six months on the hose

[crossfit]

Wow. I am really doing great. My husband and I were talking the other night about a very technical aspect of music harmony (he is the musician) and I was equating it with similar issues from Renaissance painting and the type of light and paint used then. He stopped me in the middle to say he hasn't had a chat with me with this degree of intellectual level, plus memory of things I have studied many years ago, in years. It made me think. Yes. My brain is coming back. At three months, I could think clearly again. However, I thought I had some permanent brain damage because I still really couldn't think on the level that I used to. But in the last week or two, there have been numerous examples of my thinking becoming much more complicated and thorough. This is amazing.

My sleeping is getting better and better. I now sleep about 9 hours, no naps, little caffiene. Thats a huge difference from 12 hours of sleep and a three hour nap and tons of caffiene just to be at a very minimal functioning level. I was low functioning enough that I really didn't know how low functioning I had become. I think that is one of the insidious aspects of sleep apnea - it sneaks up on you from year to year and you don't notice because it isn't a dramatic change.

I have also finally started having the energy to exercise regularly. My back pain is receding and I no longer take medication for it. That is two medications off my list. I am hoping to drop a third next month as the doctor and I are starting to pay attention to my blood pressure. It might not need to medications to keep it normal anymore with the combination of cpap and exercise.

One thing I have learned that I never saw on this list before is how to deskunk a cpap machine. We have had a skunk under the house right next to my bedroom for a month. Its finally gone but if it sprayed when my machine was on, it was enough to be sucked through the filters and contaminate the hoses. Vinegar works if you ever encounter that. Plain white vinegar. You still smell vinegar a night or two but that is nothing compared to aromatherapy a la peppie le peu!

Hugs to all of you. Its your words and this forum that has made my journey relatively easy. My life is so much better and continues to be so. You have no idea how much you all have meant to me.

[Bluebonnet_Gal]

Great Post crossfit! I'm still waiting for most of those benefits, but I'm only been on xPAP about 5 weeks.

And great tip!

One thing I have learned that I never saw on this list before is how to deskunk a cpap machine. We have had a skunk under the house right next to my bedroom for a month. Its finally gone but if it sprayed when my machine was on, it was enough to be sucked through the filters and contaminate the hoses. Vinegar works if you ever encounter that. Plain white vinegar. You still smell vinegar a night or two but that is nothing compared to aromatherapy a la peppie le peu!

Hope none of us every needs that one!

[Songbird]

Great post, Crossfit. Congratulations!!

One thing I have learned that I never saw on this list before is how to deskunk a cpap machine. We have had a skunk under the house right next to my bedroom for a month. Its finally gone but if it sprayed when my machine was on, it was enough to be sucked through the filters and contaminate the hoses. Vinegar works if you ever encounter that. Plain white vinegar. You still smell vinegar a night or two but that is nothing compared to aromatherapy a la peppie le peu!

This might give you some ideas. Also, it's just a great read: Goose's "Oh, The Joys Of Living In The Country" (viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35827&p=309307&hilit=skunk#p309307)

Marsha

[kteague]

Always good to hear a good report - guess your hubby feels like he's getting his wife back. (Even if I had oxygen with my cpap, I don't think I could ever figure out a relationship between a technical aspect of music harmony and the type of light and paint used in Renaissance art. ) Hope it keeps getting better and better.

[crossfit]

Babs - I know where Goose lives. And at least at one point in his life it was around the corner from where I live now.

Yes folks, hubby is very happy. Our relationship is changing daily. However, we have gone into therapy to deal with various issues. I would highly recommend it as a routine part of healing from OSA. It seems we developed some bad relationship habits while I was untreated that we didn't really notice. Now I am back I am wanting more of his attention and while he likes that, its also an adaptation to the four or five years of just doing our own thing pre-cpap. We are doing great and falling in love over again but it does take some work to remember how to love after various hurts were caused when we didn't realize I had a life threatening condition shaping my behavior.