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Intro, New Dx, Questions!
#11
RE: Intro, New Dx, Questions!
(10-10-2013, 09:57 AM)SabrinaFaire Wrote: I'm also worried about comfort and noise. I'm a light sleeper and soft repetitive noise wouldn't bother me if it's like white noise but if it's loud, it would. I also toss and turn a lot. I have neck arthritis and a bulging disc in my neck which means I sleep in a position until it's painful or something goes numb and then I turn over. Are the tubes going to tangle? Are they going to be long enough? Do I have to bring the machine with me when I travel? I don't travel a lot but we go home for Christmas and I'm looking for a job out of town, so something may come up (I hope!) soon. What do you wish you had known from the get-go with this whole sleep apnea thing?

Thanks in advance!

Sabrina, welcome, to answer some of these questions, most machine are almost silent, what you can hear and need to get used to is the sound of your breathe echoing if you like. I sugeest to all newbies to have their hose coming from above their head, either by buying a Hose Stand or your husband maybe able to make one easily. It helps in two ways, I never get tangled and it will pull your mask up instead of down which will help with leaks. Most people don't have problems with hose length, most are 6ft long and as long as you can position your machine fairly close to your head, that size hose is plenty. You need to have your machine off the floor but not above head high. On the travel, your will have to use your CPAP everytime you go to sleep so yes you will have to take it with you, it is just another peice of your luggage. The most important thing in all of this is you need to stay positive towards it and don't treat it as a hassle or a problem, don't over think things, keep them simple. I treat mine as an extension of my body that makes sure I don't stop breathing during the night, I love my CPAP and can't sleep without her (I say her because my CPAP has a name) Smile
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#12
RE: Intro, New Dx, Questions!
AHI of 12 isn't very high. I wondered if other things might be tried first such as losing weight (if indicated). I.e. anything that might help reduce the AHI. If that pushed it down a bit then perhaps no need for a machine? Does anyone have any experience of reducing AHI successfully without a machine when the AHI wasn't much over 10 to begin with?
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#13
RE: Intro, New Dx, Questions!
Thanks for answering my questions, guys and all the information, I really appreciate it!!!

I just thought of another question. I sometimes have what I call night terrors. I don't think they are clinically the same as what children often have, but basically what happens is I think I'm awake, but I'm really asleep and I dream that something (and it varies from a Best Buy salesman to a dark hooded figure to one of those probes from the beginning of Empire Strikes Back) is in the bedroom or apartment. Sometimes I'm able to wake up enough to realize that I was just dreaming, sometimes I wake up screaming. One time I ran into the front room before I woke up completely. So I'm wondering 1. Could this be caused by the apnea? I've always thought it was related to stress. Leading up to our wedding years ago I was having these every night. 2. What if this happens while I've got the mask on?
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#14
RE: Intro, New Dx, Questions!
(10-10-2013, 12:15 PM)SabrinaFaire Wrote: Really. Interesting. I emailed my Dr and asked for the report. It's possible I misunderstood on the phone when the nurse gave me the numbers. If I don't hear back before my appointment tomorrow, I'll ask that the respiratory place that did the study.

There are a lot of things that can cause a person to be fatigued. I hope that your doctor checks other medical issues because 2 events per hour is not very much and it is doubtful that your insurance will authorize a CPAP machine for you based on those numbers.

I agree with everyone else that you should get your sleep study and see what it shows.

We are all here to help you so ask away if you don't understand something.
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#15
RE: Intro, New Dx, Questions!
(10-10-2013, 06:08 PM)SabrinaFaire Wrote: 1. Could this be caused by the apnea? I've always thought it was related to stress. Leading up to our wedding years ago I was having these every night. 2. What if this happens while I've got the mask on?

1. It could be caused by diet, apneas, stress, low blood sugar.

2. Then the machine will follow and you'll know something is truly after you. Grin
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#16
RE: Intro, New Dx, Questions!
(10-10-2013, 06:08 PM)SabrinaFaire Wrote: Thanks for answering my questions, guys and all the information, I really appreciate it!!!

I just thought of another question. I sometimes have what I call night terrors. I don't think they are clinically the same as what children often have, but basically what happens is I think I'm awake, but I'm really asleep and I dream that something (and it varies from a Best Buy salesman to a dark hooded figure to one of those probes from the beginning of Empire Strikes Back) is in the bedroom or apartment. Sometimes I'm able to wake up enough to realize that I was just dreaming, sometimes I wake up screaming. One time I ran into the front room before I woke up completely. So I'm wondering 1. Could this be caused by the apnea? I've always thought it was related to stress. Leading up to our wedding years ago I was having these every night. 2. What if this happens while I've got the mask on?

