Re: CPAP Users

[Guest guest]

Typical Scenario:

First night: I hate that damn thing. No way I can wear that or sleep

with it. Put it on and sleep soundly.

Next night: I hate this, but put it on without nearly the fight.

First trip: I'm not going to lug that thing.

After first night on trip: I'll never travel without it again.

Summary: It is the machine you love to hate and hate to love. Finding

the right mask is a key and even right positions and pillows and things.

Those of you with severe sleep apnea have no idea in most cases how bad

your sleep truly is or all that takes place in it.

would toss and throw her body around. She'd hum. She'd snore.

She'd make other sounds. She moved around more during the night than you

can imagine.

She had her first nights study and was found to have an average of 86

interruptions per hour (120 when on back).

She went back for the fitting session. I arrived to pick her up at 6 am.

The tech walked out and told me she woke at 5 to go to the bathroom. He

asked if she was ready to get up and she said " I want to go back to

sleep for a while longer " . I waited in a freezing lobby until after 7.

She doesn't even nap without it now. She perhaps doesn't hate the mask

as bad as she did and she's even got a way to keep her glasses on around

it so she can watch tv until she falls asleep. But the difference in

sleep and in life is so pronounced. Now hers was an extreme case, but

many others here and elsewhere I know have found tremendous benefit.

If you don't feel you're getting good sleep, you need a study. Now, it

may not be apnea but still they may be able to see other issues such as

limb movement. If none of those even then they at least will have a clue

as to the appropriate meds. But long term sleep meds are the appropriate

answer only when more serious problems such as apnea have been

eliminated or confirmed. was on sleep meds before but they didn't

and weren't ever going to fix her problem. Meanwhile I've had four sleep

studies over the years and my apnea isn't enough to merit a CPAP. I do

require sleep meds and always will.

>

> Cees, yes its alot like torture, only good torture ya know LOL I

know I was seriously sleep deprived as I almost fell asleep in Phoenix

traffic which is insane. Cpap masks come in two versions..Nasel or Full

Face. Nasel masks or prongs fit over or in your nose and seal it

comepletely as the whole idea is the force of the air keeps your throat

open., Full Face do the same thing only going over the nose and mouth.

You can wear a nasel and if your mouth drops open you can put this giant

elastic band over your head and under your chin to hold it closed or you

can go full face. I have a round but small(chin to forehead) face and

even small masks are just a bit too big for me and so the nose piece

that should fit on the bridge of my nose is just up high enough to press

on the inner eye area. The mask also has to be tight enough to seal and

not leak when you turn your head so you tend to wake up with red lines

on your face that go away in an hour or so.

> Do I like it no Is it worth it You bet, I also don't worry about

losing my oxygen in my sleep as it bleeds into the cpap. The fact that

Lou lost her mask in her sleep scares the **** out of me. Fisher

Paykel is just a brand name. Google cpap mask and you will be able to

look at many masks and types of masks. Have fun. If none of this makes

sense give me a call. Happy Thanksgiving.

>

> Dyane, 54, Phoenix, IIP 02 now NSIP 09, Breast Cancer, Psoriasis,

Lipodermatosclerosis, Diabetes, and now a RA like autoimmune component,

yadda yadda yadda.

>

>

> " Life is not a journey to the grave with intentions of arriving is a

pretty, well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly

used up, totally worn out, chocolate in one hand, Margaritas in the

other, loudly proclaiming " Holy **** What a ride! " . "

>