Had the surgery, never got any better

Hi all, glad I found you. This is my first stop at the site, and though I may find an answer to what's happening to me on the other posts, I want to do this first. I had that very painfull throat surgery twenty years ago and I've never enjoyed any improvement. I still snore like a rocket ship, I can't sleep with anyone else because my legs do The Jerk and I knee my girlfriend at least a few times a night.
Of course the worst and most frustrating part is as I get older, the daytime sleepiness is getting worse. I'm 45, 6' tall, 180 so weight is not a problem.
Even with the obstruction that was removed by my surgeon, I still snore, and stop breathing in any position.
I also notice that if a very vivid dream wakes me up, or happens to coincide with waking, is when I feel the worst. But isn't a sign of REM sleep to the level of what is supposed to be theraputic, vivid dreams? And I dream, big time, just about every night.
Every minute of every day that I'm awake now, I feel like I haven't slept in a very long time but at this time in my life I have no medical insurance as I did before and there's a lot of fear and frustration. I feel like I'm always caught between night and day - It feels like I'm never fully awake, but I know I never really sleep either. I wake up gasping terribly, and as I said, this is long after the obstruction was removed. Any thoughts here?

Wecome to the world of knowledge that those painful surgeries really don't work well. Our surgeons usually recommend CPAP first unless a patient wants to be cut. A good Physician will do a follow up sleep study to confirm any improvement. There are many areas in the throat that can collaspe leading to OSA.

Find a good Sleep specialist, have a study and learn to LOVE CPAP.

It works and works WELL

Bob

Definitely sounds you'd qualify for a CPAP machine. Everything you're describing is indicative of obstructive apnea, and from your description, you've got every last symptom. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rate you a 10. Not having the insurance, tho, is a definite problem, as just to get you to the point of having a good nights sleep in your own bed is somewhere around the tune of $2-3000. Realize the surgery you had may not have been the only problem. Here's a couple of things that MAY, and realise I said MAY help.

1.) Try sleeping sitting up, or inclined as much as possible. If the problem is indeed too much tissue in the throat, gravity will pull it down towards your feet instead of the center of your throat.

2.) Ever see those 'Breathe Right' strips that are supposed to attach to your nose and it outward? I could never seem to get those to work right, but a nurse friend of mine showed me another way:

a.) Clean your nose and cheeks with a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol. (This is to get the oils off.)

b.) Using 3/4 or 1" paper medical tape, (1" doesn't tear as easily) squeeze the cheek right next to the nose, getting as much 'meat' as you can.

c.) Attach one end of the tape towards your ear, and the other end close to the nose. If you did it right, the action of the cheek wanting to spring back should pull the skin on the side one nostril, opening it up more than it was.
Repeat the process on the other side. It may take some practice or help to get it right, but that helped me somewhat before I got my machine. Good luck!!![/b]

Sorry the surgery did not work, I know when I was newly diagnosed I wanted the surgery too, as most people decide they will and and Shazam, be all better....not so.

If no insurance is keeping you from a sleep test/cpap, try medicade, I know they pay for those options, and you sound as if you need it. Do not put it off, every time you sleep without the mask, you know you are damaging your entire body.

do yourself a favor, so a little research, find a way to get a sleep study done.

Hang in there.

Apnatic, speaking of sleep zzzzzzzzzz