Oximeter and CPAP

Just used my new oximeter last night for the first time. Wow... pretty neat!

WHY did I get an oximeter?
My CPAP data was showing zero apneas, but I still had LOTS of hypopneas. I had a concern that I was still desaturating with all of those hypopneas.
I wanted to see what y blood oxygen levels were doing over the course of the night and see if any desats happened when I had a cluster of hypopneas.

Result?
My Basal SPO2 (%) was 94.2
Average Pulse 68 (low was 59)

Matching up the times for the hypopnea events with the report from the oximeter, there seems to be no affect on either SPO2 or pulse rate when the hypopneas happen. So while the hypops are being scored by the machine, I feel I can use them as informational items and not be concerned about desats. I'll watch them, but I won't "chase the numbers" trying to get rid of them.

I got the CMS50E (like many other people on the message boards) and it's really quite a valuable little tool to have in your arsenal. AND.... now I can make my youngest son wear it for a night. He snores like a buzz saw. Never seen him go into an apnea, but would be great to run a one-night test on him.

All-in-all... for $139 ... I'm happy.

OH! and my wife SPO2 last night... sitting on the couch watching TV... was 91. I think that's low. She's been complaining of allergies and feeling like she can't take a full breath. Maybe I need to run a night on her as well.

The way I figure it, inexpensive and accurate oximeters are so easily available today, it's worth having one even if you don't use it every day. It should be in the medicine chest along with the thermometer and sphygmomanometer.