Please tell me it's going to be OK!

I don't see a section to post introductions so I'll just plop this in here. If it's not appropriate perhaps a mod will tell me the correct place for it.

I snore. I doze during the news after supper. I get up for the bathroom 2, 3, 4 times a night. I'm a happy go lucky guy who has no real gripes in his life. I met the woman of my dreams. She said yes. We are getting married in July. I told her before our first night together that I snored, she said she would bring her earplugs. All was well and good until one morning she told me how concerned she was about my sleeping. She said I stop breathing and she lays awake listening and worrying until I start again. She asked me to ask my doctor about it and as proof played a recording she had made on her cellphone. I listened, wow, 90 seconds, 2 minutes!? I can't hold my breath that long when I 'm awake.

The doc scheduled a sleep study at the hospital. The technician was kind and didn't pull my hair while she was hooking up the wires. She explained that they would watch me sleep awhile and then if it was warranted, she would wake me up to try sleeping with a mask on. That was last Tuesday night. At some point she came in and explained that she wanted to try a nasal mask and asked if I could sleep with my mouth closed. UUUUGGG, wind blowing up my nose and out my mouth if I tried to answer her questions...we never even got that thing fitted to my face. "Can we try one that covers both your mouth and nose?"
"Sure, I slept with a gas mask in a wet foxhole in the army." We got it on and I tossed and turned and took the mask off...she came in and kindly helped me put it back on. I tried to tell her I just wanted to finish up and get out. She said the best way out was to put the mask back on and try to sleep. I eventually managed to do that. She woke me up sometime later and said I could leave as soon as she got me unhooked...I didn't waste any time...she asked a lot of questions about how long I had slept, how I felt, Did I feel better worse or about the same as usual. "Yeah Right Lady! I've been hooked up like a radio transmitter with a stanger watching me on a videocamera wearing a mask that blows air all night...and if you don't know how long I slept after having me hooked up to all that stuff I'm not going to tell you! "

I meet with my doctor on Thursday. I'm scared, Somebody tell me it's going to be OK.

Welcome, and congrats on the upcoming nuptials. My wife has been listening to me for years sure that she would hear me stop breathing but never did. I've been exhausted for a long time, the Dr. convinced me to do an at home Oximeter study, which I agreed to since I knew that I wasn't going in for a sleep study. I have a medical background and when I woke in the night and saw an 84% reading on Oximeter I knew I had problems and would have to step up to the plate to deal with them. That was 3 months ago. Last night was my second night on APAP and it went pretty well, I didn't get up once, though I woke up a couple of times. I'm just running the stats on last nights events to see how I did.

Search for my posts I only have a couple one is with a very long introduction have a lot of other health issues like Restless Leg Syndrome but some nights I've been up every hour of the night. My advice is to take the bull by the horns and take control of your health. Don't let the Dr's, DME (equipment provider) or RT - Respiratory Therapist decide everything for you without input. I think that is the key to making a success out of sleep therapy. Of course everyone is different and your mileage may vary.

Make sure to get a full copy of your sleep study, read it and ask questions. Study this site and CPAP.com to look at equipment and learn everything you can about sleep therapy, it will make a difference for you. If your Dr is working out for your be sure to switch Dr's it can be amazing at the difference that can make.

Good Luck and keep us posted.
John

From what you describe, there are a couple of things that are apparent:

1. You DO have sleep apnea, and it's severe enough that they went ahead and put a mask on you to titrate your pressures. This means that they tested you to see what pressure in the CPAP machine is required stop your airway from shutting down and cutting off your breathing. They generally don't do this unless the first half of the test shows that you have significant apnea.

2. You will be on a PAP machine. The titration part of your test will help them determine optimal pressure settings for your machine.

3. It will be the BEST thing that has happened to you (besides meeting the love of your life and getting married). With the machine you will not snore and you will not stop breathing. You will feel better than you even know because you may not perceive how bad you are feeling now. Your health will be much better.

4. It may not be easy at first. Getting used to the machine and mask isn't always easy, but it is worth it in the end.

5. Your new bride will be thrilled with your lack of snoring, your increased energy and health, and other great effects.

Read up, study up, so you know what you are getting into. Start with the lightbulb up at the top of the home page--good stuff.

IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY!


It will be okay.

Of course you couldnt sleep under those conditions.. its crazy.. although some folks manage..

Best thing to do right now, is read everything you can on the site, cpap newbie stuff, the wiki, cpap definitions videos, etc.

Try to familiarize yourself with the terms, write down a list of questions for the doctor..

