CPAPtalk.com

Okay it's true that people who really care about you won't care but I empathize. It's when I started traveling for work that I felt awkward. I mean as long as it was just my wife and I it was one thing, but now I had to drag it out at airports with my work colleagues - I just didn't need them to have the visual. There's nothing I could do so I just got over it but I won't pretend that it wasn't awkward.

I've only been on mine a little over a week but I made the decision not to be embarrassed about it. I let myself be so embarrassed for a long time that I might have apnea that I refused to get tested.
Now that I have the machine I show it to everyone. Anyone who comes into my house has seen it, I let my children and grandchildren try on my mask so its not scary.
If they care about you it won't be an issue. If they do then they aren't worth having around.

It is easy for others to say don't worry about the future just focus on using the machine but for someone your age a lifetime of using a CPAP machine is quite daunting. I agree that you should continue using your machine & feel great about the results. When you are ready to share your life (and bed) with someone simply explain why you need the machine. The machine doesn't make you a monster or a misfit. If your partner truly cares about you they will understand and the two of you will work out how to be intimate. Using a CPAP isn't sexy but with a little humor the 2 of you will find a way to work it into your sex life. Keep in mind the question: what comes first your quality of life/health or a quick toss in bed? The right partner will always want your health to come first.

You are blessed with an additional feature of your CPAP: it will, for free, help you select people that are worth paying attention to, and skip the ones that don't

What I mean with that is: a guy that doesn't understand that you use this machine for your health is not worth wasting your time on. I can only imagine what somebody like that would do when the sh*t really hits the fan in some situation or the other, and loyalty needs to be demonstrated

The CPAP manufacturers need to get together and start an advertising campaign to make people think of CPAP as cool or sexy, like cigarettes used to be. Until then, rely on your on positive attitude to get you through.

Until then, take care of your health. I suspect the overwhelming percentage of people won't pay much attention to the fact that you have the machine. It will bug you more than them. Your attitude and energy level are likely to be a lot better if you're finally getting a good night sleep. For those that mind, good riddance.

kong wrote:The CPAP manufacturers need to get together and start an advertising campaign to make people think of CPAP as cool or sexy, like cigarettes used to be. Until then, rely on your on positive attitude to get you through.

The dirty little secret is that good sleep and O2 at night can turn your sex life right around. Men notice it more readily because, well they just, umm,it rears its head. Women find they respond better.

Because the OP is 18, I didn't jump in feet first with my usual "back seat of the Volks" and "you would be amazed what 'equipment' turns people on" post.

back2good wrote:I am an eighteen year old girl. I actually just got my cpap today. I don't have severe apnea but enough that it is effecting me. I am getting less than 1% of REM at night and waking up 2-3 times an hour. When I was a young child I had granulomas resulting in three tracheostomies. So I guess it isn't really surprising that I developed sleep apnea.

Anyways, I am extremely embarrassed of my cpap. The mask is awful! What am I going to do when I move in with a boyfriend/husband? How does it effect sleeping with them? Your sex life? I cannot see myself using this thing the rest of my life! What am I too do?

I have almost 40 years of experience being a boy (somewhat fewer being a man), and I can assure you that on the long list of things that would keep a boy out of your bed, CPAP is so far down that it's practically in Australia!

Folks the OP has only posted that first post and has not been seen since, do you suppose we are being bamboozled?

nanwilson wrote:Folks the OP has only posted that first post and has not been seen since, do you suppose we are being bamboozled?

That was Friday. It is now Sunday. We can only hope that she spent a hot, wild weekend with her cpap and assorted lovers after our encouragement. I would have, but then I am a child of the 60's. I always tried to get their names before we parted, however.

Bamboozled or not, this is a wonderful topic. It effects all age groups and genders.

This is definitely a great topic and I have felt embarrassed at times too. I am 35. However, my husband loves my cpap. It prevents snoring and he loves me and wants me to be healthy and live a long life. I have been more embarrassed on business trips when other young women make comments to me like "oh that must be sexy" (yes, I have heard that multiple times). But I try not to worry about it and more like to use it to educate people on what OSA is.

FYI... I was not diagnosed until pregnant with my third child. However, I'm sure I had it prior and duringmy other two pregnancies. In those pregnancies I had pregnancy induced hypertension (high blood pressure) and my pregnancies were closely monitored, etc. it was scary. I found out during my third pregnancy about the apnea... And once on cpap, never had hypertension again. Much healthier for me and my daughter.

Good luck to you!

Jen516 wrote: FYI... I was not diagnosed until pregnant with my third child. However, I'm sure I had it prior and duringmy other two pregnancies. In those pregnancies I had pregnancy induced hypertension (high blood pressure) and my pregnancies were closely monitored, etc. it was scary. I found out during my third pregnancy about the apnea... And once on cpap, never had hypertension again. Much healthier for me and my daughter.

Good luck to you!

Looking back, mine started during my last pregnancy too. I started to snore badly, had hypertension and spent the last 2 months in bed. Very scary. The snoring never stopped, just got worse.

Oxygen is good for the mind, body, and baby.

BlackSpinner wrote:
That was Friday. It is now Sunday. We can only hope that she spent a hot, wild weekend with her cpap and assorted lovers after our encouragement.

Why be stingy? Let's hope that for *everyone* on the forum.

That said, whether the OP ever posts again or not, I think this conversation is an important one to have, and I'm glad it's here for future readers to read.