New And over the moon happy waiting for my CPAP

[Awakeanddreaming]

HI!!! I never thought I would be posting about how very happy I am to be here, I guess I feel like my life is about to change even more after beginning CPAP therapy.

A little info about myself: Im 34 and I'm pretty sure I've been living with severe sleep apnea for at least 5 years. I just finished 2 sleep studies at an amazing sleep institute in Missouri, USA. I was told I have 125 events per hour, all sleep related with a crazy 60% saturation. They also told me at the first study done without CPAP I had NO REM SLEEP. They said this is very unusual and they were very happy that I'd be getting help. I haven't gotten an actual full official report, this is what I was told by the amazing people at the clinic.

I stopped smoking 8 months ago, I know it was more severe when I was a smoker. I am morbidly obese, however I've desperately been attempting to lose weight the last 3.5 months and have managed to loose about 25 lbs. It's been a painstaking process which was my initial motivation for seeking help with apnea.

After talking with the sleep experts at the clinic and self education, I'm very excited and relieved to learn that My problem with sleep is real, I'm not lazy and gross. Every day I wake up, no matter how long I try to sleep my body mind and SOUL is screaming that I need more sleep. I'm exhausted day after day and the struggle to lose weight and function has been daunting. So, I'm SO excited that CPAP therapy will aid in my weight loss as well as the many other areas its affected my life over the past several years.

Sorry for the long post...I'm just so excited to read all the comments so far about how much people's lives have changed after CPAP therapy.

Please share with me any weight loss stories, or any thing that comes to mind. I understand, no just as I have learned with weight loss, this may be a slow process... And Im perfectly fine with that, as long as I'm getting healthy

My second study, done using a CPAP showed only 2 arousals the entire night. I should be receiving my machine within 2 weeks

Also, im a bit nervous about being able to sleep with that thing up my nose and strapped to my head without a sleeping aid. ( They gave me lunesta at the clinic) any suggestions on this would be appreciated. I HATE sleep aids but am willing to try over the counter non habit forming if needed at first. Ultimately...I DON'T CARE what I have to do, I will sleep with smile on my face

Thank you for reading and sharing,
Awakeanddreaming near beautiful Table Rock Lake

[Pugsy]

Welcome to the forum.

We are neighbors. I am not far from Table Rock. Sleeping with the alien on the face may not be all that difficult....lets cross that bridge if or when we come to it.

[Sheriff Buford]

Welcome. I lost a bunch of weight after starting cpap therapy. I think my apnea was so bad that when I started therapy, my system started working the way it's suppose to and the weight came down. Some folks did not lose weight, so don't let it discourage you. Cpap therapy will add healthy years to your life.

Educate the crap out of yourself here. This website can provide all you need to know. Ask questions.... and remember there are no "dumb" questions. We all been through what you are about to experience.
- have the attitude that you WILL wear the mask every night.... all night long. Your body will eventually give in and cooperate with you.
- Getting a mask that is comfortable for you and doesn't leak is the key to successful cpap therapy. My mask may not work for you. You may like a mask that doesn't work for me. It's a personal thang.
- Again, we are here to help you. Come back and we'll help you thru this journey.

Sheriff

[Miss Emerita]

Welcome! It's TERRIFIC that you will soon be starting therapy for your apnea. As you mention, change may come slowly or quickly, but it will come. You will be doing wonders for your long-term health, and you will be on a path toward feeling like yourself during the day.

And congrats on the weight loss. As you start to feel more rested, I wouldn't be surprised if you just naturally move around more, which will certainly help you with further weight loss.

You've already gotten some great advice from other forum members. Let me chip in a couple of additional thoughts. First, when you get your machine and your mask, set everything up during the day somewhere comfortable and give it all a trial run while you're doing something you enjoy, e.g., reading or watching TV. This will speed up your adaptation to the novel sensations.

Watch online videos about how to adjust the fit of the particular mask you're trying out. Some of them are very simple, some are fairly fiddly. Don't worry if you need to try different masks to find "the one."

Please be sure that the machine you get can record data on an SD card. That will enable you to use the Oscar software to get detailed reports that you can then share on the forum.