Sabrina, it sounds like you are dreaming which occurs during the REM stage of a sleep cycle which is good because it means you are getting to REM sleep, most of us with sleep apnea don't get to REM sleep as our apnea's are waking us. To answer your question re what if it happens if you have a mask on, first it is more than likely that it won't happen while you are using your CPAP. What happens with sleep apnea is each time we stop breathing for 10 secs or more (an apnea) our bodies go into the flight or fight mode, blood rushes to our hearts and brains and we wake up either conconsciously or
subconsciously, that is why people get so tired, imagine waking up for some people 100 or more times an hour in a state of shock, in your case it is a lot lower. Anyway, by stopping or reducing the number of apnea's by using our CPAP's, not only are we getting that vital blood and oxygen to the organs that need it, there is less chance of us waking up and in your case possibly having those night terrors as you call them.
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#17
RE: Intro, New Dx, Questions!
(10-10-2013, 02:39 PM)SabrinaFaire Wrote: OK I got the report (that was fast, love online doctors). I see why I misinterpreted the results. I think anyway.

Pt displayed 64 minutes of desaturation less than 90%

That O2 desat will do it all by itself. That's what got me on PAP even though my AHI was only 6.

Good luck with your treatment.



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#18
RE: Intro, New Dx, Questions!
(10-10-2013, 05:51 PM)Tez62 Wrote:
(10-10-2013, 09:57 AM)SabrinaFaire Wrote: I'm also worried about comfort and noise. I'm a light sleeper and soft repetitive noise wouldn't bother me if it's like white noise but if it's loud, it would. I also toss and turn a lot. I have neck arthritis and a bulging disc in my neck which means I sleep in a position until it's painful or something goes numb and then I turn over. Are the tubes going to tangle? Are they going to be long enough? Do I have to bring the machine with me when I travel? I don't travel a lot but we go home for Christmas and I'm looking for a job out of town, so something may come up (I hope!) soon. What do you wish you had known from the get-go with this whole sleep apnea thing?

Thanks in advance!

Sabrina, welcome, to answer some of these questions, most machine are almost silent, what you can hear and need to get used to is the sound of your breathe echoing if you like. I sugeest to all newbies to have their hose coming from above their head, either by buying a Hose Stand or your husband maybe able to make one easily. It helps in two ways, I never get tangled and it will pull your mask up instead of down which will help with leaks. Most people don't have problems with hose length, most are 6ft long and as long as you can position your machine fairly close to your head, that size hose is plenty. You need to have your machine off the floor but not above head high. On the travel, your will have to use your CPAP everytime you go to sleep so yes you will have to take it with you, it is just another peice of your luggage. The most important thing in all of this is you need to stay positive towards it and don't treat it as a hassle or a problem, don't over think things, keep them simple. I treat mine as an extension of my body that makes sure I don't stop breathing during the night, I love my CPAP and can't sleep without her (I say her because my CPAP has a name) Smile

Yep, I agree. I have a love affair with my new auto set and wouldn't go anywhere without it!! I met my grandchildren in NM for Christmas and it went with me and I put my jacket over my head so that the noise, etc. wouldn't bother anyone as we were staying in a hotel.

I haven't named it though so I guess you have me beat on how much I love my CPAP lol
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#19
RE: Intro, New Dx, Questions!
(10-10-2013, 07:47 PM)me50 Wrote: I haven't named it though so I guess you have me beat on how much I love my CPAP lol

me50, my CPAP's name is 'Silvie' (Silver Resmed Autoset), I tell my wife I'm going to bed with Silvie and I think she get jealous lol. Silvie never complains, never argues, doesn't ask for much except a bit of water and electricity and she keeps me alive. What more could a man ask for?:grin:
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#20
RE: Intro, New Dx, Questions!
(10-10-2013, 07:53 PM)Tez62 Wrote:
(10-10-2013, 07:47 PM)me50 Wrote: I haven't named it though so I guess you have me beat on how much I love my CPAP lol

me50, my CPAP's name is 'Silvie' (Silver Resmed Autoset), I tell my wife I'm going to bed with Silvie and I think she get jealous lol. Silvie never complains, never argues, doesn't ask for much except a bit of water and electricity and she keeps me alive. What more could a man ask for?:grin:

Silvie is a cheap date!! Now if you could convince her to bring in a little income to help with the expenses of every day living..........Dielaughing
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