New here - This has gone SO fast!

[Jaywolf]

Hi,

I am new here to the forum and newly diagnosed with sleep apnea. I think I have had it for years to be honest but it is only in the last year going forward it has become as bad a problem as it is. I have about lost every scrap of energy I had, my weight has soared, I don't feel like doing anything, I am tired every single minute and of course.. like most here have probably done.. fall asleep at a seconds notice. Headache in the mornings along with lungs full of stuff and nose and throat clogged. Arms hurt folding clothes so I have to rest. Climbing stairs is a struggle for me now. And I thought all of this was my weight.

I have been treated for high blood pressure for years and I am on anti depressants. Then I was talking to a representative from my hospital and she said.. I think you have sleep apnea. Her husband was on a machine and she encouraged me to get tested. Well.. it was a few weeks before I visited our new Wellness Center and the lady there also said I had apnea and needed a test. Long story a little shorter.. I had the test on Saturday night.

I will never forget how I felt AFTER she put the CPAP mask on me.. oh my! What a difference! I asked if I could take the machine home with me. She said no and told me it would probably be 10 days for my results to come.. that felt like forever.

This morning I called and checked with my insurance about providers for the equipment. I made my choice and called the sleep center. She seemed to know who I was though it wasn't the person who did my study and she said she would mark it down right away. I said, I hope this isn't going to be 10 days and she said.. oh no.. its not. Early afternoon they called me back.

The results.. inside ONE office day.. I was stunned. Apparently I had 49 episodes per hour lying on my side and that rose to 73 on my back. But what they were more concerned about was my oxygen level at 82%. The CPAP cured my apnea at a pressure level of 7. They told me they had sent my prescription over to my provider and to expect a call in a couple of days.

Just an hour later the provider called and I have an appointment tomorrow afternoon to get my equipment.. I am astonished! It has all happened so quickly but as bad as I feel.. honestly in my own dramatic quiet moments I have been thinking I am dying.. I am relieved and can't wait to start.

Oh if only I had known and had done all of this sooner!

[Jaywolf]

Oh and just to add.. I really hope to get some support here. My husband has been moaning about the state of the house then I told him my apnea results tonight and I asked him what he thought.. he said.. yeah so you have sleep apnea, I knew that, big deal. Well.. yes it IS a big deal to me, so I hope others understand and are more supportive than I have at home.

[jbloodwo]

My advice is this... Don't let them push a machine on you that does hoot have full data support....

[kteague]

It's hard for those who don't experience something to really understand. You can educate him if he's interested, but even if he doesn't understand, as long as he respects what you say you are experiencing is what's important. Hopefully you're now on a path toward recovery and getting your life back. Do be sure your machine is one that records treatment data and don't accept one that doesn't. You could call and ask what machine they plan to provide then ask about it here. Let us know if you have any questions. We do understand and you will get support here.

[Jaywolf]

Thank you both! Yes I have been reading and learning. I forgot to mention that my Sleep Center Doctor wants a follow up visit in February to read the results from my machine. My insurance company has me rent the machine for the first three months and then purchase and they said part of this was making sure I have the right equipment.

I will call them in the morning and see if there is a particular machine they want to give me and come here for feedback. Thanks!

[Bill44133]

Here is the list of data capable machines. You may want to print it out and take with you: http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/

[RogerSC]

So why doesn't your husband get out the vacuum cleaner and use it, wash a few dishes and clothes, put a few things away, and generally help out instead of complaining? Radical ideas, I know, but really, it's like you somehow own the state of the house, rather than it being a shared thing like it's a shared space. I wouldn't let him get away with that, but I don't know anything about the nature of your relationship. Just that I wouldn't like it if I were you.

And, yes, of course, don't waste your time with an xpap machine that doesn't have full data capability, that goes without saying *smile*.

[Jaywolf]

Thank you Bill that's fantastic! Roger.. you just made my morning!

[Jaywolf]

I just made a call to the Provider and asked what machine we were looking at, she said the one prescribed by the Doctor. I asked what that was and she said the Resmed S9 Autoset and I would be taking it home with me tonight. That's good right?

[herefishy]

That's excellent!

[DoriC]

Are you getting the same mask you used for the study? Make sure it fits you comfortably and is the right size. Good luck and keep us posted! Find out what their policy is for exchanging masks the first 30 days. Getting the right mask is most important.

[Bill44133]

Take a few minutes to view this video and have your husband view it also:
http://www.resmed.com/us/multimedia/und ... 40x380.swf

This video helped me to understand exactly what was going on with me. Could be your husband needs some education on this.


Good Luck!

[Jaywolf]

Bill thank you so much for the video.. it was awesome! I have got my machine, very state of the art, I love it. We tried a really small nose mask first and it felt like I was suffocating, I did better with a bigger one.. what can I say.. big nose? I am a bit unsure how to set the humidity because I hate high humidity but I am going to consult my books that came with the machine, maybe that will help me with it.

Bit nervous of this first night, getting everything set up, but this is to save my life.. and I can do this.

[Bill44133]

Since you are in Illinois and the furnaces are running the air will be drier(unless you have steam heat) so you may want to start on the high side for the humidity. Remember the machine is using the rooms air.

Good Luck!

[Jaywolf]

Thanks for that tip Bill.. you are right it is dry in the house. I think I was confused between air temperature and humidity too, she had it on 80 and the air felt too warm. I think I need to set the air a bit cooler and the humidity about in the middle to begin with and see how that goes.

Dori, thank you! I did check about the mask and there is a 30 day one free replacement mask policy.