I QUIT

RipVW · Post by **RipVW** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:02 am

You know, those of us on this forum are primarily the "compliant" ones--I tend to forget that many (is it 50% or more?) CPAP'ers stop using their machines. I even have a relative, brilliant man, Harvard grad, highly successful, worked on Wall Street, wealthy . . . who just refuses to use his CPAP. I've sent his wife lots of info about the dangers of untreated sleep apnea. Amazing.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:19 am

RipVW wrote:You know, those of us on this forum are primarily the "compliant" ones--I tend to forget that many (is it 50% or more?) CPAP'ers stop using their machines. I even have a relative, brilliant man, Harvard grad, highly successful, worked on Wall Street, wealthy . . . who just refuses to use his CPAP. I've sent his wife lots of info about the dangers of untreated sleep apnea. Amazing.

Intelligence is a "relative" thing (pardon the pun)......but, "Stupid is, as stupid does".

Den

RipVW · Post by **RipVW** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:22 am

Wulfman wrote:Intelligence is a "relative" thing (pardon the pun)......but, "Stupid is, as stupid does".

Yep! How true!

lifeartist59 · Post by **lifeartist59** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:57 am

I understand how this poster feels. Maybe he or she has not had a good sleep study and help with the use of the machine? To those of you who have been successful with cpap, congratulations! But not everyone can, look at the statistics. The best statistics on the studies I have read still puts successful use of cpap at 67%, which leave about a third of the people not successful! When in the sciences, any side effect that hit over 2% of the people must be reported, this 30'ish percent is quite significant. I struggle with mine, so I can sympathise. As a family member pointed out to me ( this person is finishing their PhD. in biomedical sciences and researching cardiac issues) Is it better to NOT sleep due to strugling with the machine? I give up about 2 hours on average now, and some days it shows. I DID NOT have symptoms before, just went to a new doctor as a routine checkup and mentioned my attempts at weight loss. So to those of you who can not be understanding, I say you are the lucky ones who can tolerate or who have found a way of coping with the machines and you should be grateful and maybe, just maybe, have some really good ideas for those of us struggling???? Maybe you can find it in your hearts to try to understand and also help out, after all I though that is what this board is about.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:19 am

lifeartist59 wrote:I understand how this poster feels. Maybe he or she has not had a good sleep study and help with the use of the machine? To those of you who have been successful with cpap, congratulations! But not everyone can, look at the statistics. The best statistics on the studies I have read still puts successful use of cpap at 67%, which leave about a third of the people not successful! When in the sciences, any side effect that hit over 2% of the people must be reported, this 30'ish percent is quite significant. I struggle with mine, so I can sympathise. As a family member pointed out to me ( this person is finishing their PhD. in biomedical sciences and researching cardiac issues) Is it better to NOT sleep due to strugling with the machine? I give up about 2 hours on average now, and some days it shows. I DID NOT have symptoms before, just went to a new doctor as a routine checkup and mentioned my attempts at weight loss. So to those of you who can not be understanding, I say you are the lucky ones who can tolerate or who have found a way of coping with the machines and you should be grateful and maybe, just maybe, have some really good ideas for those of us struggling???? Maybe you can find it in your hearts to try to understand and also help out, after all I though that is what this board is about.

The person that made the first post in this thread APPARENTLY never even asked for help.
The attitude is what irks me.....if in fact he's not a TROLL that's just looking for attention. This person is one of the 50% statistics in the failure column. He at least had the wear-with-all to at least FIND this forum.....and NOT ask for help. This is a failure of the MEDICAL professionals for that statistic to be that high. We can only do about so much on these forums. And, if the person is an "adult", they have to make up their own mind. Should I lose sleep on some whiner who's going to be a further burden on our healthcare system if they're determined to give up, quit or fail?

If you want to take the time to turn this Guest poster's attitude around and make him successful at his therapy.......have right at it.

Den

Organplayer · Post by **Organplayer** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:23 am

I do not normally post to these threads, but here goes.

