Achieved coma status last night

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 5:34 am

Hi all,
I went to bed early and hit coma status almost immediately. Before I knew it, the alarm was going off and it was time to wake up. I've only been up for 1 hr. and have had 1 cup of coffee..and here I am being functional....I guess things are getting better. I hope this last throughout the day. Progress..it's a wonderful thing!!! (I know, I know...you all told me so...)

Hey Sleepless...your invention worked much better than mine..no swoosh marks this morning...yeah!

Amy

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 6:01 am

Amy, that is wonderful news! I'm so happy for you.

Even if this doesn't last all day be glad for however long it does. Then sleep well again tonight, secure in the knowlege that you can succeed.

Isn't it great to finally have some absolute proof that you can take back control instead of having OSA control you?

Tonight when you go to bed, look at your xPAP and think of the refrain from that Beatles tune:

I've got to admit it's getting better
a little better all the time
I have to admit it's getting better
it's getting better since you've been mine

sir_cumference · Post by **sir_cumference** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 6:33 am

amy - - at least it works sometimes!

Great to here you had a good night, long may it continue.

sir_c

Barb (Seattle) · Post by **Barb (Seattle)** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:30 am

HORRAAAY! I'm glad you had a great night!

MaskedMan · Post by **MaskedMan** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:42 am

I've slept in a coma status for as long as I can remember - both before and after being on cpap I would fall asleep in an instant and virtually nothing can wake me up. Its been a concern of mine in addition to the OSA - I mean a smoke alarm, severe storms, shaking the daylights out of me, etc will not wake me up. I've had people call and the phone on loud setting next to the nightstand took 85 rings before I even knew. I have 5 alarms clocks set at different few minute intervals to wake me up and even still I hit snoozes across the board. I get up after a few snooze hits because frankly alarm 1 goes off and I hit snooze, I get back in back (the alarms are also on different ends of the room) and alarm 2 goes off with a minute, hit snooze, get in bed, alarm 3 sounds, etc, etc. Often time multiple alarms are going off for 30 minutes before I even hear them. Its the hassle of the rotating alarms throughout the room that wakes me up more than anything. I alway select the loudest, most obnoxious alarms possible. When I was younger with all these alarms, my parents would shake me, pour cold water on me, pound on me, scream at me, etc and it just would not wake me up.

Prior to CPAP the docs said be happy I get to sleep. I thought after I was diagnosed with severe OSA that over time this coma state would improve. It hasn't and the docs still say just be happy now I get a restful sleep.

I am seriously concerned with this though but none of the docs think its an issue. I've tried everything I can possible think of and used help of everyone else, bu can't get out of this state. Everyone including the docs tell me to be happy that I get to sleep right aways and its undisturbed. However, it was obviously not undistrurbed since I has OSA. Its very concerning to me, but doesn't seem to be to anyone else - I've been to 4 docs over it and none have any concern whatsoever or can provide any guidance. I can't begin to convery how difficult it is to wake me up.

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:12 pm

Masked Man...have you ever been tested for Narcolepsy?? Your story is VERY similar to my daughter's. For 18 years I've had to drag her butt out of bed each and every morning. Doctors told us to leave her there...let her suffer the consequences of her actions. Tried that...she just got into trouble and in this wonderful little town (not) that I live in, if you're late to school....you get sent to COURT!!! We had to go to the county courthouse and get yelled at by the judge..twice!. Then she had to serve in-school detentions. None of it helped. We used to set 3 alarm clocks in her room...she slept through all of them. One morning, she came downstairs, had breakfast, went back to bed and didn't remember any of it. She finally begged for a sleep study and boy was she narcoleptic....no doubt about it. The couldn't keep her awake.....Her study started around 8:00 pm. They woke her around 6:00 a.m. and then let her sleep every 2 hours after that. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow every time. I finally picked her up at 4:00 pm the next day....and she was exhausted.
Does any of this sound familiar to you??? If it does, talk to your doctor.
Good luck! Amy

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:15 pm

WAFlowers wrote:Amy, that is wonderful news! I'm so happy for you.

