Is CPAP worth it for advanced age?

ADVANCED "OLD" AGE................. what advanced old age, I will be 72 in a couple of months and I can now do things I could not do for a few years. I now sleep through the night, I can mow the lawn ( and I have a HUGE lawn) I don't snore any more, no more heart problems, I can go on and on...... can you. This machine I wear all night, every night, has made the difference for me. It sounds like your mask is not the mask for you but that is not a problem, you can exchange your mask for the first month through your dme and it will not cost you. We have all tried and changed masks several times until we have found the "right" one for us. Please stay with this therapy, post your stats as you have been asked and you will get ALL the help you need to make this therapy second nature. AND YES!!!! its definitely worth the effort, stick with it, post back and give folks here more info and someone will give you the answers that you need to make this therapy work for you. You still have many years of fantastic life left in you... don't throw it away, it can be fixed.
Cheers
Nan

Napnea, please let us help you... I won't repeat what the other posters have said, except to say they are correct. What I will do is ask you this: Have you tried mask liners? They will help with the leaks.
I had absolutely horrid first week on cpap, the main problem being leaks and the face farts they produced. As soon as I found this thread, I learned about mask liners, and they were a game changer for me! I hardly ever wake from a leak these days, and I'm finally able to sleep through the night. Once I was able to sleep through the night, the other problems gradually faded away.

MASK LINERS: RemZzzs are usually available from your DME, or they can be ordered from the sponsors of this forum at cpap.com. You can also order Pad-a-Cheek liners at padacheek.com.

I tried both of these initially and liked RemZzzzs best, so I have a bunch of those, but I'm also making my own based on a pattern that follows the RemZzzzs shape.

Please don't give up yet. Do the video thing, try a different mask and the liners, post your equipment so we can help you. I'm not much younger than you are, and I want to see my nieces and nephews graduate from high school; they range in age from 9-15. I'd like to also see them start families of their own before I go to my great reward up in the sky. That means I need to live until I'm 85 or so, another 16 years at least. CPAP is helping to make that possible by helping to prevent a stroke or heart attack, both of which I am at risk for.

meh, he's been pissing and moaning here for a month. still hasn't filled in anything.

Well, well, well... ain't you special, palerider?
I've been pissing and moaning for a month because it has taken that long for this initial testing to take place DUE TO:

an emergency sugery for a septic liver

WHICH I specified in another thread. And WHICH stopped the test after 2 days. If it matters.

What the hell do you consider the list of my equipment if all I have is test stuff?

I do not HAVE sleep test results other than a comment from primary doc that said, "You have significant sleep apnea that needs to be treated. You stop breathing almost 30 times per hour.

So, palerider, You wanna keep this up or get the CPAP kicked out of you by an old geezer?

WHEN I get my ...regular... machine, I will surely put all the specs in the profile.
If you think I'm too dumb to do that, you don't know much other than having your attitude.

Yo, PR, you wanna be in my support group? heh heh

I think I'm done with you. It looks like you want to be done with me so be my guest.


Don't like going into this mode, but there's always someone isn't there?

I haven't tried mask liners, library lady because I just heard of them today.

I have had to have my treatment PAUSED while recovering from the surgery.
Also it was just today that I learned what a DME is.

I'll get all the particulars when I have them.

Chunky frog I don't know anything about changing diapers on an 80 YO lady. But I do have experience changing diapers on a 90 YO couple (my in laws) after they survived strokes. You are right about their denial. Who messed the pants? Not me!

Napnea you need to learn about equipment here BEFORE you meet your DME, so you can can get the equipment you need the first time around. I did my research here 4 years ago before I got my first machine and again last year when I had to change to an advanced machine. In both cases I told my doctor exactly what to put on the prescription. When I picked up my new machine I recognized from across the room that it was not as ordered.

You are not that old. If you want to become old you need to take charge of your PAP therapy and your other medical issues and regain your health.

A friend says "We live to short, and we die to long". When we take charge I believe we can turn that around.

Napnea wrote:

meh, he's been pissing and moaning here for a month. still hasn't filled in anything.

Well, well, well... ain't you special, palerider?

I am, tyvm, after a while, it's 'cut to the chase time', you know?

Napnea wrote: What the hell do you consider the list of my equipment if all I have is test stuff?

the make and model of your machine, the make and model of your mask.

you've been told, multiple times, how to find *and post* the make and model of the machine. look on the back, there's a REF number in the lower left corner of the name plate there, what is it?

saying it's a resmed narrows it down to a couple dozen models, you later admitted to a s9, that narrows it down to these:
36001 S9 "Escape" (CPAP Only no data)
36002 S9 "Escape Auto" (No data apap mode)
36003 S9 "Elite" (cpap only)
36004 S9 "VPAP S"
36005 S9 "AutoSet" (advanced autoset mode)
36006 S9 "VPAP Auto"
36007 S9 "VPAP Adapt" (older)
36009 S9 "VPAP ST-A" (older)
36034 S9 "VPAP COPD"
36037 S9 "VPAP Adapt"
36038 S9 "VPAP ST"
36039 S9 "VPAP ST-A"
36050 S9 "VPAP Tx"
36065 S9 "AutoSet" 'for her' Pink

what kind of mask is it? most of them have the name on them somewhere, full face? nose only, nasal pillows?

find a matching picture: https://www.cpap.com/cpap-masks.php

Napnea wrote: I do not HAVE sleep test results other than a comment from primary doc that said, "You have significant sleep apnea that needs to be treated. You stop breathing almost 30 times per hour.

there's some results right there, an average of every 2 minutes, you quit breathing, and then gasped for air, rousing youself... that's why you don't feel chipper and lively.

