Have you felt a rebirth since cpap?

[MoonBear]

Hi,

after my first month on cpap, I have accomplished more than I did in the last year. There has been this sense of being reborn entirely, as if life was starting up brand new all over again. It both amazes and delights me, confuses me (how do you you restructure a life that has been in progress, but was built on will power alone), and intrigues me.

So I am writing a short article about this. In fact, I will be talking to a doctor who has studied the psychological effects of apnea and cpap tomorrow. He may have done the studies, we ARE the studies. I really want to include some quotes from the clever folk on this site, especially those who have had similar reactions to cpap. Although, one or two quotes from people who haven't noticed this would be great too.

All I need is a few sentences with specifics on how life has changed since CPAP, and how you feel about those changes. Please send me your real name and user name as well as how long you think you have had apnea and how long you have been using cpap. If I use you in the article, I will be using your real name with your permission or your user name if you wish to remain anonymous. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. If I have questions, I will e-mail you privately to see if I can call you. With gratitude, MoonBear

[BlackSpinner]

It was amazing for me after one month also. It was like the lights went back on,or a BW tv suddenly turned into a HD colour tv. The month before I had shrugged off going to a doll conference in the next town over as too much bother and suddenly I thought "why not" and I finished a sculpture I had started the year before and went anyway. Software I was trying to write was suddenly much easier to churn out. But mostly it was the emotional view of life half full instead of half empty.
Right now life is being really challenging but I keep finding hope that wasn't there before I started cpap. I have been on it for over about a year and a half.

My art work has changed too It has more movement and life in it.

[snuginarug]

My first full night on cpap, I woke feeling like wonderwoman. I was gathering my things to leave the house that day and felt I was leaving something behind. I suddenly realized I was leaving behind the weight of my chronic edema. It was magically gone.

That wonderful day has motivated me through the last rocky 6 months. I am hoping I am finally turning a corner with my ability to tolerate the mask all night.

[stripboat99]

I've been on the hose for almost three months now and I feel twenty years younger. My API in my study was 117 and they wasted no time in my split study getting me on a machine. I'm much more active than I was, morning headaches are gone and projects/things that went dormant are getting completed. Getting up in the morning for work is not the burden that it was and I no longer come home after work and park my hind end on the couch.

Looking back, it was a gradual decrease in energy that I never really noticed while it was happening. I mean I remembered having a lot more energy/ambition to get things done n the past - but the way that I felt - being able to and wanting to do those things was foreign to me.

I truly wish that I had gone in years earlier to see the Sleep Specialist. I will be ever grateful to my brother - who also suffers from apnea. I heard him snoring/gasping for breath and just knew that I sounded exactly the same. And that I needed to do something.........

Mark

[sydneybird]

Me too. I'm a month and a half into therapy and its like being cured of attention deficit disorder (been there/done that 10 years ago; ritalin is great for the short term; wish I had discovered CPAP then instead of spending two years with a shrink trying to figure out why I was not getting my work done but spending 16 hr days at work). Procrastination has gone from a 10 to a 2. I have been exercising daily for 5 days in a row (trampoline rebounding is great; boy am I out of shape) after years of one-offs or no energy to even think about exercising. I used to run marathons for goodness sake, but that was 20 years ago when I was 30. Morning migraines gone the first night. Heavy chest waking me up gone the first night. When my wife and kids ask me to do something now (make me another cappuccino (she claims she doesn't know how to use the machine), I need help with my math) I don't snap as the burden and bother is no longer there. Now I have to catch up with about 6 months worth of work and a year's worth of filing that I am behind in. Thank goodness I hadn't lost any clients during this time, but they started to notice and was wondering what's up.

[Kahfree]

I suddenly realized I was leaving behind the weight of my chronic edema. It was magically gone.

I have struggled with excess edema in my legs, and mostly my feet for the last two years. Is there a relationship between the two? My doctor never found a reason for me to be holding water and said to lay off the salt. I am not a salt person and do not even cook with it.

[snuginarug]

I suddenly realized I was leaving behind the weight of my chronic edema. It was magically gone.

I have struggled with excess edema in my legs, and mostly my feet for the last two years. Is there a relationship between the two? My doctor never found a reason for me to be holding water and said to lay off the salt. I am not a salt person and do not even cook with it.

Unfortunately cpap does not cure edema for everyone, as there are many causes. However, just letting you suffer with the edema seems remiss on his part. Have you been prescribed any "water pills"? I was prescribed hydrochlorothiazide and there are several others available. Quality of life is important and you deserve the undivided attention of your doctor instead of being brushed off. I feel a bit indignant on your behalf.