A lot of people would probably recommend the ResMed AirSense 10 Autoset for Her. (Each word counts there.) The ResMed machines have an especially good algorithm for accommodating your breathing patterns, and the For Her can do a few extra tricks. (Someone needs to talk with them about gender. The For Her is great for men too.)

When you post again, it'd be helpful if you'd use this same thread so that people can see your original post. Onward!

[Becca8104]

welcome! I have been on CPAP for just over a year. it will be 2 years in March 2020. I now feel "naked" without the "alien" on my face. Not everyone agrees on the "perfect" mask because everybody has a different head/face size & shape. My perfect mask is one of the newest ones that came out this year. For your first mask, you can go with the one your doctor or DME recommends, but you have a choice on what to try first. Some people are comfortable with the first mask they select. Others, like myself, have tried several masks before being happy. If you are using insurance & a DME, don't be afraid to let them know you want to try a different mask if you are not happy with your current one. You will find a lot of tips on this forum on how to be comfortable & successful with your therapy. Good Luck and sweet dreams.

[Geer1]

I am waiting for my CPAP machine as well.

I have been told the first nights suck but stick with it and eventually you won't want to sleep without the mask etc on. Maybe use a sleep aid the first few nights if needed.

As others have mentioned once you get sleep on track it should be easier to lose weight, it is hard to get motivated when you are continuously fatigued.

[zonker]

HI!!! I never thought I would be posting about how very happy I am to be here, I guess I feel like my life is about to change even more after beginning CPAP therapy.

welcome to the zoo! with your positive attitude, you are going to go far. as pugsy says, once you get your mask, then we can talk about how to adjust, if you need any help in that regard.

something to bear in mind-we don't all use the same machine or mask or combination thereof. so you might see someone who has been on cpap for a short time tell you the mask THEY use is best.

it ain't necessarily so. what works for me may not work for thee.

one last thing. as you move onward with your journey, could you PLEASE post in this thread for awhile? it will make it easier for the experts here to keep track of your adventure!

good luck.

[Awakeanddreaming]

Hi thank you ALL for the responses and so quickly!! I really hope I am responding correctly and in the same thread. I'm new to the while forum thing too

I find it hilarious that everyone refers to the mask as the alien on your face, because when I used it during my second sleep study, my first comment about it was that I felt like I had been abducted by aliens.

I will definitely go with all the advice given here! I think trying the mask on during the day time while you're watching TV , etc. Is a great idea.

I am on Medicaid/ Medicare Mo health net so I'm really hoping that it covers most of not all the cost, I'm broke and only able to work part time after I fractured my spine last year. If anyone knows how this works I'd love to hear more.

I have no idea what kind of machine I'll get, but it's supposed to be delivered to my house. I know that it had a function that made it easier to breathe out and I'm really hoping I get the same model I used at the clinic. I also tried on two different masks, one that covered my mouth and one just for my nose. I ended up using the one that just went just on my nose, it seemed to work fine. My only compliant really is that after a while the air seemed to stop abruptly at the end of each breath. I felt great after using the CPAP at the clinic, after walking up this morning without using it last night, I'm more aware of how much better i felt yesterday.

Whatever happens, I'm sure that I can make it work with all the help that seems to be available here, as well as the people at the clinic. They were great at making me comfortable and listening to my concerns.

Thanks all! I look forward to learning from you all.

Until I figure out how to attach a signature....
Awake and Dreaming by the lake

[Okie bipap]

Welcome to the forum. We were over in your area a couple weeks ago. We usually go to Branson every fall to catch a few shows. My wife is from southern Missouri, and we used to go to Branson when the only show of any kind was Shepherd of the Hills. Back then, Silver Dollar City was a gravel parking lot with a small church on one side, maybe half a dozen craftsmen and the blacksmith shop, and the cave. Things have changed quite a bit since then.

