Newbie

Hi - I wanted to say hello. I don't know if that's required. I have been reading a few posts and have ejoyed them much.

I have Sleep Apnea - OSA & one of the other ones...forgot already! I need a nap!

This whole apnea thing is something I thought only men had so I was surprised, especially, since I do not snore very much and am not obese.

Started having problems a few years ago. The fatigue is what hit me first and the hardest. I kept feeling more and more tired all the time. I have Fibromyalgia also and being very tired is a by-product of that as well.

I did not know I had another problem until I would break into tears at the thought of going from one room to the other because the energy just was...not...there!

I have been hooked up now for about two weeks and I seem to feel some vague improvement. I say vague because I do not sleep very long at a time - 5 hours max and it is slow going trying to recoup from years of deprivation I suppose.

I had the difficulty in speaking - could not get the word out my mouth even though I knew what I wanted to say. I have been diagnosed as very depressed and treated for that, which has not helped at all.

I have no interest in anything at all - I do not want to go anywhere, not to speak to anyone, not to see anyone. I have become a recluse within the past two years.

I have a lot of faith in this, and I am going for it with all that I've got. If anyone has any tips or tricks of how to get the very most out of the treatment, I'll dance a jig for you when I have the energy!

I have question, questions, now that I am where I may find some but I will be gentle on you guys, OK.

Right now just, Thanks for being here!! I was honestly waiting to die.

Best-

Hi, and welcome to a place that should be able to help you feel a lot better! What would help even more is if you can go into your 'Profile' and fill in the gaps (which will then appear under all your posts automatically) of which equipment you're using, etc. It's important to give the full name of your machine with whatever is written on top of it, plus the type of mask you have (with mfg's name) too, so then people can relate their advice to your set-up. There is a lot to learn (click on the yellow bulb at the top of the main forum page), but you can get a lot out of it too. Your trouble may be that the mask either doesn't fit properly (and there are enough out there that it should be possible for you to find the right one) or possibly that you breathe with your mouth open once you're asleep (lots of us do) and so may need a different type of mask that won't let you lose all the 'good air' as fast as it comes in. Or it may just be that you will take a while to see benefits, though I do think that by now you could be seeing a bit more improvement. It's also important to sort out where your fibromyalgia and depression begin and end VS the OSA, though that may take a while as a lot of the depression may be due to OSA of course. Anyhow, get back with the info. and then people will respond.

Sehvin,

Thanks for joining, and welcome to the community. There are lots of people here who are or were in the same boat as you. Do click on the Our Collective Wisdom yellow light bulb at the top of the page and then click on some of the articles found there. I would recommend clicking the "Help for New or Struggling CPAP Users" link, then under the "How Long Until I Feel Better?" section, click on and read at least the Seven Stages of CPAP and What is Feeling Good? and CPAP Adaptation stages.

cpaptalk-articles/31/Help-For-New-or-St ... Users.html


I can definitely empathize with your struggle with fatigue. Pre-CPAP I felt like the life had been sucked right out of me. I could sleep and sleep and never feel rested. I could easily spend an entire day sitting in my recliner vapidly watching whatever happened to be on TV. On the weekends I would often skip shaving and showering because it was just too much work. The artilces I suggested called this being in the "Walking Dead" stage, and it described me exactly.

I'm glad to hear that you are seeing some improvement. The first weeks of CPAP therapy can be a struggle for many people, so be prepared. In addition to the mental hurdles, many people have difficulty with their equipment, or their equipment providers (known as DME's), and sadly even their Dr's. This site, and the people that post here regularly are loaded with knowledge and experiance and encouragment and want to help new and struggling Cpap users, such as yourself. When you have the energy, do fill in your equipment type in your profile. Different equipment and mask types have different problems and solutions, so that is why it is important to have this info posted.

Please, do not hesitate to bring any and all questions that you have to the forum. All questions are welcome here, and so are you!

Alan

Welcome kiddo, you've come to the right place .....alot of what you say sounds familiar . you're not alone, we are all in this together *

Welcome sehvinn, your story sounds very familar, you're not alone.

sehvinn wrote: I have been hooked up now for about two weeks and I seem to feel some vague improvement. I say vague because I do not sleep very long at a time - 5 hours max and it is slow going trying to recoup from years of deprivation I suppose.

Grab on to that "vague improvement" as a morale booster. The first signs of improvement are vague. I thought I was imagining them. But the body heals the inside first, so there aren't alot of visible improvements early.

sehvinn wrote: I have a lot of faith in this, and I am going for it with all that I've got. If anyone has any tips or tricks of how to get the very most out of the treatment, I'll dance a jig for you when I have the energy!

