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Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here [copied from old forum]
(02-20-2012, 11:22 PM)SuperSleeper Wrote:
zonk Wrote:I think it is too early for me to be doing a success story , but i will go first to give encouragement to our 3,632 members (as from now )
I have been on my cpap journey for 4 months now ,at times it has been frustrating with mask leaks ,nasal congestion but i realized that in order to reap the benefit of the therapy is to stick with it and find ways to make it work .
I do feel my life has changed since then and given a second chance .
I no longer wake up with a headache .
I no longer wake up to use the bathroom .
I no longer feel sleepy during the day ,watching tv or at the movies.
Just feel happier and more full of life .
My thanks go to every body who contributes to this forum ,it has helped me to learn more about sleep apnea and continue to be an excellent resource .
Great post. You've given me some motivation to press forward and seek a solution to my sleep apnea frustrations. Thank you

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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
(11-18-2013, 09:53 PM)mastiffdude Wrote: MAKE SURE THE MASK FITS!I tried 6 different masks before i got the right one to make a good seal with my face.

Welcome to Apnea Board, mastriffdude!

Mask fit is very important as you said. Here's a thread on getting the "perfect" mask fit that many have found useful, no matter what mask you end up with:

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...GUARANTEED

Coffee
SuperSleeper
Apnea Board Administrator
www.ApneaBoard.com


INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.


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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
My story

Well my story summed and short as possible

I’m not really sure success or failure I don’t know the fancy terms or numbers
I just know my state my city the second sleep lab had a scale
On that scale of 1 to 5 I was a 3 I don’t get to enjoy refreshed energy less pain
All that most do I just reset feeling tire eyes etc those symptoms are gone but no
Other benefits I don’t even know what my level is called I say by to the wife in the morn while still doing whatever you choose to call this I feel hear everything
I feel the cat crawling and even pet her
I dream but not sure what in a dream I can do all this while the movie in my head goes on
I was diagnosed severe OSA three years ago have shown symptoms for I don’t know how long but 3 years ago is when the breathing problems started
I was put on reperionics bi-level bipap the older model 50 not the new 60
They also had to give me a humidifier I was forced to use fit life and that has to have a humidifier at least for me
I got a lemon a shop machine it loved the shop always ghosts they don’t see or find but always come back
I am now in a year long fight with my original service provider and Medicare
I finally got a high up gov official to help
Over 3 months ago it lost use of the humidifier was getting permanent nose damage
But there’s good there’s positive to my story one the fight I have been working
Then 2 weeks ago a guy answered my Craig add quizzed me to make sure I was legit
Then he sent me a brand new FP sleepstyle 600 yea it was cpap not bi but first time it didn’t bother me and I was off
The machine the instant adapting to what others have problems with wow that’s a positive story to share
I have learned in life especially being disabled you have to fight hard and may have to fight many times like my weatherization lost count of emails call till a state inspector came and the it got done right
If a person with bad writing can get things achieved answers anyone can I email everyone up to the Whitehouse about me and everyone else’s Medicare sate aid all of us being stepped on I fight and annoy till maybe get lucky and some changes
Take care good luck there is hope and you can win just fight
"You're only lonely if you're not there for you."
-- Phil McGraw
Well, I looked my demons in the eyes, laid bare my chest, said "Do your best, destroy me. You see, I've been to hell and back so many times, I must admit you kind of bore me."
- Ray LaMontagne
One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.
Bob Marley
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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
Hello board members.

I'm a newbie here, 71 years old and collected a ResMed S9 AutoSet APAP machine on Monday from Royal Hampshire County National Health Service, NHS, Hospital.

A month or so ago a windsurfing friend of mine was worried about his missed heart beats and the possibility of having OSA.
He used an oximeter overnight supplied by the above hospital. His results showed no OSA problem.

I have had problems breathing at night for many years. My default sleeping position is on my back despite starting on my side, I snore, have had a broken nose and surgery to a deflected septum in my teens and in my 50s, have a significant overbite and am a mouth breather. I feel sleepy at times during the day so I was concerned that I have long standing Sleep Apnoea.

Being concerned about the heath effects of Sleep Apnoea I visited my GP and later had an appointment with the above hospital's department of respiratory medicine. I was given an oximeter to use overnight that I returned to the hospital next day.

Shortly afterwards I received a letter from the NHS stating that I had OSAS. The letter stated that I should inform the DVLA which I did.

I have now had my driving licence revoked by the DVLA. This is very inconvenient to say the least, especially as I have never nodded off over the last 20 years while driving or felt sleepy at the wheel. So I am determined to establish control of my “inappropriate drowsiness” as stated by the DVLA.

Having found this message board and the post by SuperSleeper about the ReSMed ReScan patient data management software and manuals (healthcareworker, thanks for the original) I have been using the software to view the records of my sleeping for Monday, through Thursday nights this week.

Monday: I tolerated use of the APAP machine for the first 2 hours.
The results when I slept on my back showed high AHI peak at 25, many OSA events and many air leaks. I experienced puffing up of my cheeks and general discomfort and sleeplessness.

Tuesday: APAP relocated to bedroom floor from bedside table. Used for 90 minutes.
Still slept on my back. Less puffing up of cheeks, less discomfort and sleeplessness, AHI peaked at 32, slight reduction in OSA events.

Wednesday: Slept on my side.
APAP used to 4 hours. AHI peaked at 14. No OSA events.
(I had read in this excellent and informative forum how to force me to sleep on my side.
I had stuffed two rolled towels into a soft rucksack and fixed the rucksack over my shoulders and fixed it with a waist belt. As far as I know I slept on my side all night.)