Try to get a data capable machine FOR SURE..

You CAN sleep with a nasal mask or nose pillows if you keep your mouth shut.. (some of us tape ours!)
there are cpap caps and chin straps..

I was given an auto machine right of the bat, (whats that?) It finds the exact pressure you need all night long instead of
straight cpap... one pressure.. I would imagine since you didnt sleep much with the mask they may send you home
with an auto matic cpap to do an at home titration..(what pressure you need to keep your airway open)
youll be spending a lot of time here! Everyone here will help you with every
single problem you have until ITS OKAY!

This was my initial set up.. fischer and pakal nose pillows with opus 360 headgear.. I consider these training wheels for beginners..
AND YOU WILL GET USED TO THAT FRIGGEN AIR BLOWING UP YOUR NOSE.. you will hate it at first, but soon, you will be
able to breath against it...

read read read! get your list ready... the key is to get a good fitting mask, or nose pillows, and a good data capable machine.. and once you get
that you can get all the advice you need here..
I would suggest getting an AUTO CPAP, if you can swing it! If you end up being a severe case, your doctor should give you anything you want..
If he/she doesnt.. dont give up, get what you need.. and what you want. and youll find that out by being here..

WELCOME!

Of course it is going to be okay!

The important thing is to NOT PANIC!

The treatment is pretty simple, air pressure, keeping your airway open at night. No needles, no drugs, just air. It WILL take getting used to. It WILL improve your health--just think of all the cells you are starving for oxygen every time you stop breathing. They will be so happy when they get the oxygen they need!

The important thing to remember is that you are the one in charge of your healthcare. Not your doctor, not your insurance company, YOU! You have to ask the questions (and I know, right now your head is spinning and you don't know what to ask) and you have to arm yourself with information. Do not accept anything except a data capable machine. They are billed as the same insurance code as a compliance only machine, so make sure you get what you need. If you get a good, data capable machine, you can know it is working--otherwise you are in the dark.

Attitude is everything, with CPAP just as in life. Go at this knowing YOU CAN DO IT! Don't say, "I'll try..." You will DO IT!

Let us know how it goes for you!

Welcome to the forum, Snips! It's gonna be ok. Really. It'll be weird at first, but you'll get the hang of it. Sounds like you have apnea, and the best treatment for that is currently XPAP therapy. My first suggestion is to read everything you can on this site. Particularly, educate yourself about the different machines and masks available. When the time comes to get your machine, do NOT let the medical-powers-that-be provide you a machine that is not FULLY data capable (which is not the same as compliance data capable.) One that can run in both CPAP and APAP offers the most flexibility while you're figuring out the best pressures and masks. If you have medical insurance, find out right away, from the insurance people, not a medical supplier, what they cover. Many times you end up paying less out of pocket to purchase your stuff online and get reimbursed. Beware of the year-long rental programs many DME's have--they'll cost you a bundle. Since it appears that you might be a mouth breather, understand that this can impact your therapy and plan accordingly. And your bride-to-be will be glad that you're getting this situation under control, because it means you'll be around in great shape longer. And NOT treating apnea can lead to circulation issues, which can lead to bedroom problems of another variety, so she'll be glad on that front, too. Let us know how things go.

Thanks you all for the welcome and for the knowlege you are posting on the forum. I've looked and I don't really see an "about us" page that tells who pays the bills around here. Is this forum sponsered by a company?

I'm very much a glass half full guy. I WILL be fully involved in my treatment cuz after the wedding I'll be living in a remote area of the world. Finding a cpap technician will require about 1100 miles of travel. That's one of the main reasons my fiance was so anxious that I get it checked. I'm not looking for an easy fix just assurance that A. this pap stuff is worth the trouble, B. I can learn to handle all this stuff myself, and C. that I can find a place online to go for help when I need it.

You guys have helped with your responses, thanks and I'll post more when I know more. One more question. What's so special about having the pap pressure going in your nose as opposed to mouth and nose? I know that my experience at the sleep study is not exactly representative of having my own machine and mask that I've (somehow) gotten used to, but the whole deal of fighting to keep my throat closed and windpipe open with the nose mask was allieviated with the face mask. I read about masks but didn't understand the point unless one had a beard or other reason not to like the face mask. Maybe I should wait and let my doctor explain this as I don't want to go in with a lot of preconceptions...just a lot of knowlege.

If you can breathe well enough through your nose AND keep your mouth shut so the air doesn't leak out of your mouth, a nasal mask is better. One reason is that full face masks tend to leak more than nasal masks just because there is more surface area for leaks.

