CPAPtalk.com

I'll share my success story with you. I was referred to a neurologist for muscle problems. In addition to a full neuro exam, she also screened me for OSA and 2 sleep studies later and 2 months later I had my Resmed Auto. Actually, after my first failed sleep study, the neurologist offered to set me up with an auto (to be titratated at home); unfortunately, I was too scared to get started, so I put it off until my next scheduled titration in the sleep lab! As I look back, I realize how stupid that was...here I was sleeping sitting up in a recliner every night, so that I could breathe! If I had only known about this website then, I probably would have taken the MD up on her offer.

The DME, Red Oak Medical, was great to work with. They also told me about this website! After one month, I called MD asking for a Bi-pap auto. One week later, Red Oak Medical brought me my new machine. I love my machine. My insurance company, Blue Cross of Illinois has paid well on all of my OSA claims.

This website has been my best friend since May 20th, 06! I visit almost everyday. It took me a good month to be able to sleep through the night.
But reading all the posts and asking some questions of my own, has been an integral part of my success adjusting to life as a hosehead. I wouldn't even consider taking a nap without it! I'm happy to report that not only am I back in my own bed, but I am sleeping FLAT and on my back...which is something I hadn't done in awhile.

Reading the stories of frustration are also helpful, because those stories showed me that I was not alone...other people shared my frustrations too!

THe wonderful people on the board have been my savior. Good posts and whiny posts...they are all GOOD.

Barb

I had been on bi-pap for a year. My first sleep study was a failure...they set me up for the second, and realized I had OSA. So, another sleep study to get me titrated, which was in my mind, partially unsuccessful, since they couldn't find a good pressure that I could tolerate that wouldn't wake me up. They sent me home with a bi-pap, and that was supposed to solve all of my problems. A year, several follow-ups with the sleep doctor, and about 4 different masks later, I went back to the sleep doctor again and said look, this just is NOT working! I was still exhausted and falling asleep driving and waking up with headaches and the whole 9 yards! He looked at my last sleep study again, and said I was having all kinds of weird stuff going on. Said it looked like I was having CENTRAL apneas, and wanted to try me on this new machine....and so set me up for the FOURTH sleep study in a one year period. Thank God for good insurance! The new machine is the ResMed VPap Adapt SV, which was developed specifically for central apnea.

The good news is, after a year of trying to make cpap work, I am finally seeing baby step improvements! Before, I used to wake up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck. All I wanted to do was roll over and go back to sleep. Getting out of bed was a fate worse than death. Now, the alarm goes off, and I still groan about having to get up, but I can GET UP. I have more energy during the day, and I feel like I'm more alert. I'm still struggling, but I'm 100% compliant, and I think the biggest part of the problem is trying to work off a sleep debt. Now, if I fall asleep forgetting to put the mask on, boy do I hear about it from my husband, because he says I kick him all night long, and then I wake up with my head about to explode and that truck is back.

After a year, I'm finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel! Now if I can just quit my second job and be able to get more than about 6 hours of sleep at night, I'll probably be doing fabulous! I guess the key to the whole thing is just being patient. We didn't get in this sleep and oxygen deprived condition overnight...we're certainly not going to come out of it overnight either.

"Help Comes in many Flavors", our needs are varied. The good thing is, this Forum has more than Vanilla & Chocolate. Jim