[Becca8104]

if you are using medicare, it should cover 80% of the cost & you pay 20%. Some people, with insurance, or no insurance, choose to pay out of pocket because they have discovered it to be more cost effective for them. Medicare & all insurance plans have a replacement schedule that is normally every 1-3 months for mask/interface/headgear/filters & every 6 months for hose & water tank replacement. You do not have to abide by that schedule. You can ask your DME to replace all equipment every 6 months or once a year. That will save you money. With proper care & cleaning, your mask should last more than 3 months & your hose/water tank more than 6 months. Some people don't have a schedule for equipment replacement, and just replace as things are about to wear out. Another cost saving option is to buy equipment on Ebay or Craigs list or from the members of this forum. Some forum members sell "gently" or "rarely" used equipment which will save you money. They may have a mask or cushions that need to be changed because they were not a good fit for them, but are practically new & can be sold at a fair price to someone else. Your method for obtaining your CPAP equipment is up to you, not your doctor, & you don't HAVE to use insurance. I use my medical benefits & a DME & still stick to the regular replacement schedule, because I have Tricare & can only order equipment from a Tricare approved DME. Tricare will not approve purchases from CPAP.com or any of their competitors. I can't go to a brick & mortar DME unless they are on Tricare's approved list. I use Military Medical.com for my DME. However, they don't require me to stick to the 3 month/6 month replacement schedule unless I want to. At least Tricare allows me to be flexible with that. Once I am on Medicare in 5 years, I may change things up and decide if I use Medicare or self pay. Once on Medicare, I won't have to follow Tricare rules, but can stay with the same DME if I want to. I have bought items out of pocket from CPAP.com & other vendors because insurance either didn't cover the product or the product the insurance company provided didn't work for me & I had to order something different & didn't want to wait until my next scheduled shipment. You will figure out what is best for you once you have a good handle on the cost of your equipment.

[Pugsy]

In Missouri when someone has Medicare and Medicaid....Medicare pays first (the usual 80% of allowed amount) and then Medicaid picks up what Medicare didn't pay so that remaining 20% of the allowed amount.
Medicare's replacement schedule will be used for future purchases if someone wants to use Medicare/Medicaid.
When you are able to use your Medicare you won't have any out of pocket expenses but you will be limited to their replacement schedule.

Which sleep institute did you use? One associated with one of the hospitals or something else?

[palerider]

HI!!! I never thought I would be posting about how very happy I am to be here, I guess I feel like my life is about to change even more after beginning CPAP therapy.

Having a positive attitude certainly helps a LOT when dealing with something new, like using cpap.

It can make the difficulties much easier. Welcome to the club!

[Janknitz]

It's amazing you have managed to lose 25 lbs with such severe sleep apnea!

When you have apnea, your body tries to jump start your breathing by secreting stress hormones like cortisol. What else does cortisol do? Among other things it increases hunger and causes weight gain. Impaired sleep messes with your insulin levels (insulin is the fat storage hormone) and ghrelin (hormone that controls appetite) and other things.

Consequently, treating sleep apnea absolutely will help with weight loss. I lost 75 lbs on CPAP (after an initial weight GAIN because it helped my GERD and at first I ate MORE for a while).

No matter how hard it is to get used to, you are going to be rewarded by feeling SO much better and seeing vast health improvements. Hang in there, and come here for help if you are struggling.

[Awakeanddreaming]

Welcome to the forum. We were over in your area a couple weeks ago. We usually go to Branson every fall to catch a few shows. My wife is from southern Missouri, and we used to go to Branson when the only show of any kind was Shepherd of the Hills. Back then, Silver Dollar City was a gravel parking lot with a small church on one side, maybe half a dozen craftsmen and the blacksmith shop, and the cave. Things have changed quite a bit since then.

Ok I'm just figuring out how to respond to individual replies... Bear with me while I attempt to figure this out
My son and I moved to Branson in January from California ( Kern county) it's been a huge and welcomed change. It's so beautiful out here compared to the streets of Bakersfield. I feel so lucky to be able to just walk out side and see something beautiful, instead of being afraid to go outside.

[Awakeanddreaming]

if you are using medicare, it should cover 80% of the cost & you pay 20%.

Thank you for all that great info! I'm relieved to learn that at the very least I will only have to pay 20% cost and will be able to find masks that fit and work for me outside of the discretion of the insurance company.