Sleep Apnea

[livingwith]

For the last five years I have been living in a fog. It took me a long time (too long) to figure out why. I recommend if you are the “canary in the coal mine” at meetings and are doing the head bob - get checked out at a sleep clinic: It may save your life as well as your career.
For me, the fog started around the time my daughter was born: the sleeplessness - the constant buzz in the back of my head - that nebulous feeling of unease and the need for a few moments of decent rest. ...Read the full article

[MaryEC]

Matthew,

Thank you for sharing your story. I am in the middle of my diagnosis. My sleep clinic visit to fit me with a mask and machine type is scheduled for Friday. In reviewing my symptoms, we can trace my OSA back to my early teen years, and I am now 58 and evidently have gotten to the point where I can't just brute force my way through the day and stay awake while driving by applying cold cans of soda to my face and neck to stay awake.

I had no idea what was going on. I had been told so many times that I needed to lose weight and get more exercise - but I was too tired to exercise and the weight just kept climbing. Turns out I stopped breathing 172 times in about 6 hours and the oxygen level dropped to 77% each time. I didn't think I slept at all during the initial sleep study. I was expecting the sleep specialist to tell me to lose weight and exercise more and that there was nothing wrong with me. It was such a relief to find out I had a serious problem.

My OSA was discovered by a series of odd incidents. I had a very bad job and horrible boss, and a few weeks ago when he decided he could send me home without pay whenever my fingers weren't moving on the keyboard, I woke with a heart rate of 205 and ended up in the hospital. When asked who my regular doctor was I told them, but the didn't hear me correctly and got me another doc with a similar name. The new doc suspected that OSA may have triggered the supra ventricular tachycardia and the rest is history. I am looking forward to my recovery, and your story was very encouraging.

mary

[Dawnm955]

Hi Matthew, Thanks for sharing your story. I am recently diagnosed with OSA. I stop breathing every 4 minutes during the course of the evening. I know my levels ofr oxygen go low, I don't know how low yet. I'm still in the middle of this diagnoses. But, I wanted to know how are you doing? What happened next? Sorry I hope I am not being nosey. I just am feeling alots of emotions right now and don't know which way is up lately. Thank you for your time. Dawn

[MaryEC]

Dawn,

I'm a little ahead of you. I got my sleep equipment almost 2 weeks ago. What a difference. It does take a little getting used to - but I can tell you I no longer get up multiple times per night to pee. I used to think the multiple trips to the bathroom were because I had my night and day mixed up and I didn't go enough during the day. I was wrong. Sometimes I wake up once during the night if the cat walks on me - but other than that I am sleeping. I am not foggy or groggy during the day, and stay awake all day long. I have far more energy. What will probably happen next for you is a home health company will come in with the equipment selected for you through the testing protocol. They came to my home, set up the equipment and showed me how to use it and how to maintain it. Mine has a humidifier which requires distilled water, which you can get at CVS or Walgreens - it is not expensive. The units have a slot for a chip to be slid inside to check your compliance in using the equipment. At the end of a period of time determined by my insurance company, I will be asked to insert the chip, and the usage information will download, and I have to return the chip in the postage paid envelope the respiratory technician provided when he was here. They say it should take 4-6 weeks to get used to the equipment, but I was hooked by feeling good after the first week. My insurance company will pay for my equipment if I prove to be compliant or I can leave it as a monthly rental and own the equipment after 12 months

I wish you well - you will be amazed at how good you will feel.

Mary

[Dawnm955]

Mary,
Thank you so much for answering me. Sometimes, I feel so overwhelmed like if I could loose my mind. I have been going over and over about some things that I was or I am doing and it all adds up to OSA. I am mainly shocked that this is even happening to me. I find the sitting on the edge of the bed durning the night to the point of falling alseep on the toliet, and feeling like I am suffocating. I was blaming it on my sinuses. Alot of things lead up to OSA among other things I have been doing. And my memory is getting really bad, I think at one point my family thinks I'm about to loose my mind. What kind of things were you going through? If people think this OSA is a joke, they are mistaken. I find myself thinking about the fact that when I go to bed, I could possibility die and that has me to where I am scared to go to sleep. I am looking forward to feeling better with my CPAP. I am going to do whatever they say and conquer this disorder.
Dawn

[MaryEC]

Dawn,

My snoring was legendary when my kids were little - so I suspect OSA even then. I actually suspect OSA from about age 13 or so. My recent (past 5 years or so) history is complete exhaustion. I could fall asleep standing up, in the car, on the toilet, on the sofa watching TV, on the phone with my daughter or grandkids. It was that "I can hardly put one foot in front of another, tired to the bone" kind of tired. I would get to a stoplight, and if it was red, there was an overwhelming desire to just shut my eyes for a moment, but I resisted and would reach in my lunch bag for the still frozen blue ice thing to apply it to my neck and face to perk myself up - but it would only last a minute of two and then I wanted to close my eyes again. I have been married to my current husband for close to 10 years, and he doesn't remember me any other way. He kept telling me I was blessed to be able to fall asleep so easily (It takes him a little time to fall asleep). Evidently I am a quiet gagger. He was aware of the snoring, but not the gasping for air. My machine is a bi-pap with 14 inhale pressure and 10 exhale - which is high. Cpap didn't work very well for me during my test with the equipment - but the bi-pap worked like a charm.

I am currently working on digging my house out of the mess it is in. I would get home from work and crash. It looks like someone lobbed a grenade into the house, it is such a mess. I have started water aerobics at the town pool a couple days a week to build myself up. My sleep is now restful, so I have more energy - so I can now exercise and try and get my house back together. I am pushing myself to do things - I think sitting like a lump becomes a habit as well because you can't remember anything else.

OSA affects your moods, memory, focus, relationships - it is no joke.

I wish you the best with getting your equipment and feeling better. It does take a bit of getting used to. The cardiologist told me that in his experience the ease of getting used to the equipment is directly proportionate to the level of respiratory distress a person is under with active OSA.

Mary
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[Dawnm955]

Dear Mary,

You have no idea how much I appreciate you taking the time to answer me. I feel like your my guardian angel. I was starting to feel alone. I, mean my husband is trying to be the strong one and tells me not to worry. But, I think it's easy for him to say. He isn't the one that a million things are running his head. Also, the unknown is scary. But, he did go with me for the second sleep study and watched the tapes on OSA, and I think it finally became reality to him. I know it did for me. I hope we can keep in touch through emails. I would like to continue to keep in contact with you and see how we are both doing. If that is okay?
Dawn
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