Too tired for Thanksgiving dinner

I evidently am in the upper "mild" severity of OSA but I am so tired that I don't even want to think about cooking a big dinner for Thanksgiving. I can't even imagine how those of you who were much more severe must have felt. I know adjusting to the CPAP will "have its moments" but right now I want so much to feel like living a normal life that I am determined to do what I need to do to make it successful. I go Sunday night for my sleep lab with CPAP so wish me luck. I've read and read info. but still feel lost in all this. I know once I'm actually using CPAP it will make more sense. Be prepared for questions, however!!! And for those of you who are not just wanting to sleep through the day as I am - have a great Thanksgiving!!! Maybe next year I'll feel great and you can all come to Orlando for Thanksgiving dinner!
Barbara

btesterman wrote:I know adjusting to the CPAP will "have its moments" but right now I want so much to feel like living a normal life that I am determined to do what I need to do to make it successful. Barbara

Great attitude and approach, Barbara! You will learn to resolve the "moments" and you will be successful! Welcome to the forum. Ask anything here, and you'll get great help from folks who have also worked hard at this. I have loved my cpap since the day I got it, and cannot imagine a moment of sleep without it. The improvements have been amazing for me. Why not give yourself a break and do something simple like going out to dinner on Thanksgiving?!

Just pretend your Canadian eh - We did all that last month so its over.

Barbara good luck with your titration Sunday. Do you know if the place you are going for your titration is also a DME? Will they give you a machine and interface when you leave there or the next day or do you have to order it? An interface is a mask to deliever the therapy.
Hey Thanksgiving is Thanksgiving. Don't pass it by just because of OSA. Go about your life as you normally would and try to incorporate your new CPAP therapy into your life without making major changes and that includes skipping a holiday. Any major life changes are rough and could acutally cause sleep problems so just keep things are they rea and don't introduce any more problems. Hey at least you will sleep like a baby after having some turkey Thursday. Let someone else clean up or find someone else to do it and just enjoy and go take a nap.

Hey remember when you went on the OSA (osbstructive sleep apnea) journey you were making a new beginning to the rest of your life. Don't worry about the future, look forward to it.
Oh Smile too even if your tired it will make everyone wonder what the hell you are up to.
Gerry

Barbara, Kroger will do the whole dinner for you, just go an pick it up. Next year cook yourself when you feel better and invite me, I love Orlando!

I'm guessing, by the looks of the lab, that I'll go elsewhere for equipment. I know so little at this point. When I went the first time they just whipped off the wires and sent me home in the morning. I didn't hear back from my pulmonologist for about a week and a half. Which brings me to the question of who is it that will actually teach me about the equipment, numbers etc. It sounds like its rather involved.

YawnGirl wrote:Barbara, Kroger will do the whole dinner for you, just go an pick it up. Next year cook yourself when you feel better and invite me, I love Orlando!

I second that! Whole Foods will do it too, and a host of other places. Give yourself a break!

Look forward to seeing your posts as you start to feel better.

Hi btesterman,

My experience (on cpap for a month, and having some success!) was that the sleep lab did the titration, and after about two weeks (they had to write up the report) they called me to set up an appointment with the DME company. I brought my husband with me to the DME company, as I was too tired to learn well alone. The DME company gave me masks based on what the sleep technologist suggested from the titration. Take advantage of the time during titration to try out a few different styles of masks--nose mask, whole face mask, nasal pillows, nasal cushions.

The DME company also gave me the cpap machine, and told us briefly how to turn it on, but not what the numbers meant. I got most of my education about the numbers from this wonderful web site, and I also consulted with the respiratory therapist through cpap.com. The biggest piece of advice I have for you is, even if the DME rep tightens your mask firmly onto your face, don't think that's the best way to start. When you first put on the mask, lay down with the machine on and loosen it until it leaks. Then tighten it just until it doesn't leak. That way you have the best fit, and your face will be more comfortable. Expect to do a little adjusting when you turn on your side--that's normal, and you learn to do it just as if you are adjusting your head pillow--part of sleep. Also, I suggest the first time that you put on any new mask, do it during the afternoon and give yourself an hour or so to just play with it. That way you aren't expecting yourself to learn how to use it when you are exhausted at the end of the day. I know, you're exhausted all the time...but that will get much better!

Be gentle with yourself, both on Thanksgiving and as you learn your new healthy way of sleeping. I am thankful that I have this technology--if I had lived a generation ago I'd have to settle for the rest of my life being exhausted, all the side effects of sleep apnea, and not knowing why. That's what I'm going to focus on for Thanksgiving, and buy most of my meal for this year pre-cooked from our local health food store.

Cheers,

Happy Sleeper

btesterman wrote:I'm guessing, by the looks of the lab, that I'll go elsewhere for equipment. I know so little at this point. When I went the first time they just whipped off the wires and sent me home in the morning. I didn't hear back from my pulmonologist for about a week and a half. Which brings me to the question of who is it that will actually teach me about the equipment, numbers etc. It sounds like its rather involved.

