What was first time you saw /heard of someone wearing cpap?

[elena88]

I JUST LOVE THESE STORIES!

P.S. In what form are you going to compile all this "research"? A self-published book? An essay for a magazine?

Sleeping Ugly, darling, at the risk of pissing you off, Im going to call you a 'SILLY GOOSE" because, for crying out loud, the last thing I
want to do is compile research on a bunch of fellow hose heads.. and this is what, the third time you asked me..

However, I think your childrens book idea is wonderful

[bigk]

2.5 years ago - never missed a night, know no one else IRL who uses one.

[CAROL0044@VERIZON.NET]

Hi Elena,

First time I head of it was about 10 years ago, I knew of a man who had end-stage ALS and used CPAP to keep his airway open to sleep. He wore the full face mask. The muscles in his arms didn't work well, and I heard from his caregivers that he felt claustrophobic with the mask on, unable to adjust it himself to fit his face comfortably or take it off if he panicked. I felt awful for him having to deal with having an uncomfortable mask over his face at the end of his life.

Thinking about this memory may explain a little about why my first weeks on CPAP were traumatic. Now I talk about how helpful my CPAP is to people when I get the chance, probably to counteract the feeling of horror that I felt when I learned about CPAP for the first time.

Happy Sleeper

[Komodo]

First time I heard of Cpap was last year when my doc told me I had OSA. I had heard of sleep apnea before, but had no idea how it was treated.
Being "brain dead" at the time from lack of sleep, my doc contacted the DME and had them send over my Cpap. Two days before they showed up, I discovered Cpap.com, and thru them, this Forum.

[Sleepy Taz]

I was working in a rubber factory running a mill. Every 6-10 minutes anywhere from 200 – 400 lbs of rubber would drop and I would roll it and mix it up. I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open and didn’t was to be dragged into the mill so I was talking to our HR lady who was a friend and she said I had sleep apnea. I had never heard of it. They sent me for my sleep study and all I know is that when I woke up I was more rested then any morning that I could remember. Four days later my Cpap was delivered and I marveled at the technology that was going to help me sleep. That was over 20 years ago and not only did I not know about sleep apnea, nobody in my circle of acquaintances did either. For those of us who started back then there was no such thing as comfort or support as the technology was so new the only thing they could tell me was to keep using it. Only had 2 choices of masks as well, one nasal and one full face and no humidifier. Every fall and winter no nose would burn and run and all I did all day is sneeze.

[Roman Hokie]

My grandmother, back in the days before much technology and probably before compliance monitoring. After all, she passed away back in 1994... She had O2 tank by day and CPAP by night.

Then, back in 08, I was at a Christian Men's Event in the mountains of Colorado (as in 12,000ft above sea level). 4 of my cabinmates (14 in all) had these gizmos. We all turned in on Thursday night (because 10pm for me was about midnight for my tired body). Friday morning, breakfast was at 8. We hadn't even left the bunkhouse before a few of them pulled me aside and told me, "You need to get that checked out."

2 years later and today... TODAY. I go in to get my script and results. Hope to be on the hose by the end of the week after a very (very - according to the sleep center technician) successful titration night 2 weeks ago.

[tattooyu]

My dad in the mid-90s. Scared me, because I thought it was a bona fide ventilator, not just an airway stent. What did I know back then? I was only 22 and not interested in medicine like I am today.

[montana]

I heard about them over 25 years ago. A nieces husband had severe heart trouble and had to use one at night. He was very tall and over wieght. I just summed it up as over weight and bad heart. (Unfortunately he died at a young age from a failed heart ). Now I wonder if cpap earlier would have helped him sooner we will never know. Then my brother was also diagnosed at similar time. He told how he would drive to end of his block and fall asleep and one time he drove to another town maybe 30 miles away and did not remember the trip. I thought 'how sad' he has to use this machine .

I kind of stored this information in my memory. I was having weird symptoms and had for a long time..tried adding humidity to my room ..must have purchased 4 or five different humidifiers and air cleaners , propped up my mattress ect. Took allergy medications thinking that would help.
THEN the memories of these two came back and I just went in and told my Dr one day that I had sleep apnea. He said you have 2 choices 'darth vader ' mask or surgery. He referred me to a sleep Dr.

I picked cpap and glad I did.

