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Is there anyone here who doesn't care?
#11
RE: Is there anyone here who doesn't care?
It's a tough thing, to learn how to live with this mask and machine. I think bad thoughts every night when I have to put it on. I'm still pretty new at all of this. However, I want to improve whatever life I have left. I want to feel good during the day. I hope that by sticking with this therapy that I can feel better.
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#12
RE: Is there anyone here who doesn't care?
(08-19-2014, 06:34 AM)Moriarty Wrote: I am not falling asleep whole working, reading, watching TV or - and more importantly - while driving.

No kidding. My APAP machine has dramatically reduced my chance of Death Due To Flying Off The Road.


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#13
RE: Is there anyone here who doesn't care?
There are many things I really feel good about having begun this therapy. But not driving drowsy is the biggest. I used to rail on (and still do) about people that drive drunk and what a hazard they are to others on the road. But I was just as much of a hazard with my tendency to fall asleep behind the wheel. It is a sobering thought to realize how close I have come over the years to not merely killing myself in some accident, but my wife or some little kid walking along the road, or whatever. That's the biggest single reason why no matter what I would never stop using this therapy.
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#14
RE: Is there anyone here who doesn't care?
(08-19-2014, 02:34 AM)nightflight Wrote: I mean, the threat of dying from sleep apnea. I read, people tell me that its a dangerous condition, you can die from it, yada, yada.

Is dying from it really better than living with it?

I *was* dying from untreated OSA at the age of 40. OSA created a heart issue that was going to kill me rather soon if not fixed (at rest heartrate stayed above 122 and could not be brought down).

I started CPAP in the old days of bricks and painful masks and high pressures - and doing it changed my life, both fast and slow - the fast was being awake during the day, etc... the slow was I was finally released from my heart Doc last year, and my resting heartrate is in the 70s.

Am still fat, still have other health issues, but my dream machine I do not consider an issue or a problem. 13 out of 14 nights I sleep great, and the machine never wakes me or bothers me.

Yes, I must live with it for life, as does my type one diabetic wife must live with needles and insulin.

In my book, quality of life is what counts. And while the first few months were a struggle for me, my CPAP has raised my quality of life greatly, and I won't even take a nap without it.
*I* am not a DOCTOR or any type of Health Care Professional.  My thoughts/suggestions/ideas are strictly only my opinions.

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your Soul, the other for your Freedom."
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#15
RE: Is there anyone here who doesn't care?
Hi nightflight,
To me, the CPAP machine is a great thing. Sure, it has slightly increased the things I do to prepare for bed, but that's not even a big deal. I don't want to "die" with sleep apnea, because, along the way, there are those serious complications it can cause. My mother died from complications of sleep apnea; she had a stroke which led the docs to find through two sleep studies that she had apnea. Then, she had the big one, a hemmorhagic stroke,) which ended her life. My dad has untreated sleep apnea and snors like a fraight train, so I just figured, with those odds, I was a shoein for obstructive sleep apnea, (OSA,) and went through two sleep studies myself, to start my journey and have been doing well with the CPAP machine since 2008, and I don't even take a nap without masking up and using my machine.
I hope you will stick with CPAP therapy, it's better than the alternative.
trish6hundred
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#16
RE: Is there anyone here who doesn't care?
Well, let's look at some things.

Without CPAP, life would stink. Various organs would be slowly dying from chronic lack of oxygen. This condition would cause other diseases and conditions which would need to be treated or also ignored. Heart issues, brain issues, diabetes, etc. Then there's daily life. The exhaustion would continue to make doing simple tasks difficult such as driving. Some jobs would be denied if treatment was discontinued. Some states would also deny a driver's license. As someone who has fallen asleep at the wheel, I know the fear of suddenly waking up and seeing the concrete barrier inches from my truck, too late for me to turn. Had that been a child chasing her ball or a car full of kids on their way to band practice, it would be a different story for my life. Instead, I "got away" with several dents and a lesson.

But back to dying. Death from sleep apnea would be slow, painful, and long. It's not a gentle snore into the night. It's not choking in your sleep. It's a systemic choking of the entire body from lack of oxygen, lack of sleep, and lack of brain. It is a slow drain on your money and your family as you slowly rot and die, one or two systems at a time.