Napnea wrote: So, palerider, You wanna keep this up or get the CPAP kicked out of you by an old geezer?

WHEN I get my ...regular... machine, I will surely put all the specs in the profile.
If you think I'm too dumb to do that, you don't know much other than having your attitude.

bring it on, geezer, at least I got you doing something other than whining, people are *repeatedly* asking you what equipment you have *now* becuase that is the equipment you're complaining of having trouble with, not the equipment you may get sometime in the future.

now, maybe we can get some info out of you that might help us offer you some more useful suggestions.

and you can have my cpap when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

Napnea wrote:Yo, PR, you wanna be in my support group? heh heh

I think I'm done with you. It looks like you want to be done with me so be my guest.


Don't like going into this mode, but there's always someone isn't there?

You know, Napnea, that one of the things that does get better with effective treatment is mood. Sorry to hear of the delay in your treatment, but the good folks on here really do help - if you let them. Probably more help than your doc or the technician that is trying to get you to use the machine for 4 hours every night come hell or high water, and ignoring any leaks or sore spots you have on your skin. Yes, there are some folks here who don't seem to have got to the mood improvement stage yet, but it will come... It is not being nosy (leave that to Big Brother!): there are so many machines and masks out there that saying that you are on a cpap machine is like ordering someone to go cut that one blade of grass in your lawn that is half an inch taller than the average height. No way I can do that if you don't at least tell me the approximate area of your lawn that you believe dares to ignore the rule that you have set. OK, now get to work on criticizing me, or grow up and help yourself to some good advice!

Today was my youngest grandchild's very first day at school.
I am looking forward to watching him grow up--I think he is an "old soul".
This is going to be amazing!

chunkyfrog wrote:Today was my youngest grandchild's very first day at school.
I am looking forward to watching him grow up--I think he is an "old soul".
This is going to be amazing!

Children, tadpoles. No difference. They both grow up so darn quickly! Our memories of when they were little are so precious - my son is 16, but there are some special moments in his 16 years that I will never forget - and I want to be around when he has a child of his own (I hope he does that sooner than I did, but not too soon!). CPAP will help me achieve that goal ... That's why I mask up every night. Thank you for the reminder, CF. Pity we don't have a smilie for a hug!

SleepyToo2 wrote:

chunkyfrog wrote:Today was my youngest grandchild's very first day at school.
I am looking forward to watching him grow up--I think he is an "old soul".
This is going to be amazing!

Children, tadpoles. No difference. They both grow up so darn quickly! Our memories of when they were little are so precious - my son is 16, but there are some special moments in his 16 years that I will never forget - and I want to be around when he has a child of his own (I hope he does that sooner than I did, but not too soon!). CPAP will help me achieve that goal ... That's why I mask up every night. Thank you for the reminder, CF. Pity we don't have a smilie for a hug!

sort of a diy:

Napnea wrote:I haven't tried mask liners, library lady because I just heard of them today.

What no one has told you yet (I don't believe anyway) is that it takes some trial and error to get the mask adjusted right (so it doesn't leak). As your air pressure increases that increases the 'force' on the straps.

What you need to do is head to bed early. Set machine to the highest pressure you used the nite before, put the mask on and adjust the straps snugly (not too tight) enough so you can fit two fingers under each strap but the leaks have stopped. THEN lay down in your sleeping position and do it all over again.

When you lay down gravity will change the shape of your face (mine too) so you need to adjust the mask straps at FULL pressure (for you) and while laying down in the sleeping position. Do it each nite until you got it right.

If you can't sleep with the mask all nite sleep as long as you can each nite but do not give up.

Give it a go.

THANK YOU, PR!

Napnea wrote:This is one miserable experience. I'm on day 6 of the "hell week" of titration to see what I need or am doing in my sleep.

I've always considered "treatments" at my age to be something where quality of life is the paramount concern.
So far this ain't "quality."

(Male, 74 yrs old, 6', 250 lbs down from 354 a few years back
but plateaued against further loss anything short of starving.

Upper moderate apnea.

Presently on titration (test) machine Resmed S9 for the evaluation week.
Have swapped masks trying for best fit. Start pressure is 8 cmh20.)

Reply,

I read only your first post. My friend, you're obese and probably have Diabetes. If you don't take care of yourself starting with treating the OSA first and next, reducing more and eating the "correct food diet", then very soon you'll be suffering from PAD (Peripheral Arteries Disease) whereby your blood circulation will be reduced and the lack of oxygen in your body will cause probably your heart to fail and/or your extremities to become ischemic. Then most likely heart bypass (or angioplasty) and limb amputation (after angioplasty) could become the solution. How is that for quality of life? I am 6' 2" and weigh 230 lbs with BMI of close to 30 = obese, I never was heavier than 235 lbs. I am borderline diabetic. Both of us must take steps to improve the situation, immediately. Do you agree?

Ask for your diagnosis results. They should give you a copy that shows your sleep time, sleep stages, number of events, average per hour, oxygen saturation levels, and more. You need to see this information and you have a right to it.


Also, you most likely have the resmed s9 autoset, but it will help us to know as we can help you see your current data now. This will help you make better use of the treatment. And knowing your data will help you when you discuss results with your doctor.

We can also help with mask advice if we know which one you are using and when and where it leaks. Different leaks have different solutions.