Scared/Upset Newbie

I can't speak too much to your fears, but I hope you don't let the cPAP stuff get you too down. I had almost the opposite reaction when I heard I needed cpap, I was so tired that I was desperate to get started. I will say hang in there and that it really is all worth it. When my cpap treatment finally kicked in I felt so much better that it made it much easier to process my own emotions. It wasn't a magic pill that solved all my problems or anything, but finally having some energy and feeling rested sure helped.

If it helps, it never even occurred to me that using cpap was something people might be self conscious about. I never thought of wearing the mask as either attractive or unattractive. I did worry about some of the more practical aspects like hose management, noise, and airflow from the mask vents. That stuff all worked out just fine though so it wasn't anything to be overly concerned about. If you do worry about feeling unattractive wearing a cpap mask, I would try to take some solace in the fact that it is just something you wear and not who you are. You do get to take the mask off in the morning and being rested will probably make your more attractive during the day when people can actually see you. I figure "beauty rest" might have some basis in fact.

The bottom line though, if you are really that concerned about how your husband will react to your wearing a cpap mask. I suggest you talk to him about it. If you share your fear with him, that would probably lessen the burden of it and you could find out how he really feels about it. If he is a techie/gadget type of guy he might find the technology pretty cool. I know I did after I recovered enough to appreciate it. Hope you end up feeling better about it!

A used machine, even data-incapable, is better than NO machine at all, if your high deductible insurance would prevent you from getting one that IS data-capable. Keep an eye on your local Craigslist, where you might find an affordable one with data capabilities (ask here when you find one sale, and someone will tell you if it is a good data-capable machine), or try second wind dot com to see if they have any, once you become more acclimated to CPAP therapy.There are also CPAP machines here on this site that our hosts holds auctions for, and some are very affordable. If you manage to eventually find another machine later, hang on to the one you have now, mostr of us want a back-up machine, in case of an emergency. After you get used to it, you will wonder how you ever got along without CPAP! I have been on it now since Feb this yr and was pleasantly surprised when I started waking up earlier than normal feeling fully rested and ready to start my day with more energy than I have felt in the past 30 yrs. You will be pleasantly surprised, and become more healthy using your CPAP. I have a few extra masks, one or two without headgear, and one with headgear but smells of tobacco from the previous owner, but for price of postage, better than NO mask. and you can buy headgear on-line a lot cheaper than buying a mask, so if I can help you with a mask, please PM me.
Welcome to the hose-head club, and if you have any questions, post and we will try to help you. It is not as bad as you think because the benefit far outweighs the slight inconvenience of using CPAP. Tell the sleep tech at the center you are going for titration which machine you will be using, and she might have some tips you can use.

The truth is that too many of us were not born with the genes to live as long or as well as others.
How many of us come from families riddled with short life spans, heart disease, obesity, a plethora of related ills?
How many more have suffered for years before FINALLY getting a diagnosis, proving that we are not doomed to a lifetime of misery,
and that there is a simple, relatively pain-free solution for our biggest health obstacle?
Believe it or not, I wish I had the last 20 years back--that I could have been correctly diagnosed years ago--and that the
amazing equipment had been available that is out there now.
You may have trouble believing it now, newbie; but the day can come when you will tell others to "hang in there, it will get better".
This is a great time to be alive-and here!

Everyone above has really great things to say, which I whole heartedly agree with. One thing that jumped into mind when I read that you were wanting to cry (and I don't blame you at all) and feeling apprehensive is this... once you start treatment, you will be a different person, less prone to wanting to cry and despair, and more positive in your out look. Crying, despair, all these feelings, they are magnified by tiredness. You are understandably down and afraid now, but you will look at things differently once you get some decent sleep under your belt. Hanging around here the last nine months I have seen several amazing transitions in attitude and disposition, solely due to just getting that mask on a couple of nights in a row. People are far better able to rise to challenges, have hope, maintain positive outlooks, and endure major changes when well rested.

You've come to the right place. People here are eager to support you. Good luck!

ameriken wrote:Look at it this way: instead of a life sentence, think of it as being given a second life. Realistically, the sleep apnea could have killed you by now, however you caught it in time and were given the chance to save yourself. So, instead of a life sentence, you've been given a new lease on life.

Here, take a look at this person, who didn't get the same chance as all of us.

viewtopic/t63178/quotDeadliest-Catchquo ... Apnea.html

Oh. Wow. THIS I will show to my husband who is a devotee of the show.

Wow.

I am SO grateful for the positive feedback. Looking forward to having one myself.

Will talk to the techs about the type of machine I have, and if a new one is in order. Hopefully the one I have will be enough to get me started? If not, I can better deal with the financial aspects after getting some real rest. No doubt I've had OSA for years.