Now on to CPAP use. Yeah, I agree, it can be a pain in the arse. Or, technically, a pain in the nose. For some, they just can't seem to adjust. It seems to be messing up the very thing it is supposed to be fixing - sleep. But the main problem is too many of us (and our alleged sleep "doctors") see it wrong. CPAP isn't a cure. It is a treatment. It is no different than taking insulin or any other medication. No doctor has ever said "Take 25mg of this medication for the rest of your life and we'll never need to talk about this again." No. It is "Take this to start with and we'll adjust as we monitor your health." Same with CPAP.

It is hooking a mask and hose to our face and then trying to sleep that way. It is trying to not think of appearances and hoping our partner or potential partners aren't turned off by it. Who cares! You and he/she are asleep! And if he/she is more concerned about how you look while asleep, kick 'em out. Really, you don't need that in your life, even if you didn't have sleep apnea.

And now to be blunt:

If using a CPAP while asleep is that much of a bother to someone, I hope they never have anything worse happen to them. They'll go catatonic and not be able to cope. Of all the things that have come my way, wearing a mask and hose on my face at night is the least of my worries. It made my life better. And anything that can do that is worth the initial "settling in" problems.
PaulaO

Take a deep breath and count to zen.




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#17
RE: Is there anyone here who doesn't care?
(08-19-2014, 10:30 AM)eviltim Wrote: Much like people who smoke or eat too much or whatever, I doubt they are not afraid of death, simply not ready to take the steps to ensure that they can keep living, and -- this is extremely underrated -- keep living well. With the wonders of modern medicine, you can probably live to 65+ no matter what you do. The question is whether you'll want to or not.

Living to 65 is not one of my goals, unless I get to start over today.
Today is my 69th birthday.

As for, is the convenience worth it? Yes it is. I count myself among those of you who have dosed off at the wheel. I was always lucky enough to wake up before anything bad happened, not even a scratch or dent. And yes remember falling asleep in front of the TV many times, before I had even heard of OSA.

I also argued with my BIL and his doctor for more than 2 years, before he was tested. It has been almost 2 more years and he is just starting to use his APAP.
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#18
RE: Is there anyone here who doesn't care?
I'm sick of struggling with sleep; if I do manage to fall asleep, my sleep quality is not so great. I am better with the machine, but I am still tired all the time. I fear that I will struggle for the rest of my life.

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#19
RE: Is there anyone here who doesn't care?
Nightflight, I think CPAP therapy is different from other diseases - it's not just a case of popping a pill and all will be well. There are so many variables in sleep therapy that it needs constant monitoring and adjustment. Some lucky people adjust right away, but most of us need more time and effort. I believe it needs us to commit to a certain level of technical understanding to manage our own progress. From your profile, it seems you haven't yet achieved that level. I'd really encourage you to learn more about the basics, what your pressure is etc. Invest some time and effort into downloading and using Sleepyhead. The tools are there to inform yourself and to help us to help you. Without the basic technical knowledge (or even an idea of the most fundamental things like your pressure) you will continue to struggle in the dark. With knowledge comes power, and the opportunity for us to offer you some constructive help.
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#20
RE: Is there anyone here who doesn't care?
(08-20-2014, 02:54 AM)DeepBreathing Wrote: Nightflight, I think CPAP therapy is different from other diseases - it's not just a case of popping a pill and all will be well. There are so many variables in sleep therapy that it needs constant monitoring and adjustment. Some lucky people adjust right away, but most of us need more time and effort. I believe it needs us to commit to a certain level of technical understanding to manage our own progress. From your profile, it seems you haven't yet achieved that level. I'd really encourage you to learn more about the basics, what your pressure is etc. Invest some time and effort into downloading and using Sleepyhead. The tools are there to inform yourself and to help us to help you. Without the basic technical knowledge (or even an idea of the most fundamental things like your pressure) you will continue to struggle in the dark. With knowledge comes power, and the opportunity for us to offer you some constructive help.

I don't have a computer, just a tablet, so the sleepyhead thing is a no. And for me its not just apnea, its insomnia too. I took a prescription hours ago and I'm still awake.



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