My doc said that if I did not go on cpap, I could be dead in 5 to 7 years from stroke or other catastrophic event. Plus, I was being treated for depression.

Thus, given that information, I took the attitude that cpap WOULD work for me.

It does.

I'm off the anti-depressants, losing weight and its nice to have a clear head.

Attitude is what we decide we need to do. I like my life, want to see my kids have kids and want live for a few years in Paris after my kids are grown.

The alternative to cpap for me: a foggy head and a short life. Guess which one I chose?

Kevin

Sundown · Post by **Sundown** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:53 am

I know there are several obstacles all of us experience... the mask leaks, drool, spouse's who do support it, spouse's who don't support it, hose hell, too much humidity, too little humidity, distilled water, noise, DME, costs, deciphering results, etc.

I know that CPAP is extending our lives.

I am grateful to all of you for helping me through this.

Thank you.

I
WILL
NEVER
QUIT

lifeartist59 · Post by **lifeartist59** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:03 pm

I see so many people on this board with that atitude that if you can not use cpap, you die. Well, as a cancer survivor (I mention this because I went through 6 month chemo, gave myself shots etc, so I am not the typical quitter but find cpap the worst thing I have dealt with so far) who's father probably had apnea (loud snoring with periods of gasping etc) but lived to be 86 I have my own feelings about apnea and the way the medical profession is diagnosing it and treating it. I think it is a serious illness, or I would not be struggling with my machine for nine months now. But if I wonder about whether it is the cause or effect of something else. Is it genetics and or obesity that causes the apnea or the opposite for obesity. Studies seem to not be clear yet. I also see a lot of other health issues here, like losing sleep trying to be compliant and I wonder about the medical profession. If they are "failing" apnea sufferers, we must ask why? Is it that if another cure were found, they could not longer need to sell cpap equipment, machines etc? I do see $$$$ in all this, and sometimes feel we are the victims as well as the people suffering this disease or disorder. And I will post to all of you this question, Is it better to lose hours of sleep trying to be compliant or take off the mask and sleep, abiet with the apnea?

dlabutte · Post by **dlabutte** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:08 pm

Anonymous wrote:I QUIT!!!!
WILL NEVER USE C CRAP AGAIN!!!
stans53

For those who want to quit

Remove the T from can't

You can if you think you can, so think you can.
As a Man thinks in his soul so he is. Prov. 23:7

If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible to you Matt. 17:20

We are tough and we CAN do it.

countrygent · Post by **countrygent** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:05 pm

[quote="lifeartist59"] And I will post to all of you this question, Is it better to lose hours of sleep trying to be compliant or take off the mask and sleep, abiet with the apnea?

oceanpearl · Post by **oceanpearl** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:40 pm

[quote="countrygent"][quote="lifeartist59"] And I will post to all of you this question, Is it better to lose hours of sleep trying to be compliant or take off the mask and sleep, abiet with the apnea?

lifeartist59 · Post by **lifeartist59** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:00 pm

I found the responses to my posts interesting. The one person who's oxygen levels were low, I can see why you have retried cpap and thanks for the heads up in mouthpieces, I had be wondering about that route. My oxygen levels were still normal range during my testing. As for the post that gave it a month and a half, good for you to find it working after that short of a period. I am still struggling after nine months. I put the mask on every night, tell myself it will work and I will fall asleep but only one out of about three nights do I fall asleep, and then I still awaken in a few hours with very stuffed nose, racing heart etc. Loss of sleep the other nights is changing my personality ( several people have noticed and mentioned) and I can not help but wonder what good it is doing me to now actually feel fatigued during the day. I have not quit, but understand thinking about it and wanting a good nights sleep again. With the statistics as they are, the medical profess really, really needs to do more to find answers. I had better odds for my chemotherapy than I do staying on cpap. If it is so important, then they need to adress this fast.

vesselpessel · Post by **vesselpessel** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:37 pm

I believe that OSA does have a hereditary component, if only in similiar facial configurations down through the generations. My mother went to sleep at age 60 and never woke up. Never sick a day in her life but frequently fell asleep during dinner. Her mother, my grandmothe, died at age 60 of a massive stroke. I'm convinced that they both had untreated OSA which probably manifested itself in Atrial Fibrillation. I developed Afib 5 years ago and was diagnosed with OSA 2 years ago. My son snores loudly and stops breathing in his sleep. He is an adult and refuses to be tested. It breaks my heart!

alnhwrd · Post by **alnhwrd** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:42 pm

I WON'T QUIT!!!!
I WILL ALWAYS USE CPAP!!!

