Sleep Study or Pilot Study

May 8, 2002

My husband also had a sleep study about 3 wks ago with 100 episodes

per hour and O2 drops into the low 80's. He calls the mask his " jet

pilot get-up " and sometimes I'm sure he dreams of flying. Even with

the mask we must bleed in 2L of oxygen to keep level up to high 80's

low 90's. At first he did not want to have anything to do with the C-

Pap (several years ago he was first diagnosed. Since the MSA it has

gotten worse, or maybe a little different would be a better way to

say that). After much " convincing " on my part and lots of research

explaining the downside of apnea he agreed to try. That research

helped a lot in convincing him that this could affect his quality of

his life and the length of his life should he choose to ignore the

study and its results. Our kids also encouraged him to try anything

that would keep him around longer for them and their children. We

still struggle with keeping the mask on all night as he pulls it off

in his sleep some nights but we figure better most of the night than

not at all. Maybe he would agree to try it, wearing it at least

until you fall asleep. I think that's what my husband had in mind

when he first used it. Do you think he was trying to " shut me up " or

was he being kind to himself? Of course, he always fell right to

sleep and I'd be up enjoying the hum of the machine instead of his

snoring, gasping, choking etc. Wish I could tell you some sure way

to make it easier but the mask thing is a big obsticle for them to

get over. Hope your husband is flying his jet soon.

I have friends who are both physicians and they decided they were

waking up tired every day. They decided to have the sleep study done

and both of them are using a C-pap now. Jerry of coursed had to ask

them which one was the pilot and which the co-pilot. They are still

having heated discussions on that topic.

Jan

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