Introduction- and Journey

[melodyknit0375]

Hose Cozy has been ordered. I'll probably upload tomorrow's chart (hopefully it is consistent with last nights). Then I plan to let it be until I have problems (hopefully I don't). I will be testing the machine the next month with the conference trip and the trip to Disney so if there are flaws in my treatment hopefully they would be exposed. My followup with the sleep specialist is on March 25th.

I think I know that I should watch my daily AHI which the ResMed app provides, and If I see a consistent upward trend in my AHI then download my data from my card into Oscar and come back for advice. I know a lot of it is based on how I feel, but I think if my number spikes above 3.0 for more than a day or two and I'm not sick or something that would be an indicator to come back for some help. My initial AHI was 8.3 so 3.0 is probably a sizable number for me.

Anything else I should look out for? You all have been awesome, and I'm glad I was an fairly easy guinea pig.

[Dormeo]

This sounds like an excellent plan. I hope the travel goes well. I was on a plane today and saw FIVE other gray ResMed bags with the distinctive blue piping!

[melodyknit0375]

Yet another great night.  I got a hook for my tubing above my bed so its totally out of the way now, the hose cozy should arrive tomorrow so me awakening to my cat trying to have a nibble on the tubing should cease.  I'm also hoping with my schedule this week with the conference he will lose interest.

A more variety of events last night, but again mostly negligible.  I can't thank all of you enough for making the start of my journey smooth and pretty awesome.  I plan to check in on this thread from time to time, hopefully with good news, and I hope I don't need much help from here forward, but I know where to find you if I do.

   

[Sleeprider]

This is just excellent, and you seem to be comfortable. I'd say you have found your "zone".

[melodyknit0375]

Just checking in with everyone.  The first hotel stint went really well, but I did notice a lack of better sleep particularly on Friday night, and overall my AHI's were higher.  I'm blaming crappy pillows and unfamiliar space with still getting used to the machine.  I also was not able to hang my tube on a hook/or on the headboard so I felt as if I was fighting the tube all night. Still, compared to usual, I was way more refreshed than I usually am at this conference. I was tired yesterday, but Friday was my worst night (I have attached that chart).

A note for those who analyze charts, early in the week I felt like I wasn't getting enough air while trying to get to sleep, so I upped my minimum to 8.0, that seemed to help.

I also developed a zit on my nose in the mask area, so I struggled with that this week.  I am unsure it was caused by the mask cushion, as I tend to break out around my cycle and it happened in a most inconvenient spot this time.  With some care that has resolved and it is no longer bothering me.  However it did cause me to scratch at my nose more this week. 

I also got a call from my DME this week, just asking how I was doing, and I told them generally things are going great, and they said my compliance data so far looks great as well.  Looks like they have no idea I have messed with the pressures, remember I was set for standard cpap at 11.  I score that at as a win, as looking at my trends for a week, I very rarely get up to that 11 pressure, my average is in the 8's.  

All and all I'm feeling pretty good, therapy has been going well.  

       

[Dormeo]

Great to hear things continue to go well. When you travel, you might consider using a collapsible hose lift (hose stand). I use one made by Arden Innovations. Folded down into its carry case, it is about 9" long -- very easy to pack. It looks weirdly unstable but actually works quite well, in my experience. I tuck the base under the mattress next to my pillow, and it stays in place while leaving me plenty of slack and flex to turn from side to side with no tugs.

[SarcasticDave94]

Very good charts, congrats. Hope it continues to do well. BTW if the DME finds out you're editing the settings no real big deal, from the guy who told his DME only he would edit the settings...probably not the greatest idea to volunteer it but I did anyway.

[melodyknit0375]

So, early this morning (about 2:15am)  I wake up and realize that I don't have my mask on.  First time this has happened.  I went to sleep with it on, and I don't remember taking it off.  Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.  I tried a P30i cushion before bed, and decided it was not for me, at least last night.  Other than that the routine was the same for a weeknight.

I didn't have any feeling about not getting enough air.  I feel a little tired this morning/small headache going on, but I feel that is probably because I spent a good two hours (unknown to me) without the therapy last night. 

We are leaving tomorrow for Orlando, I am attaching my chart just to make sure nothing crazy is going on right before I leave.  I am also attaching a zoomed in chart of right before I took off my mask at 11:30 ish.  I'm inclined to think maybe I had one of my other sleep disturbances for the first time with the mask last night, when I woke up and realized, I put it right back on, and got to sleep.

          

[3rdMarDiv]

Welcome..!

You are lucky in finding this site even prior to getting your machine as the help you get here can be life changing. I was a few months into therapy when I came over to the dark side...LOL

You made a comment "and the docs think it or the antibiotics used to treat it damaged the electrical system in my heart" which, interested me. Did you get any more information about that?

Being curious about how antibiotics would affect the heart I did a quick Google and found this, "Recent research finds that a commonly used class of antibiotics can cause a potentially serious heart valve condition. These drugs, called fluoroquinolones, have also been found to cause other significant health issues, such as nerve damage".

Just prior to apnea diagnosis I spent 10 days in ICU with bacterial pneumonia covering one lung and half of the other. Massive amounts of antibiotics every day, throughout my stay, saved my life.

I'm going to bring this up to my heart doctor.

Any medical information linking the antibiotics to your heart condition would be of interest.

[Sleeprider]

It looks like your mask came off during a period of sleep breathing. You may have moved and it slipped off. There is no apparent arousal or change in breathing rate prior to therapy stopping. Nothing to worry about, and you have been doing great with very good looking therapy results.

Say hi to the Mouse for me.