Is life completely different post-treatment?

[Swordz]

I am finally on track to getting succesful treatment of my OSA via surgery, which leads me to a thought...

For those of you that have found succesful treatment through whatever it may be, is your life a complete turn-around compared to what is was before treatment? Is the cliche "my life will be completely different" true in your case? You'd think that the more severe the treated apnea, the greater the life change. I don't always think that is true though once you consider people's tolerance to fatigue and other factors involved.

I know that "completely different" and "successful treatment" are different for each person. With my OSA being severe (57/hr) I'm just looking for some motivaton to go through with treatment. Life is difficult and no one around me seems to understand.

Let the Q and A begin!

[Goofproof]

I can't see a life changing result, I made it to early retirement untreated, not that I couldn't have ended up as a bug on a truck windshield. I feel that by being treated and rested, I will get to spend more years with this worn out damaged body. Whether thats good or not time will tell.

You have the advantage on me, you are young it may change your life. One thing for sure normal sleep is better than bad sleeping and if we can prevent that it's one less problem we face.

[Sleeping With The Enemy]

Swordz,

Go for it, have the surgery, you've seen others who have had success and your pretty young.

Me, I'm going the lose weight route. I had my tonsils/uvula out and that has dropped my pressure requirements from 12-14 down to 7-9.

Good luck.

Heidi

[yardbird]

100% compliance for the last... oh...4 monrths I think on xPAP therapy has made a huge difference in my quality of life. I have a ton more energy, I'm more creative, I can MEDITATE better (I teach meditation), I'm not falling asleep all the time, and I can THINK more clearly.

Funny thing is I never really noticed how BAD it was before because it snuck up on me so slowly. However you end up treating this, whether it's surgery, weight loss, xPAP, whatever, you owe it to yourself to try. And I'm fairly confident that you will see a noticeable difference. Now whether it's dramatic or subtle, does that really matter? If you do NOT die in your sleep. If you do NOT continue to place stress on your cardio-pulmonary system. If you stop doing DAMAGE, then it will be worthwhile.

Of that I am confident.

[Snoozie]

I never had severe apnea, but moderate. As far as life change, I no longer have 6 day straight headaches, don't have to take those nasty headache drugs, and I am sleeping for 7 or 8 hours a night vs 4 hours a night. That being said, I guess it has made a HUGE difference. As far as feeling like a new person, I am still working on that one. (Actually, I think it is just the time of year, because I have way more energy when the sun is out and hitting me in the face).

[sleepyred]

Mine has been life changing.

I had not slept since a teenager and I am somewhere between 40 & 50 (not going to say how close to which age!)

I had also shook the bed with restless legs which has gotten worse over time for almost 19 years of marriage.

Last winter I began to loose weight (I'll admit it, I'm an underweight tall, skinny person and no doctor would EVER consider that I could EVER have sleep issues!). After a complete physical and a very thoughtful doctor who actually asked me how my sleep patterns were, sent me immediately to a WONDERFUL sleep doc. My sleep study was next. They found no apnea, no restless legs (surprise to my hubby!), but found out that I was having micro-arousals which was keeping me from REM sleep. It is called Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome. My sleep doctor clued in on the fact that I would jerk out of bed thinking I was smothering or I could not swallow. He sent me home with a cpap for 5 nights as a trial and did not charge me a cent for that trial. When he read the results, he immediately gave me a rx for a cpap. Then we had to appeal the insurance company who finally said yes.

When my DME put my cpap on my face, that very night I began sleeping 8 hours with my cpap. I took to it like a duck to water. Not to say I haven't had some ups and downs, but a bad night's sleep with a cpap is better sleep than I had ever had!

As far as the restless legs, again thanks to my doc, he said as my hubby's jaw had dropped to the floor when he said my legs did not move during the sleep study, "I'll take your word since you have slept with her for 18 years over a 7 hour sleep study any day!" Because I have an inner ear disorder, he put me on Klonopin 1 mg. (helps my dizzies as well) per night and an iron supplement (my iron was one point away from anemia) He said the low iron effects your muscles and that probably was the main cause of my RLS. I being a female and nearing "the age" was loosing too much iron each month. I have had surgery to help this because I was getting tired again each month (sorry to bore you men out there!)