One thing I've always wondered about personally is this: Nasal breathing is superior to oral breathing for a variety of reasons, including that opening your mouth (even without breathing through it) facilitates airway collapse. So I've wondered, if opening your mouth, and if breathing through your mouth, are inferior to nasal breathing, why aren't full face masks inferior in that any oral breathing or mouth opening should facilitate more collapse, therefore entailing higher pressures? No one has ever said that, though, so there's probably a good reason I'm the only one whose thought of it.

it will be ok...

this is my first week of my therapy, and I have to admit I am feeling better than before... I have slightly more energy than before, I dont feel like death sleep is hanging over my head after lunch, and I actually went through a meeting just now without yawning

it will be hard at the begining... getting used to the mask, spending the big money for the equipment, fighting with your insurance, getting the machine and mask set up correctly, and constant monitor to make sure you get the right result...

But at the end, you have to remind yourself that all this is worth it... it is for your health, so that you can be alive and be there for the people you love and care for...

all the best, and good luck with your road to recovery...

Hello and welcome. The circumstances of your future location make it a very good thing you are getting a jump start on all this. Our forum hosts sell equipment on cpap.com and there's auction equipment available from various vendors and individuals at cpapauction.com. It will be important for you to have the doctors give you prescriptions in hand for your machine and masks. Maybe some others here can help you with what those scripts need to say to give you the best options in equipment. Seems even the masks need to be more specific these days. You'll need prescriptions even when ordering online. If there's any question on the reliability of the electrical system where you are going, battery backup may be something else to consider.

Since you didn't sleep much during your titration, that's all the more reason why you must have a data capable machine, as there's a good chance your time in the lab will not be representative of your time sleeping at home, and your pressure may need adjusted to optimize your treatment. I hope you can get things rolling here real fast so you have time to do any mask exchanges etc. before moving. It may be that your results will dictate if you have special needs in a machine. If you require a high pressure, a bilevel might make the treatment more comfortable. If you were to happen to have shown central sleep apnea or complex sleep apnea, that could be another consideration. That's why it will be a good idea to know the details of your results before getting a machine. For run-of-the-mill obstructive sleep apnea and with pressures below 15, any data capable cpap or apap will likely do. Yes -it's so very worth it, you can do it, and it is gonna be more okay than you can even imagine.

It will be ok...

Yes this place is sponsored by a company... cpap dot com

And yes you really need to get a fully data capable machine when you live that far away from civilization. Do you have power issues where you'll be at? You may also need to look at some kind of battery setup as well if you do.

Not only is it going to be ok you are going to feel so much better when you get set up and settled in using your equipment.
I started my journey looking for a way to stop snoring os mw wife and I could sleep in the same room again. I had no idea that I had sleep apena. That the severe tiredness i had was not related to my arthritis meds it was from the disrupted sleep I was getting. Now four months later my therapy is going real well. I have a lot more energy. I feel happier and less grouchy in the mornings. Instead of dreading how I coud make it through the day i am planning all the things I wish to do for the day.
For me the change has been gradual. I feel a difference it has improved the quality of my life. When you get used to the gear it will for you as well.

Good luck !

snipsnsnails wrote: "Sure, I slept with a gas mask in a wet foxhole in the army."

I'm scared, Somebody tell me it's going to be OK.

#1 Thank you for your service.


#2 You already know about "not liking it but doing it anyway." Get 'er done.

#3 Yes, it might be a hassle for the first week or two, but you will feel much better. And your wife won't have to worry anymore...

#4 Congrats!

v/r SleepyTiger

Hmm, something tells me Sleepy Tiger knows what a frozen chicken a la king MRE tastes like as well. Thanks folks! I'm reading and learning.

Our stories are very similar.

I didn't have as much problem with the sleep study though. My initial AHI was 114.4, my O2 saturation dropped into the 60's, my longest apnea was 144 seconds, several hundred limb movements. Eye opening and scary experience. I started with a full face mask, but learned to not mouth breath and now use nasal pillow or cushion. A lot more comfortable. I have been on APAP for almost 5 years now. My AHI hasn't been over 2 for years, don't get up to pee at night, O2 sat doesn't go lower than 88. My wife sleeps better, I feel better. Once you find the right mask and get used to it (far easier in your own bed) you will be surprised at how much better you sleep.

I remember about a week after I started, didn't have to go to work the next morning, I slept 14 hours without waking up once. I had been usually gating no more than 6 hours sleep a night and getting up a minimum of 2 times to pee.

Stick with it, you have lots of years to share with your special lady!