Thursday: Slept on my side using stuffed rucksack.
APAP used for 6 hours. AHI peaked at 7. No OSA events.

Things are looking very promising but I would really like to understand fully the results shown by ResScan software.Time to RTFM!

Also I plan to buy an oximeter. Are there any comments about the CMS-60D ? (Links not allowed on this forum so please do a Google search for "CE FDA Pulse Oximeter Spo2 monitor with Free Advanced Analysis Software CMS-60D" , fourth link down the search results.)

Thanks again board members for your helpful messages.

Mike
Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Cousins
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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
Welcome mike, you really shouldn't need an oximeter, try to get your AHI as low as possible and below 5, keep your leaks below 24l. With an auto and full face mask, it shouldn't matter whether you sleep on your back or side. Two tips, have the hose come from above your head either over a bed head or you can buy product called a hose lift and use mask liners, you can get them over the net or I can let you know how to make them yourself. I would suggest you don't have the CPAP on the ground it really should be around head height, give those things a try, get you're AHI down and you'll get your licence back, good luck.
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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
Thanks Tez62 for the tips.

I found that as well as getting my cheeks puffed up while sleeping on my back the back of my throat became wet with liquid that made me gag. Also that position without APAP in use is guaranteed to get me snoring.
Tonight I will put the APAP back on the bedside table and position the hose above my head. Hmm! will that be appropriate when sleeping on my side?

At another time if I force myself using my towel stuffed backpack to sleep on my side I'm wondering if my soft palate will not droop to close my throat and so not induce snoring and Apnoea even when not using APAP.
That's why I'm considering buying an oximeter to check if side sleeping stops my Apnoea.
Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Cousins
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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
(12-06-2013, 02:51 PM)welshmike Wrote: Thanks Tez62 for the tips.

Tonight I will put the APAP back on the bedside table and position the hose above my head. Hmm! will that be appropriate when sleeping on my side?

That's why I'm considering buying an oximeter to check if side sleeping stops my Apnoea.

With the hose coming from above your head there is less chance of getting tangled and the mask pulls up instead of down. I go from side to side or on my back.

Side sleeping will not stop apnea's, nothing will, they maybe reduced a little but once your CPAP detects an apnea, your pressure will increase opening your airway allowing you to breathe again.

The link below is to a UK sleep apnea site you may want to join, there are not as many members but a number of the members have had thier licences taken off them and got them back, also the owner of the site, Kath has lots of local knownledge about the UK.

[commercial website link removed. Site sells products online]


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To maintain our status as an educational organization, the only commercial links allowed in this forum are to CPAP-related manufacturer websites. This is stated in the Apnea Board Rules with details given in the Commercial Links Policy section.
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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
Thanks for your second reply and link to the UK forum.
I've applied to join and am awaiting admin approval.

I have now positioned the hose to come down from above my head ready for my bedtime in an hour or so.

Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Cousins
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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
Welshmike,

I found a small c clamp device at a local flea market that holds my hose to the headboard. The clamp has about a 6 inch flexible metal that I believe at one time had a light on it. The clamp fastens to the top of my headboard and the metal extension keeps the hose from falling off the headboard.

Good luck with your breathing machine and getting your driving privileges back.

Almost forgot! I'm 67 years young!
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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
[align=justify]
(12-06-2013, 04:38 PM)welshmike Wrote: Thanks for your second reply and link to the UK forum.
I've applied to join and am awaiting admin approval.

I have now positioned the hose to come down from above my head ready for my bedtime in an hour or so.
Mike,
I see that you are receiving good advice from the "British Empire". I am age 70, just behind you... but I have the advantage of having used an early (very much manual) Respironics CPAP for ~18 years and now using an automatic Respironics BiPap Auto model 750P. I see you are using a ResMed automatic machine, so take what I'm about to say with skepticism.

I have been told that until I get my LEAKS resolved, the algorythims in my automatic Respironics software might not be able to effectively control your apneas ["OA(s)"] & hypopneas ["H"] which are the main inputs to calculating your AHI. I hope someone on this FORUM can confirm whether what I'm saying also applies to your RedMed machine... and IF NOT, also tell me to go fly a kite!!!

In my years of school... up and into the U.S. Naval Academy, I was most proficient in mathematics... in my many years of gainful employment, I worked the last 35 years in Occupational Safety... including Industrial Hygiene where I worked with a lot of "technical machines" including those with microprocessors using algorythems... and from my recent dealings with Doctors who claim to be "Sleep Specialists"... well let me just say that here in the U.S., there are too many ways/avenues to our MD(s) to also claim they are "Sleep Specialists". The bottom line of (edit add->)what I'm leading up to say, is that I'm of the belief that too many "Sleep Specialist(s)" do not understand these machines... particularly the newer ones... they tend to try and solve obstructive apnea as though one small change is all the need to identify... in other words they do not [YET] have broad enough experiences with enough patients to really understand the most logical steps to take... and in what order. Does this make sense.

Thus my advice that you work on the LEAKs first... which happens to be where I am at... for IF my Doctor is correct, these smart machines are always NOT smart enough to deal with all that your body's unique set of physiological characteristics might just have and pose for the ResMed's software algorythems! ??
Your description of "puffed up cheeks" says to me that your ResMed machine had not yet finalized what pressures it wanted to use!
Best Regards
[ sorry I canNOT find the Dictionary to check my horendous spelling!],
Samuel "Millsaps" "Ross"...
Yes, I am very much of English/Scotish heritage

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