Update on last night's sleep study!

[MrSleepy]

It's 1:30 pm. I had to stay home a little today before going to work so I could get some good quality (but crappy) sleep.


Sorry this is very long but here was my experience from last night.

At first the Tech was trying to muster over some issues that I had brought to her attention. She was telling me how they are going to use the CPAP machine and I was explaining to her my breathing problems with the CPAP so my doctor actually wanted this split night done on a Bi-PAP. Then she said well we can use the CPAP with CFLEX and instead of arguing I said ok.

Then it was time for another tech to come in and fit me with a mask. . . . My prayers were answered (kind a) he has sleep Apnea and was very helpful and had many suggestions as to what they could do to alleviate my problems tolerating the machines. We tried quite a few masks and different types of machine set ups. Right off the bat he said you are a prime candidate for a Bi-Pap. He told the other Tech who was going to be monitoring me and the Bi-Pap is what they used. So I got over that little (but big) hurdle.

So we got a mask to fit up seal good and was comfortable, we are ready to go!

All in all it was alright. It was a split night so the first half I feel asleep in 20 min. The tech said she would be in around 2 to put the mask on if she feels I need it. . . .. .11:45 she was in putting the mask on. This now was the second problem.
She put the mask on and tightened it up so tight that my cheek bones were hurting, and not so much that but the whole entire mask was smashed to the point my nose was mostly closed and my mouth was open just enough to breath. I told her and she said we have to get it to seal properly.

The other tech had it seal properly and it was very comfortable.

So I internally calmed my self down and just figured that I would just some how fall asleep with this thing on all screwed up. After 15 min I realized it was so tight and pressing on my upper lip by my nose so much that my teeth were hurting. I tried to move the mask a little and the strap popped off. She came in and re-adjusted it to fit a little better.

Here we go breathing calmly, easing my way off to a good sleep . . . . .right as I fall asleep dam if I did'nt wake myself up by kind a holding my breath. I explained this to both techs earlier so they were aware of this weird problem. So for the rest of the night I would just almost fall asleep wake up dizzy and gasping for air, . . . .almost fall asleep wake up dizzy and gasping for air. This went on all night long. She told me this morning that she was waiting for me to fall asleep so she could make some adjusments, but every time She seen me falling a sleep and I quote "you do some kind of funny breathing thing right before you fall asleep". She then proceeded to tell me she just went ahead and went through a series of adjustments (which I think was waking me up also) and she will let the doctor decide what is best.

That last sentence is what I have been complaining about for 10 years!

I think in time I will get used to using the Bi-PAP at least I was able to somewhat fall asleep. When using my CPAP machine I would literally rip the thing off of my face to the point I had scratch marks from me struggling with it.

All in all these people were extremely nice and caring. My hats off to them!

As I continue to pick glue out of my hair:) thank you all very much and I will be back with an update I guess in 5 weeks.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap machine, cflex, CPAP, seal

[Guest]

[quote="MrSleepy"]It's 1:30 pm. I had to stay home a little today before going to work so I could get some good quality (but crappy) sleep.


Sorry this is very long but here was my experience from last night.

At first the Tech was trying to muster over some issues that I had brought to her attention. She was telling me how they are going to use the CPAP machine and I was explaining to her my breathing problems with the CPAP so my doctor actually wanted this split night done on a Bi-PAP. Then she said well we can use the CPAP with CFLEX and instead of arguing I said ok.

Then it was time for another tech to come in and fit me with a mask. . . . My prayers were answered (kind a) he has sleep Apnea and was very helpful and had many suggestions as to what they could do to alleviate my problems tolerating the machines. We tried quite a few masks and different types of machine set ups. Right off the bat he said you are a prime candidate for a Bi-Pap. He told the other Tech who was going to be monitoring me and the Bi-Pap is what they used. So I got over that little (but big) hurdle.

So we got a mask to fit up seal good and was comfortable, we are ready to go!

All in all it was alright. It was a split night so the first half I feel asleep in 20 min. The tech said she would be in around 2 to put the mask on if she feels I need it. . . .. .11:45 she was in putting the mask on. This now was the second problem.
She put the mask on and tightened it up so tight that my cheek bones were hurting, and not so much that but the whole entire mask was smashed to the point my nose was mostly closed and my mouth was open just enough to breath. I told her and she said we have to get it to seal properly.

The other tech had it seal properly and it was very comfortable.

So I internally calmed my self down and just figured that I would just some how fall asleep with this thing on all screwed up. After 15 min I realized it was so tight and pressing on my upper lip by my nose so much that my teeth were hurting. I tried to move the mask a little and the strap popped off. She came in and re-adjusted it to fit a little better.

Here we go breathing calmly, easing my way off to a good sleep . . . . .right as I fall asleep dam if I did'nt wake myself up by kind a holding my breath. I explained this to both techs earlier so they were aware of this weird problem. So for the rest of the night I would just almost fall asleep wake up dizzy and gasping for air, . . . .almost fall asleep wake up dizzy and gasping for air. This went on all night long. She told me this morning that she was waiting for me to fall asleep so she could make some adjusments, but every time She seen me falling a sleep and I quote "you do some kind of funny breathing thing right before you fall asleep". She then proceeded to tell me she just went ahead and went through a series of adjustments (which I think was waking me up also) and she will let the doctor decide what is best.

That last sentence is what I have been complaining about for 10 years!

I think in time I will get used to using the Bi-PAP at least I was able to somewhat fall asleep. When using my CPAP machine I would literally rip the thing off of my face to the point I had scratch marks from me struggling with it.

All in all these people were extremely nice and caring. My hats off to them!

As I continue to pick glue out of my hair:) thank you all very much and I will be back with an update I guess in 5 weeks.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap machine, cflex, CPAP, seal

[kteague]

Another fun titration nite! I'm not the pro here, but two things you said caught my attention. First though, get a full report of your party night for your files, not just the summary. (Doesn't the morning after a sleep study feel about like the morning after a late night party?)

It would be interesting to know the specifics of that "funny thing" you do before you fall asleep and if your monitoring covered those periods. If everyone does it, why the tech's remark? Is it a normal pause in breathing or something else, how pronounced is it, and do you do it when not on the machine? It may be insignificant, but I think I'd want to know.

What was happening in the moments before you would repeatedly "wake up dizzy and gasping for air"? Were these spells of apnea before the pressures were raised enough to be effective?

Sorry to post with questions instead of suggestions. Maybe someone else will have a logical explanation for both.

Kathy