Barbara, I was nearly ravenous to get going with therapy when I went in for my first sleep study. So I made a point to get to their sleep doc ahead of time to schedule my titration 2 nights following the all-night study. At the same time, I asked him how I could be sure I would be able to access an appropriate machine for home use immediately. I had read enough here to know what type of machine I wanted. So he agreed to see me within a day or so after the titration to go over the results--got me into a DME the same day for an immediate take-home machine. As I have read this forum for more than a year, I think I was lucky to get it all going so fast, but I did assert myself, and probably whimpered a little as I did so. (I later dumped the DME and bought what I really wanted most from cpap.com...but that's another story). If you seem unable to access the sleep doc ahead of time, try calling your primary care doc to intervene for you, to speed things up. Maybe call ahead to a bunch of DME's to see if they have the machine you want already on hand, to avoid a wait. Then be sure you instruct your sleep doc to write the script to allow you to get a quality, full-data reading machine.

btesterman wrote:I've read and read info. but still feel lost in all this. I know once I'm actually using CPAP it will make more sense.

I think that we all felt like that at first! I know that I was overwhelmed by all the information. It seems like there is SO much to learn about this new world of machines and masks and chip straps.... It does get easier to understand. Just take it one step at a time. You'll learn as you go. And yes, things will make more sense!

btesterman wrote:Maybe next year I'll feel great and you can all come to Orlando for Thanksgiving dinner!

Thanksgiving dinner at Barbara's next year!!! (Just kidding.)

~ DreamOn

btesterman wrote:I'm guessing, by the looks of the lab, that I'll go elsewhere for equipment. I know so little at this point. When I went the first time they just whipped off the wires and sent me home in the morning. I didn't hear back from my pulmonologist for about a week and a half. Which brings me to the question of who is it that will actually teach me about the equipment, numbers etc. It sounds like its rather involved.

I met with my sleep doctor/DME a week after the titration study and got my equipment that day. It takes them time to score and review your sleep study.

The respiratory tech/DME showed me the basics about the machine (how to turn it on, how to change the air filter, fitting the mask, cleaning, etc.). As far as learning about how to access "numbers" via the LCD screen, I learned that through this forum. You can find a detailed (clinician's) manual for your machine that shows how to access LCD information and change settings, and there are forum posts with instructions too. The DME will not normally divulge that information.

~ DreamOn

btesterman, you should go to a meeting with the DME or whoever you're getting machine and mask from with a list of questions. You'll want to ask questions about the machine, you'll want one capable of obtaining data, also, you'll want to ask about if there is a mask fitting feature with the machine, and how to use it.

My DME never told me about the one on my machine, and I was fighting leaks for over a month before I even knew one existed.

First, get thru Thanksgiving, and as others have suggested, bringing it in might be the best bet. What we're doing at my house is meeting a friend for Peking Duck in Chinatown in NYC. But whatever.

Good luck at your sleep study. I was told to bring my own pillow, and I was glad I did. Also, if the room is cold, ask for an extra blanket. I wore comfy pj's and socks to bed.

The tech will try different masks on you. Take a small notebook and write down the names of each mask, the ones you don't and do like, and the size. Once you do choose the mask for your study, be sure to ask the tech how to take it off, in case you need to go to the bathroom, or if it's not comfortable.

How you chose and buy your equipment will depend largely on your insurance situation, and what medical supply companies (DME's) they contract with. There is lot's of info here on that subject. Since I have a very high deductible and was paying for everything myself, I chose to buy from cpap.com.

The knowledgeable and generous people here taught me everything I know about choosing masks, cpap machine, software, and managing my therapy. My sleep doc, unfortunately has not been interested in such details, and just sent me to the local Medical Supplier, who seemed to know even less than me, and charged twice as much as cpap.com. Hopefully, your situation will be different.

Be sure to get a hard copy of your prescription and report.

You're on your way! Let us know how it goes.

As the others have said you will be referred to a DME (Durable medical equipment) the same kind of place you go to get crutches or a booty for your broken foot only these ones specialize in breathing equipment.
Make a list:
1- you want a fully data capable machine - all data not just compliance data (number of hours used) so you can see what you are experiencing while you sleep (breathing events, leaks ect)
ie Resmed Elite II (don't let them give you an "Escape") You may even want to call them ahead of time and find out what brand name they handle and then get on cpap.com and research the options - print out the description of the machine that you want and take it with you.

2- mask fitting - you wouldn't buy a pair of $300 shoes without walking in them. It must fit, they need to show you how to adjust it. How to clean it - make them write it down. When you get home wash it well.

3- the machine - make sure they show you assemble and how to clean the humidifier and when - Insist they write everything down. Take it apart and reassemble it there.

Don't let them rush you.
Also make sure you get a copy of the prescription the sleep doctor writes - It is your right as a patient to have this.

It all seemed horribly complicated to me. When I had been on the cpap machine for a while it all started to make sense again - the whole world suddenly started making sense again and run in technicolour!

Well, if you guys can get me through this and I feel good, what's an extra hundred or so people for dinner? Next question - what if I get equipment and don't like it? Seems it would be nice to have a "try it before ya buy it" agreement. Does that exist? I am anxious to get started (at the same time its a bit scary) but it will be good for me to have some time to "research" after I've experienced at least something. So far I've seen pictures and read comments but they will mean more I'm sure on Monday. Good suggestion about writing down brands and any other info they give me or I notice myself tomorrow night. I often THINK I'll remember something but....... I didn't fall asleep for over 3 hours for my initial study - I finally got up and went to the bathroom and took some Advil because my legs were aching which seemed to relax me enough that I went to sleep - so they want me to take Ambien for this one. The tech had to come in 3 different times to reattach electrodes which had fallen off from my tossing and turning. And I WILL remember socks this time. My feet were cold which probably didn't help.