Dear CPAP, Thank you!!

For most of my life one of my greatest joys has been reading. In my younger days, I could stay up all night immersed in a good book. I have often read a book a day on the weekends. However, the past few years, I virtually stopped reading. If I finished a book a month, that was a great achievement. I would go weeks without reading at all. I would come home from work and turn on the TV and that was it until I went to bed. I had no idea why this happened until now. I'm sure all of you on the forum know the answer as well. Sleep apnea is truly a thief in the night who steals away all the things you love the most.

I was diagnosed this Sept and started treatment on Oct 20. I was actually happy to get the diagnosis because now I finally know why I felt so exhausted all the time. I am slowly getting used to the machine, the mask, etc. Some nights are good and some nights are bad. I still wake up frequently during the night but I already feel much better and I am starting to read again!

So this is a thank you letter to my CPAP machine because although you are sometimes a pain-in-the-bleep, you are slowly giving me my life back. This is also a thank you to the generous people on this forum. I have learned so much from you all. I am slowly taking charge of my own treatment and I know there will come a time when sleep apnea will no longer steal anything from me.

Good for you!
I hope I can be writing a thank you letter here soon. I just started with mine last night.
I know what you mean about finally getting a diagnosis. I knew I wasn't sleeping well, but I never knew I stopped breathing for a full minute at a time. I felt better the day after the titration than I have for a long, long time, and that was on under 3 hours of sleep!

Hi,

Congratulations, and thank you for sharing. I, too, have always been a voracious reader and for the past five years, I have probably finished one book. It is SO encouraging to hear that in only a few months, my concentration might be so much better. It's very encouraging to read about your experience so I a grateful to you for posting.

I am only ten days in, and feel like I'm on a roller coaster. SoMe days, I feel so wewll, and other just very sick and tired -- Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I am loving my mask so compliance is good.

I have downloaded books I want to read and am dipping in as I can. to think in only a few months, I will have the juice to read! Too good to be true.

Namaste,
MoonBear