to help keep their medical Ins payments down, unlike Obama, my point in life isn't to spend as much of others money as I can, that'ds why I didn't marry his wife. Jim

[zoocrewphoto]

I wear it for me, first. Others will benefit as I share hotel rooms with friends and family. My sister is thrilled. I showed her my snore index when I printed off my first report. She has complained the most, and would wake me up several times a night and yell at me to roll over. I would then be uncomfortable and unable to sleep.

But the straw that sent me to the sleep study was learning that sleep apnea causes high blood pressure. I knew I had sleep apnea, but I just thought it meant crappy sleep. I didn't realize the damage it was doing. And I do have high blood pressure that is not responding to medication. I had a scare last September, and I have been trying to get it fixed with no success.

I just started my apap a week ago. I had two good nights this past week, and both of the days after those nights had normal blood pressure rates. I have never seen my blood pressure below 130, yet I had readings in the 120s, and even a 117 and 104. Last night was a crappy night, and I was back up to 168 in the morning, and later, I had 136 and 153. So, if the pattern continues, my blood pressure should show really good improvement as I master my apap machine.

[Gerryk]

I wear it for myself, my family, co workers who count on me and the boys in the boy scout troop that I lead. I have a battery pack that I use for camping. I wouldn't be able to do any of the things I do without the cpap.

[diamethia]

I wear it for my family and all those around me. My husband has 6 mostly older kids and I have 10 and 12 yr old girls, so between us there are 8 children and now I have 7 grandchildren.

I want to be around to watch all of them grow up and have families of their own. And with 13, 12 and 10 yr old girls, I need all the sleep I can get to survive the massive horomone swings currently effecting my home.

I also work out of town two days a week and after waking up as I was drifiting under a semi one morning I decided, like GoofProof, that those strangers out on the road deserved to be safe from me.