Re: First night: not impressed. Does it get better?
Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 9:43 pm
I thought that I would write a follow-up to my posts. It's not quite a year later, but close enough that anyone who is interested in whatever happened to me, is about to find out.
I still think that I was led down a yellow-brick road by at least my audiologist who meant well, but then I extended this whole thing into a fantasy that I would get better sleep, which would equal a better life. Boy, was I in for a rude awakening!
I still wonder if the $60+ a month that I am paying the DME for what seems like forever is the worst medical money I've ever spent.
But I still put on the mask every night. Sometimes I sleep with it all the way through the night. Sometimes I take it off in the middle of the night, usually unconsciously. My quality of sleep is about the same as without, sometimes lesser quality. I still call the machine and the mask "Stupid".
I did get a better mask, a Resmed Mirage Quattro. Great improvement over the other stupid mask that didn't work at all.
So....why do I still use it, if I have such a dim view of this whole thing. A co-worker named "Mark". Mark called his CPAP "stupid." And he offered me his CPAP, because he didn't use it. Mark never got a chance to give it to me. He died of a heart attack a week later while on vacation.
So God sent me that message loud and clear. Whenever I'm tempted to stop using it, I think of Mark. Pretty good incentive to keep trying.
Funny thing, I've told my story to a few people who wondered if they had Apnea. I give them the whole story, the good, the bad and the ugly. And when I tell them about Mark, they tell me they've decided to get a sleep study and a CPAP if needed! Hey, at least I've not led them down a yellow brick road!
So for all you newbies out there reading this and were like me: Not impressed and wondering if it does get better.
I can tell you it does get better. Some people say they've never slept better. I honestly am happy for them. It's not my experience, but I did at least get to the point where my sleep quality is the same as without.
Keep trying masks until you find one that works for you. If your DME tech isn't helping you, fire them and find another either in the same shop, or a different company. And try to find one who actually uses a CPAP, for crying out loud.
And lastly, don't expect the CPAP to solve your problems for you, or make your life better. It won't by itself. Only you and God can do that. Don't let anyone including yourself lead you down a yellow brick road.
Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. You really did help me stick to this. Mark may have given me the incentive; but you gave me the means to do it.
Blessings to all, Videot.
PS: I came back to this forum because of an unusual episode I had last night. If you are interested in what happened and seeing the Sleepyhead data, it is at viewtopic.php?f=1&t=99763&p=928282#p928282
I still think that I was led down a yellow-brick road by at least my audiologist who meant well, but then I extended this whole thing into a fantasy that I would get better sleep, which would equal a better life. Boy, was I in for a rude awakening!
I still wonder if the $60+ a month that I am paying the DME for what seems like forever is the worst medical money I've ever spent.
But I still put on the mask every night. Sometimes I sleep with it all the way through the night. Sometimes I take it off in the middle of the night, usually unconsciously. My quality of sleep is about the same as without, sometimes lesser quality. I still call the machine and the mask "Stupid".
I did get a better mask, a Resmed Mirage Quattro. Great improvement over the other stupid mask that didn't work at all.
So....why do I still use it, if I have such a dim view of this whole thing. A co-worker named "Mark". Mark called his CPAP "stupid." And he offered me his CPAP, because he didn't use it. Mark never got a chance to give it to me. He died of a heart attack a week later while on vacation.
So God sent me that message loud and clear. Whenever I'm tempted to stop using it, I think of Mark. Pretty good incentive to keep trying.
Funny thing, I've told my story to a few people who wondered if they had Apnea. I give them the whole story, the good, the bad and the ugly. And when I tell them about Mark, they tell me they've decided to get a sleep study and a CPAP if needed! Hey, at least I've not led them down a yellow brick road!
So for all you newbies out there reading this and were like me: Not impressed and wondering if it does get better.
I can tell you it does get better. Some people say they've never slept better. I honestly am happy for them. It's not my experience, but I did at least get to the point where my sleep quality is the same as without.
Keep trying masks until you find one that works for you. If your DME tech isn't helping you, fire them and find another either in the same shop, or a different company. And try to find one who actually uses a CPAP, for crying out loud.
And lastly, don't expect the CPAP to solve your problems for you, or make your life better. It won't by itself. Only you and God can do that. Don't let anyone including yourself lead you down a yellow brick road.
Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. You really did help me stick to this. Mark may have given me the incentive; but you gave me the means to do it.
Blessings to all, Videot.
PS: I came back to this forum because of an unusual episode I had last night. If you are interested in what happened and seeing the Sleepyhead data, it is at viewtopic.php?f=1&t=99763&p=928282#p928282