Thanks!!!! Um, Bill...what's with the dog....we miss your sexy smile
Did you have a sex change or did you meet up with the "invasion of the body snatchers" (I think you need a shave...everywhere).
Just kidding....Amy

OldSeaRock · Post by **OldSeaRock** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:20 pm

!

Excellent to hear of your good rest, Amy....

You go, girl!

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:35 pm

yawn wrote:Thanks!!!! Um, Bill...what's with the dog....we miss your sexy smile
Did you have a sex change or did you meet up with the "invasion of the body snatchers" (I think you need a shave...everywhere).
Just kidding....Amy

Amy, you say the nicest things. I noticed that others have pet avatars and I really liked that shot of our newest dog (she's 7 but we've had her only 4 months) so I decided to switch for a while.

lindas88 · Post by **lindas88** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:41 pm

Bill Flowers......your dog is cute...but you're cuter...

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:45 pm

Bill, great photo of you...oh, wait. Just put on the reading glasses. Cute pooch.

AMY!!! YEA!!!! I just read this post. I didn't know you had such an incredible sleep last night. It should happen to me!!! I am having such a bad time with these huge puffs of air breaking through even Tegaderm patches. I don't know what's up with this. Why every 45 seconds am I puffing air out of my mouth now? If I don't figure this out, I may never get some sleep. I think I'm just going to mouth breathe and so be it. My AHI is fine and I was feeling great without all these patches and trials of mouth guards, etc., I might just leave it alone. If it starts to affect my condition, then we may have a problem. But there doesn't seem to be a fix for bursts of air coming out of your mouth that actually blow off the tapes...

As for you, I wish every night will be as great as it was last night. And although we both know how unrealistic it is to expect that, isn't it nice to know you can have that every once in awhile? I'm still waiting for one night of that. I consider you one of the lucky ones now.

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:51 pm

Hey Lori,
I think you have a good plan. Maybe you should just forget about the mouth breathing and see what happens. What upset me the most yesterday was that I woke myself up snoring....I haven't done that since starting CPAP so I was really scared that this wasn't going to work for me...I panicked. Some days I find myself worrying about every little thing that happens (associated with OSA and CPAP)...I analyze all of it and I'm not so sure that's a good thing. There's that old saying...If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Well, if you feel better without taping your mouth, and you're getting good results...why worry about your mouth breathing. I don't know, maybe that's bad advice (any medical people out there?) but give it a try tonight and see what happens.
Keep me posted (ha..ha..ha..) Amy
Did you know that I grew up in Connecticut (Go Huskies!!!)?

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:56 pm

Amy,

Your post made me smile, seriously. You sound like a complete one-eighty from the day before. I am so happy for you, honestly.

Why are you still awake, oh yawning one from the previous post??? And who knew you grew up in Connecticut? Did you share that information or do you just think we all have ESP, you silly girl, you?

I have to admit, this could be embarassing, but my reply is, and always has been, GO YANKEES!!!

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:02 pm

I don't know why I"m still awake...I keep promising myself that this is my last post...and then Bill or oldsearock...or anybody else writes something that I just have to comment on.
As far as the Yankees....they're a professional baseball team...the Huskies are the UCONN Huskies....college. Now, the Red Sox...that's a whole different ball game !
Regarding the 180...maybe I'm manic...or maybe it's multiple personality..or maybe I'm just so gosh darn tired that I'm getting loopey.....
yeah...I think that's it.. I guess I better put myself to bed....my eyes are only half open...I'm getting sleepy...very sleepy........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

MaskedMan · Post by **MaskedMan** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 9:21 am

yawn, thanks for the info. I'll have to bring up narcolepsy on my next visit. I did have a sleep study and told the doctor of my experience prior to it.

Ever see the Seinfeld episode where the characters switch doctors and find out previous doctors have written comments in their medical history? ie, Elaine was labeled as "difficult" and when her doctor reads the medical history, his demeanor gets very different with her.

I feel like that! I discuss the situation with the different doctors who seems concerned but then 15 minutes later I got the same answer - be happy to don't have problems getting to sleep or staying asleep.