The Fortunate few

[Sloop]

I've been on CPAP for 21 years. During all that time, there has not been one night where I missed - or had any difficulty whatsoever with the therapy.

My wife started her therapy two nights ago. Monday night was not good, as she had much difficulty with the two masks they left for her. As she wears dentures, removing them at night caused the issues. She only logged in 1 1/2 hours.

So yesterday, we contacted the Sleep lab and got the info on which mask they used during the study. It was the Respironcs ComfortGel Blue -- petite size. So I arranged with the DME to swap out the masks for this one - we went and picked it up. She used it last and it was perfect. She slept like a baby for 9 hours. Plus the S9 Elite machine is very nice and probably the quietest machine I've ever heard. I cannot put in words how thrilled she is with all of this, and I really don't think there'll be any issues going forward.

So I guess I should feel very fortunate that both of us, under one roof, have taken to this therapy like a duck to water, as I know from reading all the posts here that is not the typical outcome.

[Mary Z]

Sloop, glad to hear CPAP therapy is going well for both of you. Your wife is fortunate to have you to help things along. Many newcomers do not know they can exchange masks.
I've been fortunate also. Reading this an other forums, and having the rare excellent DME tech things have gone well for me, too.

[49er]

Good to hear from you again Sloop and I am so happy to hear of your wife's quick adjustment to cpap treatment. Amazing how the right mask makes all the difference.

Hopefully, her good fortune will continue.

49er

I've been on CPAP for 21 years. During all that time, there has not been one night where I missed - or had any difficulty whatsoever with the therapy.

My wife started her therapy two nights ago. Monday night was not good, as she had much difficulty with the two masks they left for her. As she wears dentures, removing them at night caused the issues. She only logged in 1 1/2 hours.

So yesterday, we contacted the Sleep lab and got the info on which mask they used during the study. It was the Respironcs ComfortGel Blue -- petite size. So I arranged with the DME to swap out the masks for this one - we went and picked it up. She used it last and it was perfect. She slept like a baby for 9 hours. Plus the S9 Elite machine is very nice and probably the quietest machine I've ever heard. I cannot put in words how thrilled she is with all of this, and I really don't think there'll be any issues going forward.

So I guess I should feel very fortunate that both of us, under one roof, have taken to this therapy like a duck to water, as I know from reading all the posts here that is not the typical outcome.

[cosmo]

I wonder if we are the few or the majority? You hear mostly about about the horror stories and lesser of success. But people are more likely to come on the web to vent frustrations...

But there are more success stories as of late so the tide is turning I have zero discomforts, its just something I wear at night. No biggie

[chunkyfrog]

Congratulations to everyone who has attained some level of sleep nirvana.
Many do it with no small amount of effort, expense, and frustration. For some it's a cakewalk;
for the rest it's a series of bumps in the road, surmounted by renewed application of whatever it takes.
If we are lucky, the bumps get farther and farther apart as time rolls on.
Even when the benefit is hard to quantify, it's worth it.

[jweeks]

She used it last and it was perfect. She slept like a baby for 9 hours.

Hi,

This is great to hear. It is also nice that the lab and your DME were so helpful and able to act so quickly.

-john-

[Sir NoddinOff]

Wonderful to hear success stories. Sounds like your vast background with CPAP was a great help in getting her therapy off to a nice beginning. Both of you, keep up the great work.

[49er]

I wonder if we are the few or the majority? You hear mostly about about the horror stories and lesser of success. But people are more likely to come on the web to vent frustrations...

But there are more success stories as of late so the tide is turning I have zero discomforts, its just something I wear at night. No biggie

Not to hijack Sloop's thread but what you are forgetting Cosmo is folks who have posted on this board to vent frustration have later become success stories. RobySue, who used to post on this board and contributed greatly with her knowledge, is a prime example with the insomnia wars.

Let's continue to welcome the horror stories so we can do our best to make them successes.

Anyway, back to congratulating the good fortune of Sloop's wife.

49er

[kaiasgram]

There's some serious magic under your roof, Sloop -- how do you feel about taking on a few more wives ?

But seriously, congrats to you both.

And 49er, you said it very well.

[Sloop]

Thanks all for your good wishes. I can't explain why I was so successful those 21 years ago. Perhaps it was because I was so sick with OSA. It had gotten so bad that I could barely function. I had to give up sailing for almost a year before they discovered what my problem was. This was back in the days when OSA was not commonly diagnosed. It took a really good physician to zero in on it. I can tell you this -- that first night on CPAP was like going to heaven. Within a short period of time, I embarked on a walking program that I have stayed true to. My first walk, I could only manage about a 100 yards. The next day, I did about 125 yards. I just kept increasing the distance each day. Within a couple of months, I was doing 4 miles a day. I have kept that up for all these years. Conservatively, I have walked approx 21,000 miles -- almost the circumference of the earth (25,000). I lost a ton of weight in the early years but gained it all back when my knees gave out on me, and I have undergone total knee replacements on both. When I did lose the weight, the OSA disappeared. But it came back with the weight -- but at least I still get my daily walks in. Life is good!