[westozman]

I was diagnosed in Nov. 2010 with OSA. I believe that I have had it for years, my wife will testify to this, in the last few years it has gotten progressively worse, to a point where, when we went on holiday my wife would spend some nights sleeping in the hotel room bath!! At home,I would fall asleep in the evening while watching TV, I made so much loud snoring noise that nobody could hear the TV & had to wake me. I was on the Freeway coming from work one evening & struggled to stay awake, came off at my exit drove up to the lights & fell asleep, I was woken by the cars behind honking because the light had turned green. My GP kept prescribing anti-biotics, most of them I didn't even buy, I tried Buteyko breathing, I went to a naturopath, none of which were any good, just wasted money, I was so down & felt like nobody could help me I drank very heavily, a bottle of wine & 6 beers on average before going to bed in the spare room for a night of misery, I just resigned myself to the belief that my life was going to continue in misery forever. I went to a different GP & after a long talk he sent me for a sleep study, I did the study at home, the results was I had 86 Apnea's that night, so they started me on a CPAP trial. I was determined to fix this & turn my life around, I was never so determined with anything else in my life!! I did the 6 week trial & couldn't believe the difference CPAP made, at first I had to get the right mask for me, which turned out to be a nasal mask, when this was sorted life was just so different. I now HAVE a life, I sleep in my bed with my wife, I don't drink during the week anymore & drink a lot less at weekends. I feel like a new person, don't fall asleep watching TV, I can concentrate on things, I can remember things & I take a 30 Min walk every morning before breakfast with my wife. At first I thought that I was disabled, having to use this machine to help me breathe, and tried to hide it from everyone, after a few weeks when I got over that stupid way of thinking I have no problem telling people that the red mark on my nose is from a medical condition & I have since found out that I am not the only person in my workplace who has OSA !!.
I would recommend CPAP to anyone who has OS, I still have a red mark across the bridge of my nose, but that's nothing when compared to the fact that I have a real life now.

[pbach]

I have been using the CPAP for 13 months.
No more daily morning headaches,
Foggy brain gone.
Desire to fall asleep at work gone.

Did not loose weight Guess I will have to work at that one!

[jbn3boys]

I've been on cpap/apap/bilevel for nearly 5 months now. I can only dream of the rebirth you are all talking about.

[vtcpa]

Since I just began last night, I find this thread very encouraging! Looking forward to hearing more...

[Big S]

I'm glad to see some responses to this thread.
This therapy is not easy even though I've not had a hard physical transition. For me, it's been an emotional and mental train wreck. I hate going to bed but am enthusiastic in the morning. I hate the ritual but can't deny the result. Even though I know this plastic hummer is saving my life, I really can't wait until I can destroy it. I do enjoy getting on this site because I don't feel alone in my struggle with opposites and extremes. I don't know any of you but I know all of you. You're butterflies and birds and cats and dogs and comic book characters and whatever, but you all relieve the bruising of my heart in reading the sometimes slow and agonizing path to peaceful coexistence with this snake in our bed every night. My breathing is better day and night. My blood pressure is dropping....even in the doctor's office. I'm not stuck on Afrin anymore. The question is, how much damage have I done? My grandkids are young and beautiful, and I want to make a difference in their lives. I guess I have to embrace the snake and leave my illusion of the garden of sleep Eden.

[SnoozyQ]

Rebirth? Not yet....a little less fog? Yes.I have small improvements that let me know I need to continue and hopefully I will get the big rebirth too. I really,really hope....

No more morning headaches, no more wishing to sleep on the floor of the bathroom at work. No more middle of the night bathroom trips.

[sister]

Well said, Big S,
I couldn't have said it better,I feel the same way.

[Cuda]

Big S, you the man. Very hard to add to that post!

It's not all peaches and cream thats for sure. When it comes time to go to bed I get a little upset I cant just relax and fall asleep naturally but I know if I just strap that mask on I will be asleep soon and wake up feeling great. I can do that or fall asleep naturally and wake up with a sore throat, tired, weak, foggy headed, tense, bad mood, not want to play with my kids, not want to work, not want to go anywhere etc etc. Of course there is all the health problems too.

No its not fun working this stuff out but the reward is soooo worth the effort.

Do not be afraid to mention to others you have a CPAP. When I did I was amazed how many of my friends told me they had one and their success stories made me feel better about the whole thing.

To date I have only met one man in person that claimed it was all negative, that is no gain for effort. Everyone else, maybe 20 people have told me it changed their lives. The one man that claimed it did nothing I met at the DME and he had a full, VERY full rough beard and was using a full face mask. After speaking with him a while I got the impression he was not on top of his therapy and most likely was not seeing gains as a result of massive leaks. I asked him about it and he said "thats what they keep telling me, too many leaks"

So when its working its so worth it but yes...I would rather I did not need it.