You've got a great additude.

sehvinn wrote: I have question, questions, now that I am where I may find some but I will be gentle on you guys, OK.

Ask away,

Welcome Glad that you are doing cpap and that it is helping a bit. Please read lots on this forum because it is the best education around. I started cpap several months ago and it has improved some parts of my life.

You will note slow improvements over the next several months and may be very pleased by then. Remember that you have fibro and other issues to deal with that took years to develop and it takes time.

Thanks for all the 'Hellos' and 'Welcomes'!

OK. I filled out my profile info once more - must have not clicked submit last time. It should stay there now. Even with the blanks filled in I still look a bit boring on the profile side.

No way to be but out with it (I may not have the time to waste) I read some of the articles suggested and all I can say is that I cried the entire time. I felt as if Mike and Perry, both, had grabbed one of the ragged edges of my soul, that have been flapping about like a flag in a mean wind, and wrote down just what they saw there.

It is all there; the fear, the feeling that something is majorly wrong. And that 'walking dead' thing! Finally, a phrase that describes it! Thanks to both of you fellows as wellas everyone who has contributed input on those pages. I will visit there again often and again, soon.

Following is what I know so far...after a few years of asking first this doc then the other about my fatique without any suggestions at all beyond; it's the fibro, it's menopause, it's stress, etc. I have tried to keep it as concise as possible.

Diagnosis proceeded quickly once someone uttered the word Apnea. At first, I was asked to bring home one of those pocket computerized jobs (that you breathe into while you sleep) to get an idea whether or not I had apnea. It showed 50 events in a 3 hour span.

Well, when I went for my sleep study I was there, of course, all night but no CPAP. Next time at the doc the results were that I had slept 219 mins out of 8 hours. I spent 10% (21 mins) in getting to sleep and the rest hovering between stage 1 and 2. No stage 3, or, REM sleep. At one point I was having 200 events an hour - how in the world is this possible?? And still having a high number of events the remainder of the time. Hmmm... The sleep doctor was upset about it.

Two weeks later I went for my (forgot what it was called) to be hooked up to the CPAP and studied again - all night. The sleep doc was even more upset because the pressure on the CPAP would not go high enough to stop the events. She changed it to BiPAP with a pressure of 29 and I was still having events. I can say she got quite frantic over the readings. And she seemed like it was something I was doing on purpose because she couldn't fix it. Weird

My Doc seems to think I may have a combination of apneas and wants me back in three months to have another look see. At $2000 a night this is costly, yes? He has a sleep lab in the same building as his office - this is good.

With the results, he was not surpirsed at how exhasuted I am all the time. That, also, may be a reason that bouncing back is a bit slow. Plus, yes, the Fibro and the depression. It has to take time to sort out. I did not get this way overnight - it's been about 6 years.

Welcome, Sehvinn!

You're going to love this place. It sounds like you've got a ways to go, but you're on the right track. Hang in there, honey. You are not alone anymore.

Paula

Welcome to the forum, as you we all have problems for the most part. This is a great place to learn. Encore Pro is useful in helping you track your progress since your machine makes use of data. Jim

I too felt despair when I started cpap. I stumbled across this forum and found some really great people. The advice and support I get here is priceless and I am forever thankful and indebted to these kind people. I try to post as I learn and hopefully pass along useful information. Please feel free to give vent to all your fears, frustrations and questions here. Everyone progresses at their own pace. This forum makes it easier. I wish you the best.

Welcome to the forum sehvinn. I hope you see the degree of improvement that I have had with cpap. I also have fibromyalgia in addition to the osa. When I look back and to where I was pre-cpap and now it is like I was raised from the dead. Slow and steady and you'll get there. Good luck!

hugs,
Mist

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Welcome to the forum sehvinn!!! We're here to help.....

While you're looking at all the information that's available, don't forget to laugh once in a while -- check this one out:

viewtopic.php?t=5949

Laughter is a very important part of any therapy.
Mike also has a book out, "This Book Blows" -- it's also a good thing to have at the bedside.
Every time I'm feeling down about how it's going -- (Like the other night when my max leak rate was 59% and was 259.7 minutes -- HC431 Full Face Mask -- certainly not my favorite!!! With those numbers it's no wonder I felt like crapola the next day!!!! ) -- I reach for the book and get a few laughs and all seems well with the world again.....I find that it thankfully doesn't take much energy to smile and laugh!!

You seem to have a great attitude towards your treatment -- keep at it -- it does get better!!!!

take care
cheers
goose