Sleep Apnea

[lapbander081004 7]

I go to the sleep center On Halloween night to be re-tested. They think I have dropped enough weight to either have my C-PAP pressure reduced from 15 pounds to 8 pounds or come off the C-Pap altogether.

I am worried about coming off altogether due to when I was found to have the disorder the nuerologist who did my study showed me that I stopped breathing 477 times in the 8 hour sleep. He told me I vertually was not sleeping and just a few months away from death at this rate. Thank God my wife ratted to the Dr about my restlessness at nite. I had no idea I was doing it. Just knew I was tired all the time.

The C-PAP was the best thing that happended to me until the Lapband. Now I may be able to sleep nites normally on my own. We will see.

Wish me luck (and a good sleep)

[Iluvharleys 15]

Good luck with your study Greg. Hopefully you will be able to do without it all together, if not right now, then soon. Sweet dreams!

[New Hope 37]

Good luck, Greg! Here's to a good night's rest!

[LisaMG 5]

sleep Apnea sounds like a bad thing to have to deal with.

My friends dad has it and when he's all mounted up and ready to sleep he resembles one of those sci-fi creatures my husband loves to watch on TV.

Greg I wish you well and good health!

[lapbander081004 7]

Ty all for the encouragement... I'll be leaving soon to head to sleep Center for the re-test. Gosh I hate being hooked up to all those wires. Lucky the girls that work there are cute. LOL

Will get the results on Nov. 15 and I'm hoping I'm done with this C-PAP. Was a God send when I got it but I fight with it now when I sleep and its doing the same thing to me the Sleep Apnea did. Keeps waking me up.

Oh well.

Later all and again TY

[Zoe 6]

Hey Greg, good luck. Too bad you have to wait until the 15th for the tests -- let us know how you think you did.

[whippledaddy 5]

....and no matter WHICH damn mask you try, by morning (or half way to morning) my face hunts, it whistles and gurgles and wakes me up even if Mr. Bladder or various gravitational aches & pains don't.....

but it still is great to GO to sleep with.....it just ain't comfy after a few hours no matter how I assemble it....nose pillows till the nostrils are sore, the blue gel thing for a while, the various Australian designs....to hell with them all....lets get them pounds off and have a CPAP burning party.... :banana

I find it hard to believe that any of those overpriced masks were developed by someone who actually got a good nights sleep. I have never awoken with one actually on. And, sometimes I work nights. You ain't really lived until you jump up to answer the doorbell while hooked up to one of those things.

I've given up on my c-pap machine, but the case they sent with it has come in quite handy for cd's and such. I'm just not going to lose any sleep over it. Hah.

[paula 4]

Our very best friend has this sleep machine - 4 yrs now. Worked GREAT at first, but the last few months he stopped wearing it due to these same reasons you mentioned. He JUST found out that the mask should be replaced every 6 months........ did YOU know that??

[whippledaddy 5]

Our very best friend has this sleep machine - 4 yrs now. Worked GREAT at first, but the last few months he stopped wearing it due to these same reasons you mentioned. He JUST found out that the mask should be replaced every 6 months........ did YOU know that??

No, I didn't know that. Seems like my local medical equipment supplier would have let me know, just so they could sell more.

[whippledaddy 5]

yes, I replace mine twice a year.....and CPAP made life better, no argument there...

....maybe it's the :beard that increases the problem.....

Don't have a beard. Just a mustache, and I went to a full face, so the 'stache shouldn't be a problem.

I've gotten better results after I switched medical suppliers, tho I don't have a co-pay with the one, I get much better service with the other.

The C-Pap was wonderful for the first few nights. But after a week I kept waking up with the good old headache and the mask not on. Repeated attempts with my physician got nothing except scripts for different masks. You take them all off the same way, so my sub conscious had no problems adjusting.

I've met others who have good luck with them, but even the man who fitted me said he was in the same boat as I.

I am thankful for the nights it does work, and does help.

[whippledaddy 5]

Jack, no I haven't. My Doc was reluctant to write orders for different masks at first, so I changed to the doctor I have now. He'll write the orders but my choices are very limited.

Out here in the boonies all we ever hear is "We can't get that" or "I'll have to order it, and it'll be here in two weeks." Gratiot Home Medical is poorly stocked, and the people are poorly trained. Sparrow Health System is part of the gigantic Sparrow Network, but doesn't do so well by its sattelites in tiny little towns like alma. I can get these buds, but by the time they get here, I'll be banded. Wonder just how long it'll take for the sleep to improve? If I lose enough to sleep on my back comfortably, maybe I"ll keep the band on.

My theory is that when I turn on my side I knock it loose and then my hand just pulls it off to get rid of the irritating air blowing in my eye.

[lapbander081004 7]

Well I slept very well at the Center last nite. Got up for one little tinkle and went right back to sleep.

See my Nuerologist on Nov 15 for results.

Every since I had been put on the C-PAP I never had trouble with it until I lost 60 pounds. Now the pressure is to high and it keeps me up. I can adjust the pressure(ramp it they call it). It drops to 8 pounds from the 15 pounds its set for. Over the next 30 mins it allows me to fall asleep and I stay that way for 2-3 hours then I start fighting with it. If I reach over and tap the ramp switch it goes back to 8 pounds and starts over again. My masks are no problem I wear the over the nose one and I have a mustache but it seals just fine. Mask has always been comfortable. But then I never had any trouble sleeping. I can sleep sitting , standing, laying down. Sleep while working driving (lol) and some times while at the compu.....zzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZ

[lauri 0]

Good Luck Greg! I have been using a Cpap for about a month now and I feel like a new woman. My tests showed that I stopped breathing about 20X per hour! I have been sleeping for the first time in years!

When I got mine the rep. told me I should probably replace it every 3-6 months. So far, It's not that bad but if I lay on my side it starts making obnoxious noises or tickles my face as the air escapes. If I don't wake up soon-I get a headache. I guess the air pressure is too low when it leaks out. The good thing is that I used to have severe migrains 2-3 times a week that would send me to the hospital. I have only had ONE bad one since I got my machine. I won't even think of sleeping without it now.

?[B]Our electricity goes out at night quite often during the rainy season. Night before last-it was out for two hours-so I just stayed up because I was afraid to sleep without it. Any suggestions...Has this happened to any one?

[DeLarla 22]

I gotta jump on here cuz my Cpap has been in the closet for a few months. Jack, you mentioned you feel great on 4-5 hours sleep. Is that normal? Cause that's all I can sleep any more. I don't feel too bad, either. I was having a hellofa time getting out of bed before. Now I'm wide awake. Hubby can sleep more than twice what I get.

I learned to love my Cpap. I'd wake up with a big red welt around my nose. It itched. I think I was allergic to the gel. I didn't know I was supposed to change the mask, but I figure it out when the gel around the nose started to disintegrate.

I was a level 9. Now I sleep without it. I wonder if I still snore.

[lauri 0]

DeLarla! You weren't kidding about following me around I still don't know where to go to bitch-I've got to get it out before I lose it on one of the kids!