1st CPAP anniversary, 12 days of pay it forward

It’s my first CPAP anniversary. One year and 3077 CPAP hours later, I feel good again and I’m healthier! The holidays last year were exhaustion- and CPAP-miserable; this year, they can be fun! Now that the challenge of CPAP therapy is mostly mastered (dare I say it?), my next goals are weight loss and fitness. I still don’t have my life back, but at least now I know it’s missing! There is much accomplishment and there is hope! Like so many others, I couldn’t have done it without the generosity and quality of information of forum members. Your caring, emotional support, and humor have also been tremendously helpful. Thank you, Johnny, for sponsoring this site that’s helped so many people.

Want to celebrate with me? Here are 12 days of CPAP Christmas to pay it forward, to spread the word and help others:

1. Read the articles, updated periodically, under the yellow light bulb, Our Collective Wisdom, and remember to share the link with newbie CPAPers on the forum and in life.

2. Refer others to cpaptalk-articles.php or if they prefer to not use a commercial web site, to http://www.smart-sleep-apnea.blogspot.com/ . Give these links to your primary care physician, sleep doctor, pulmonologist, cardiologist, ENT, eye doctor, hospital sleep lab, dentist, etc. When I went in for my first sleep study, I found out about cpaptalk.com through a hospital lab sleep tech who heard about it from a patient. These people are in a position to let others know where to find information early in their diagnosis and treatment. My PCP refers her sleep apnea patients to these links.

3. If you’re really brave and optimistic, you could even give the links to your brick-and-mortar DME!

4. If the healthcare professionals are “too busy” to check out a link, you can print out an article they most need and give it to them; for example, http://smart-sleep-apnea.blogspot.com/2 ... blems.html. Just saw this on a TV commercial: Knowledge is contagious. Invade truth!

5. If you know someone who could benefit from the articles who doesn’t use a computer or who has vision problems, PM me. I have Word files of my articles that could be printed in a larger font.

6. Please write your own articles, including related topics not currently listed, and submit them to cpaptalk.com. They will modify the list so your article has a place. The articles don’t have to be as long as the current articles. If you choose not to write a whole article, but you find something that should be saved in the “archives” of Our Collective Wisdom, submit that link. It will be added to an existing article or a new title/topic will be made.

7. Invite informed healthcare professionals (doctors and sleep techs and knowledgeable respiratory therapists) to write and submit articles.

8. Since you know some of the warning signs, be alert for others who may have undiagnosed sleep apnea. Give them the link or article on Evaluating Your Sleep, or the list of symptoms from cpaptalk-articles/evaluating-sleep-apnea.html, or use a list of warning signs from other sites or pamphlets. Many of us in revealing our experience with sleep apnea have alerted family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, friends-of-friends who then find they have sleep apnea. I’m including the links in my Christmas card letter, the cards I haven’t sent for years because of undiagnosed sleep apnea.

9. If you know someone who has given up on CPAP, point them to the help available on cpaptalk.com.

10. Keep up the great work and humor on the forum and thank you!

11. If you have them in your area, attend AWAKE meetings and contribute your knowledge, or make a presentation at an AWAKE meeting or other group. Many professional groups are looking for speakers. PM me for a program design for an audience of CPAPers.

12. Write an article or letter to the editor for a newsletter, local paper, or magazine about obstructive sleep apnea.

What else?

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): newsletter, newbie, CPAP, DME

Congrats on your anniversary!!!! And a big thankyou for all the work you've done on your blogspot. I have learned so much from it.

Keep up the good work!

Brenda

I too just celebrated my 1 year anniversary on November 17. So close to Thanksgiving-very appropriate I feel. I live by the saying PAY IT FORWARD!

Linda, heartfelt congratulations on your one year "CPAP" anniversary!

You've accomplished so much in your own treatment. And you're helping sooooooooooooooo many others with the work you continue to do on your fantastic information resource --

Your absolutely great http://www.smart-sleep-apnea.blogspot.com/ !!

Many happy returns to you!

Good going MHS!!!!!

I turned one year, too!......Ain't it great!!!!!

I'm with you as we get moving on year #2.

Best wishes & Happy Holidays!

Happy First Aniversary Mile High Sleeper,

Mile High, it is hard to beleive that you "just" got your first year under your belt. Your site is amazing and so informative that one would think you have years of expereince.

I would like to congratulate you for your initiative and well written articles.

Thank you for all your hard work, effort and sharing with the rest of us.

And yes I tell everyone about OSA this site, yours and everything else I have learned.

Once again congratulations and thank you.