[Janknitz]

My best friend since high school days has used CPAP for years. We stayed with her overnight and I shared her king-sized bed. When we were done chatting and catching up instead of sleeping, she reached over, strapped a mask to her face and turned on her machine. I was amazed at how quiet it was, but remember thinking "I could never get used to something like that".

Meanwhile, I was reading articles on OSA, and eventually came to realize that I probably had it. But I couldn't imagine sleeping in the type of contraption my friend had (she was using a nasal mask, it really wasn't that big a deal, but . . .). I am only the second person I've seen wearing one. My friend was one of those that took to CPAP like a duck to water. When I asked her what mask and machine she has, she didn't even know off the top of her head, but she uses it faithfully, every night and does reorder supplies from the same internet supplier every time (she doesn't really have to think about what to order--she just calls them up and tells them she needs a mask replacement, and it appears in the mail).

Thank goodness for the internet! Seeing how many other people share this experience has made it more acceptable to me. Hearing the positive experiences of others helps a lot too. And I have to say, clicking on those links to see people like Rosie O'Donnell and Regis Philbin using it helps too--sort of takes some of the weirdness away for me--what I think about them as entertainers doesn't mean much, but seeing them as real people sharing something I experience helps.

I don't talk about CPAP much since most people just think "oh she has to wear that because she's fat" (while this is true, I have structural issues that would require me to use it even if I was rail thin).

[gingbelle]

My husband (then boyfriend) 6 years ago. He was pretty embarrassed about it but explained why he needed it and what it did. I thought is was a little different, but I love the guy, so whatever kept him healthy you know! Following that, his machine has been comforting (the soft sound it makes at night) and irritating when his mouth falls open and he gurgles his spit in the back of his throat keeping me awake. I am pretty sure he needs another sleep study and some new equipment because he has begun to snore again. But I digress. It has always amazed me how comfortable he seems when he is wearing it. Boy he straps his mask on and is out within minutes. So when I found out I had sleep apnea, I had no true gauge on what a pain in the butt it would be for me. I just wish I could be as comfortable in mine as he is in his.

[nosenabook]

First person I ever saw in a mask was me, at the sleep clinic for titration.

My family complained about me snoring after a winter power outage had us all sleeping in the same room next to the fireplace.

Eventually I went to the Ear Nose and Throat doctor who did my sinus surgery and asked what, if anything, could be done.
He said there were several things, but I needed a sleep study before insurance would cover anything.
I had no problem with that, I'd heard about sleep studies years before and never thought I'd have the chance to go to one.

So I went, and went again for CPAP titration, and life keeps getting better.

My reaction for months was "elephant nose", as I had a mask. Switching to nose pillows made that reaction go away. I think the FX will be even better.

[Jersey Girl]

The first I heard of cpap was from my Dad - age 65 and he went to all the trouble of the study and titration and then couldn't tolerate the mask. It did look rather darth vadorish and I never really understood much about sleep apnea at the time. I figured he needed it for his drop in oxygen level during the night and his really loud snoring. Figured I did NOT need one because I did not stop breathing or snore (according to me - ). Of course, after 7 years of fatigue and finally getting a sleep study, having this machine/mask is a God send. No more fatigue!

[sonyat]

First time I heard of sleep apnea and CPAP was about 12 years ago when I was working for a psychologist who had a clientele that was overweight and obese. She was on the self-acceptance side of things, and encouraged people to get their health problems addressed and sorted out before weight loss was attempted. I first saw a CPAP mask online after I looked it up. Then, a few years later, my brother got one. He had over 100 apneic events an hour when he got tested! I didn't know until recently how many different kinds of sleep masks there were.

My first night in the sleep clinic they offered to let me wear one before the study started in case they had to wake me up later for the split study. I said no, because I didn't have sleep apnea. I was sure of it! It looked huge and weird. And since they didn't put it on me, I was sure I was right. (I was wrong, they didn't put it on me for the split study because i never went into stage 4 sleep.) The second night I had to wear one right from the start. The sleep tech chose a nasal pillow type for me, and it worked well.

[JohnBFisher]

First time I heard it was about 20 years ago when I first put on a mask and tried to sleep in a sleep lab. And TRUST ME, you HEARD it. The units then were LOUD and the masks were much less comfortable. I did offer advise to the companies at the time to help improve the headgear. Several took the suggestions and ran with them.

But once I got over the strangeness, the great sleep convinced me that I should try more of using CPAP. The better sleep makes a huge difference.