Looking Good!

[Pagarc]

Hello everyone! I just finished my first week of CPAP therapy and wanted to thank everyone here for their support and advise. I found this forum the day I started my therapy and thanks to other users I’ve learned so much about OSA in just one week.

When, I found out that I needed CPAP therapy I was nervous, because I have to co-workers that have spouses with OSA and they didn’t like wearing a mask at night (who does?) and stopped using their cpap machines. One said in the middle of the night her husband grumbled something then took off the mask and threw it against the wall.

Last Tuesday, I myself had all the new “hose-head” worries, questions and concerns about falling asleep with something attached around my face (just like in Alien ) and blowing a small CAT. 5 hurricane down my nose. After getting over my initial claustrophobic fears, adjusting to the noise of the CPAP machine and weight of the mask and hose, I have to say that I do feel rested during the day, I haven’t taken an afternoon nap and go to sleep around 11:30pm instead of 8:30pm (it’s 1:10am as I type this). My co-workers tell me that I’m not so moody and that I generally look better.

One night before bed, I turned on my humidifier and while waiting for it to warm up I fell asleep. I woke up with a horrible headache and felt drowsy all day. I’d realized then the importance of being 100% compliant.

I’m using a Remstar Pro 2 with C-Flex set a 14cm, which is actually pretty quiet and I have gotten use to wearing my ComfortSelect mask. I can now put it on and fall asleep in a few moments. In another week or so, I’m sure it will be second nature. The funny thing is the sound of my breathing actually helps drown out ambient traffic noise and makes it easier to fall asleep. I found after 3 days I did not have to use the ramp feature anymore, to me it’s a lot easier to inhale/exhale at 9cm and higher.

The bottom line is this - if I can be healthier, feel better, do more, and be a more enjoyable person means being slightly uncomfortable for a few moments before I go to bed every night for the rest of my life, I say - BRING IT!

I hope my post will encourage other new cpap’ers, that might not be doing as well to hang in there, ask questions and inform yourself. Remember - that which might seem impossible now will be no problem in a few days.

If I can do it, so can you!

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap machine, humidifier, hose, C-FLEX, CPAP, Ramp

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap machine, humidifier, hose, C-FLEX, CPAP, Ramp

[Brent Hutto]

I've just finishing my first week, too. Actually last night was my eighth night with my APAP 7-12 prescription. I'd say I don't actually fell better but I don't feel as bad (if that makes any sense). By that I mean I've had no feeling of being energized and euphoric like some people report.

But I've only had a couple mornings of having to go back to bed after breakfast (that was about 3 out of 4 morning before CPAP) and there's only been one afternoon when I crash and just feel like I'm going to keel over between 3:00PM and dinner time. Plus I played 27 holes of golf this weekend and didn't feel like my legs were made of lead walking up the last fairway.

All in all it's pretty good stuff. And I've had a couple nights of absolute frustration with mask leaks. So far I've been compliant every night although I pretty consistently wake up around 5:00AM, take the mask off and go back to sleep for an hour or so without it (yes, I know that's a no-no). Average CPAP usage time is 7.5 hours and my average time from lights out to getting up is just about 8.6 hours.