My doc said from the beginning to be a patient patient because we were dealing with many issues and he said we'd work at it until we solve them. He was right. Hopefully the end of my sleep issues are in sight! It's been almost a year since my 1st appt., since October since my beloved cpap arrived, and yes, I feel like a new person!

And for one last quote - my 15 year old said "Hey mom, you just stayed awake for the 1st movie we've watched together!"

[ozij]

Swordz,
You're doing the right thing in attempting to find a solution to your chronic disrupted sleep.

Nobody has to put up with chronically disrupted sleep, and peoples' tolerance for fatigue is based on their ability to rest well before those fatiguing times, and to recuperate afterwards. Anything - living and mechanical - will deteriorated quickly if all it goes through is wear and tear, without maintenance. You are getting very little maitenance and recuperation at this point in your life.

It's a big operation you're facing - both financially and medically. I'm sure you've read BillInSeattle on the subject - many of those who don't understand you haven't. It needs good surgeons, and it has a 90% success rate - based on followup PSGs.

There are many people diagnosed with OSA who look back in horror at the time before their treatment, many who wish they hadn't missed so many good years of their life till diagnosed.

You're young - you're going to college as a way of preparing for your future. You'll want to find a good job, and to succeed in it. Taking care of your disrupted sleep seems to me like an important part of doing your best to make you future as good as possible. A better life for you is worth the trouble.

Life brings all of us painful things we can do nothing to change - you too will have your share of them, but your OSA isn't one of them. Next time someone tells you humanity has done very for millions of years without treating sleep problems, tell them humanity did very well without antibiotics too. Not everyone died of pneumonia.


O.

[Swordz]

Go for it, have the surgery, you've seen others who have had success and your pretty young.

You have no clue how much I literally deserve to have this success. With all the $$ and student loans I've taken out to pay for med bills, I'm finally on track. My surgery is 17k for physician fees, but a new committee @ the hospital is meeting to decide to reduce that amount and how much.

It's a big operation you're facing - both financially and medically. I'm sure you've read BillInSeattle on the subject - many of those who don't understand you haven't. It needs good surgeons, and it has a 90% success rate - based on followup PSGs.

Sitting and waiting for the $$ situation to pan out. The surgeon is very reputable and does almost 2 a week.

There are many people diagnosed with OSA who look back in horror at the time before their treatment, many who wish they hadn't missed so many good years of their life till diagnosed.

OSA completely sux, but I know how fortunate I am to have found out the cause of my problem at a young age. I am blessed for that knowledge.

You're young - you're going to college as a way of preparing for your future. You'll want to find a good job, and to succeed in it. Taking care of your disrupted sleep seems to me like an important part of doing your best to make you future as good as possible. A better life for you is worth the trouble.

My life, and everyone's, is worth everything we desire and can accomplish. Sometimes it just seems all the effort and little results are unfair, but I'm getting closer to a "cure".

Life brings all of us painful things we can do nothing to change - you too will have your share of them, but your OSA isn't one of them. Next time someone tells you humanity has done very for millions of years without treating sleep problems, tell them humanity did very well without antibiotics too. Not everyone died of pneumonia.

Amen! Do you care if I hire you to speak directly to the people in my life who have no clue? I'll pay @ least minimum wage!

It's awesome to hear encouragement, as you all know all too well what I'm suffering through. Even my friends and family who love me, have no clue what I experience and how OSA effects everything. There is just no way to get across to them the extent of the disorder; they just don't seem to comprehend the complexity and seriousness of it.

[WAFlowers]

Funny thing is I never really noticed how BAD it was before because it snuck up on me so slowly.

Yardbird, you said it very well. OSA is an insidious disorder that attacks us when we are least likely to know (during sleep) and does so little damage each night that it can go for decades in some cases before the cumulative effects become serious.

Now that my wife and I are somewhat educated on the subject, she recognizes that I've had OSA ever since we were married, almost 24 years (and 45 pounds!) ago. Which just goes to show that, in my case, weight gain didn't trigger my apnea, although I'm sure it didn't help it either.

To the original question: YES, absolutely!!!

The best way to describe me last summer was a zombie; I was one of the walking dead. My condition had deteriorated enough that I was pretty much usesless all day, every day. And that "slow gradual slide" had accelerated to the point that I felt like I was slipping down a hill and about to fall over a cliff!