Maybe it is because I had such severe sleep apnea that makes it so compelling for me to use it. Pre-cpap I could only sleep on my stomach without snoring and snorting myself awake. I would hold on, sometimes by the tips of my fingers, through the work week, getting 6-7 hours of badly disturbed sleep a night. The term "walking dead' literally applied to me. I would fall asleep in my recliner anytime I sat down in it, and even snore/snort myself awake sitting upright in it! I had a hiding place a work where I could sneak a 15-30 minute nap to keep myself going. I would drive down the road literally forcing myself back up from sleep almost every day. I do not know how, except by the grace of the great good God, I managed to keep from driving off the road or into some innocent person. It took a belly full of beer, two Tylenol PM's and four advil for me to get 8 hours of sleep. The first decent, truly restful sleep I got in 10-15 years was at my sleep study after they hooked me up to the cpap. Since starting CPAP I have not had ONE day where I felt anything like the daytime drowsiness I had before, even if I do have a broken up night due to leaks, rainout, or what ever. I cannot describe what a pleasure it is to sleep on my back, to have dreams that are not disjointed, and even to wake up with my arm still asleep from having slept in the same position for so long. I no longer have to put the bed sheets back together every single morning. The other benefits are somewhat abstract, it is true. There is no way to prove I would have had a heart attack or stroke last Thursday except for the CPAP, but a lot of people with a lot more knowledge, education and experiance than me say that my chances of avoiding both of these are improved by using CPAP, and I believe them. However the tangible, measurable positive improvements in my life are many and enjoyable enough to make it more than worthwhile. If they made CPAP illegal I would walk smiling into the jail cell with my unit under my arm. If I had to shave my head and walk around backwards with a face painted on the back of my head to use CPAP I would do it. (no, I will not share any pictures!) So I will be grateful I have decent insurance, drs and DME's, and I will learn and persevere and be in control of my therapy as much as I can, and encourage everyone I can to "never quit, never surrender!" But that is just my humble perspective.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:54 pm

Hello. I want to say thanks to all who took time to reply..be it nice or not so nice. I can tell you all without a shadow of doubt that this OSA is by far the most difficult thing I have ever had to deal with in my life.
I want to tell you that in my life, I'm not a quitter. But this thing has done it's share to make me reconsider that stance.
When I was diagnosed with OSA, and told that I would probably have to use the cpap thing. I thought "this is nuts." I couldn't believe that I would have to do this thing. Then I went to the doctor and he told me that I HAVE TO DO IT... I felt like telling him to go...you know where.... I was'nt going to do it. Then I found out that I had no choice and that's where the real problem came from. I used to work for someone that used the word "compliant" all the time, I hated the guy, a lot because he was just one of those people that you could hate. He did whatever he could to make my life miserable, and so now this thing is going to make me miserable. So, I have a really negative connotation with that. As far as using the cpap goes. I've tried. I really have. I can do it for 4 maybe 5 nights. Then, half the time the mask goes flying across the room after a short time. I go to bed, and the mask is hanging there, and I just look at it with the most disdain and disgust I have in my body, it is hate, pure hate that I have for this thing.
I have spend the day today, trying to ask myself why, trying to figure out how and why I need to do this, but I just can't. I told myself at the beginning, that I would hate this, and I do. So, I just cannot do it. I guess I posted because I want help to get past this, but I know deep down that no matter what I'm going to be right back where I started at,,,,HATE. I just don't know where else to go to get advice.
Thanks for reading and replying.

I QUIT

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interesting

I Quit

from original poster

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