Try Cpap Auction for your Equipment I have a really high deductible also so got all mine for about 1/2 what the local DME wanted. Ask questions here about the equipment before you buy it everone here will help..

snuginarug wrote:Everyone above has really great things to say, which I whole heartedly agree with. One thing that jumped into mind when I read that you were wanting to cry (and I don't blame you at all) and feeling apprehensive is this... once you start treatment, you will be a different person, less prone to wanting to cry and despair, and more positive in your out look. Crying, despair, all these feelings, they are magnified by tiredness. You are understandably down and afraid now, but you will look at things differently once you get some decent sleep under your belt. Hanging around here the last nine months I have seen several amazing transitions in attitude and disposition, solely due to just getting that mask on a couple of nights in a row. People are far better able to rise to challenges, have hope, maintain positive outlooks, and endure major changes when well rested.

You've come to the right place. People here are eager to support you. Good luck!

Well said Snug!, Resister, like others have mentioned, I'd definitely look for a full data capable machine, used is fine, cpaptalk.com auction, second wind.com, are some ideas for that. I'd keep the one given to you for back up/ travel. It is important to have data , especially when first starting out. It will get your therapy dialed in and working at it's best. Keep us posted.

Register
Welcome to our "hosehead" club. You will get lots of information here as you have already seen with the number of posts on your thread.
I am not in your age bracket but felt I had to chime in and give you my 2cents worth. My husband passed away a couple of years ago and I saw how it devastated my daughter and granddaughter. They are now so protective of me its scary, they are afraid of losing me too. As soon as I was diagnosed with this disease I HAD to get my machine and get hooked up ASAP. I was afraid that the girls would have to go through this again and I could not bear that. I got hooked up and have not looked back since....as a matter of fact I can now do so many more activities with the girls and am not so grumpy.
So you see......what would your husband and family feel like if you had a massive heart attack or stroke or didn't wake up one morning. This is all about YOUR health, you must take the initiative and be all you can be ..with a cpap machine! I'm sure your dear hubby won't feel any less of you..he'll be happy that you are trying to beat this thing and be there for him and the family...with a cpap machine .
Cheers and good luck to you on your journey to better health.
Nan

Had a talk with hubby and feeling a bit better. Still nervous about tonight, but hoping for the best!

Thanks for the heads-up on getting a machine with data, and how to do so less expensively!

Guest wrote:I've been lurking off and on since I found out I need to start using a c-pap.

Tomorrow night I go in to figure out what pressure I need, etc., and I'm really sad that it's come to this. I'm not even 40 yet. I dread the thought of what my husband will think when I go to bed with hose-nose. I try to blow off my feelings as immature, but I could cry every time I think of it.

Help!

How did you get used to the idea of being a c-pap user?

Hello, Guest! Why not register and give us a name? Many of us are friendly around here.

I should have been diagnosed about six years before I actually was. And now I wish I had been, because it would have saved me six years of pain and exhaustion.

I came to Hoseheading six months after a cancer diagnosis which included MAJOR surgery. I was scared, I was upset, I didn't know how to handle it, because I was, and am, claustrophobic, and the thought of putting A Mask On My Face and trying to sleep was purely terrifying.

Being stubborn, I dug in and studied and learned all the weird terms associated with hoseheading. I learned how and when to be stubborn with the provider of my equipment and my doctor's office. And I learned how to make this therapy work for me. Most of my learning was done right here in this Forum.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35319&p=303060#p303060

is my first thread in this place.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35662&p=306702#p306702

are the questions I had insofar as my first visit to the respiratory therapist.

And you might find this post, in response to being scared and wanting nothing to do with CPAP of interest:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35791&p=308736#p308736

We've all been there and done that. We've all been new to this, just as you have. You CAN do this -- and you are soooo lucky to have the diagnosis early, before permanent damage is done!

Welcome!

Hi,im a newbie as well,two wks on machine,and iv gone through the horrible tuff emotion stuff,the first 6 days was bad!! i dreaed bedtime,but im getting there,its hard but seen a very very slight difference! i was worried about my looks and goin bed with my hubby looking like Darth Vader,but my hubby loves me and understands,i dont feel ashamed anymore,im still upset about the whole situation,im still an emotional mess,but this site has helped me so much ,i love it,keep reading everyone elses posts and answers iv learnt loads,got tips and hopefully i will make some friends who r goin through exactly wot i am..Good luck,hope u r ok..Polly x x x

Kiralynx wrote:Hello, Guest! Why not register and give us a name?

After her first post, she did register and post as 'resister'.

ameriken wrote:

Kiralynx wrote:Hello, Guest! Why not register and give us a name?

After her first post, she did register and post as 'resister'.

Yes, I saw that... after I had posted my comments.

Guest wrote: I'm really sad that it's come to this. I'm not even 40 yet.

How lucky you are, oh how I wish they would have found mine when I was 40. I'm sure I had it when I was 40 but it was so many years later that it was diagnosed. If they would have found it at 40 I would be in so much better health and I would still have a lot more gray cells that I killed off due to oxygen debravation.

Jerry