I was one of the fortunate people to have excellent response to treatment right from day one. I also encountered the euphoria that sometimes goes hand-in-hand with REM rebound. That faded over the first few weeks, but by then I was hooked. It was CPAP for life ... or until something happened that I no longer had OSA.

Literally overnight I was more mentally alert and within days was able to make it through the day to a normal bedtime without the overwhelming need to take a nap. It took almost 4 months before I truly gained back some energy enabling me to begin tackling the mound of chores that had grown over the past few years. I still don't have much stamina -- a few bad nights in a row, or a few very busy, active days in a row will leave me exhausted in the evening, but just one good nights sleep and I'm OK the next day which is a big change from a few months ago when it would take me almost a week to recover. And there is NO comparison to 6 months ago when I wouldn't have been able to do what I'm doing now at all!

I guess it shouldn't surprise me that it is taking this long to recover fully; so far it has been 6 months and I've still got a ways to go. It might be a year before I consider myself "fully recovered". I've got decades of apnea-driven decline to undo, so if I can undo 2 years per month of treatment I think I'm doing well.

[hecate]

I also encountered the euphoria that sometimes goes hand-in-hand with REM rebound. That faded over the first few weeks, but by then I was hooked. It was CPAP for life ... or until something happened that I no longer had OSA.

I'm glad you mentioned this I've been sleeping with my xpap for about 5 days now and I was beginning to think it was pumping some drug through me as well. I've not got more energy, but i'm certainly feeling the euphoria. It's kind of nice!

Liz

[TXKajun]

Swordz, I've been following your saga since day 1. You sure have been through a lot and it looks like you still will go through a bunch for someone of your tender years!

As far as your question as to whether or not there have been major improvements in lifestyle and quality of life post-XPAP, here's a little thread where I gave the results of my first full year on XPAP. A couple of others have added to it, including their improvements. http://cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=710 ... t=one+year

I wish you all the best, young man! Like you said earlier, you have your entire life ahead of you!! Make the most of it!

This therapy works!!! (and no funny tag this time!)

Kajun

[WAFlowers]

I'm glad you mentioned this I've been sleeping with my xpap for about 5 days now and I was beginning to think it was pumping some drug through me as well. I've not got more energy, but i'm certainly feeling the euphoria. It's kind of nice!

It is a sign that the treatment is working very well for you, IMO. Enjoy it while it lasts.

In my case about the time the euphoric feelings faded I was truly feeling and noticing major improvements in my mental alertness, memory retention and creativity.

One other benefit I forgot to mention is the last time I suffered nocturnal GERD (acid reflux) was the night before I began treatment over 6 months ago. Quite a change from 3 to 4 times a week on average previously. Some weeks it was every night! .

[stanta]

Yes it has. I LIVE.

when first diagnosed i could not adjust to the CPAP. I fought it and fought it. I was sinking so fast the ENT scheduled surgery as soon as possible. I walked in for a presurgery physical and my BP was like 240/140. Surgery cancelled, rescheduled, two to three different BP medicines.

By the second date I was not only falling esleep at stop lights, I was falling esleep at stop signs! Passed the presurgery physical, went in and bottom number on BP about 93, had to be 90 or less, nurse says we have to cancel. I looked her in the eye and said "If you cancel this you will not see me back here." She said, "Will you change your mind about surgery?" "No, I'll be dead"

She slipped me a little sedative, retook my BP and said "good to go" and rolled me into the operating theatre. I would have rather bleed out on the table than suffered what I was going through any longer.

So in answer to your question? YES

[Captain_Midnight]

Hi Swordz- -
Is my life completely different after 3 months on PAP therapy?
Well, not to parse words too finely, my life is nicely different. It's not just a matter of being more wide awake and yet less tense. I can also think a little more deeply, and I'm slower to anger. (I'm not an angry guy anyway, but I'm more tolerant with foolish drivers on the freeway.)

I've noticed that I'm getting sick with colds less frequently. My dreams are less turbulent and much more pleasant. Oh, I write, type, and talk faster. Not at lightspeed, just at a better pace. Lots of little plusses, very few minuses, howevere I'm still the same me, so it's not a "complete" makeover. - - And that's a good thing too.

Good luck with your therapy for sleep apnea!

Capt. Midnight.