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Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
Congrats MRSLEEPER. The CPAP machine and some exercise will help lower that blood pressure.
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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
Hello Everyone,

I started using CPAP in 2010 after going to a doctor's appointment with my wife. He gave her a sleep questionnaire and while I read over the questions I kept thinking to myself, "That's me. That's me too. Yep, that's me too!" Needless to say I had my own appointment with him a week later and did my PSG and Titration studies shortly thereafter.

The morning after my titration study I felt like a million dollars. I had never slept so well in my entire life. Since starting CPAP therapy my blood pressure came under control and I am no longer exhausted during the day. It was a life changer for me.

I look forward to getting to know you.

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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
Hey Happy,
I'm kind of new around here too. This is indeed a nice place to hang out. Glad you're here. Sounds like you're a pro since you've been doing this since 2010. Your wisdom will be much appreciated!
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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
(01-16-2014, 11:12 PM)HappyGoLucky Wrote: Hello Everyone,

I started using CPAP in 2010 after going to a doctor's appointment with my wife. He gave her a sleep questionnaire and while I read over the questions I kept thinking to myself, "That's me. That's me too. Yep, that's me too!" Needless to say I had my own appointment with him a week later and did my PSG and Titration studies shortly thereafter.

The morning after my titration study I felt like a million dollars. I had never slept so well in my entire life. Since starting CPAP therapy my blood pressure came under control and I am no longer exhausted during the day. It was a life changer for me.

I look forward to getting to know you.

Great outcome, lucky to respond sp well to CPAP.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.
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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
(01-16-2014, 11:12 PM)HappyGoLucky Wrote: The morning after my titration study I felt like a million dollars. I had never slept so well in my entire life. Since starting CPAP therapy my blood pressure came under control and I am no longer exhausted during the day. It was a life changer for me.

That's awesome, Happy. Thank you for telling us about your experience. Unfortunately, for many of us, it takes longer to achieve that level of success. You are one of the lucky ones. Count your blessings!


Sleepster

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
I think I've had OSA for most of my adult life (I'll be 50 later this year) if not longer. I was a snorer as child and my wife of 25 years have always mentioned to me how I would sometimes stop breathing at night. I've remember dreams over the years of swimming underwater, or either in a paralyzed half-sleep. I was physically fit when I was younger being in the Marine Corps and maintained afterwards, so if I had OSA, it wasn't too severe or noticeable to me and I generally slept okay, that I can remember, until about 2011 when I put on a lot of weight in a short amount of time. I never heard of OSA and didn't give it much thought until then.

I've gotten heavier in my 40's (230-240 lb range at 5'9") and in 2009 I got promoted to a desk-job and quite smoking after 30 years, I gained to 280 (I've lost 30 lbs since then). After gaining this weight, I started waking up at night on the hour, every hour having to go pee a full bladder. I felt like crap during the day, falling asleep at my desk, falling a sleep at stop-lights and struggling to stay awake while driving. Fortunately, I didn't have any accidents. I figured the waking every hour to pee was the reason to feel so tired during the day.

I went to my doctor, who said it's a possible enlarged prostate causing me to wake to pee, so he put me on medication to shrink the prostate and told me to exercise more and lose weight.

This didn't help, so I came back to him about six months later still complaining of waking every hour, waking with headaches and struggling to stay awake during the day. He referred me to an OSA specialist. Being with Kaiser Permenante, they had me do a three-day sleep study at home with a machine. They determined, I have a severe case of apnea with O2 levels of 55%. I would episode every 60 seconds. I don't remember the other details, but they were concerned and started me on a CPAP (May 2012). It didn't go well at first. I would take the mask off at night. I would wake me up and I felt suffocating with too much air pressure. I went back to the doctor and she lectured me about not adjusting to the machine and told me I will die of a heart attack in my sleep if I don't adjust to the therapy. I got concerned.

I have a low light camera that I attached to my laptop and sat it on my night stand so I can record me sleeping. WOW! What a "wake-up call"! I watch the video of my sleeping the next day and saw my episodes. I felt so bad for me suffering like that to sleep. Every minute I would stop breathing, then raise my arms and gasp and grunt to start breathing again.

I started to try harder to use the CPAP, but I couldn't adjust to it. I got referred to another doctor due to the severity of my case. He prescribed me another machine; RemStar A-flex, that auto adjusts. This works like a charm. Now, I use the machine nightly. Not long ago, I got up to answer the phone and when I laid back down to I decided not to put back on the mask; big mistake. I felt like crap after not using the machine for the last 2 hours of sleep. If I have to interrupt my sleep to get up for something, I will put the mask back on.

It's so great to sleep full nights; no more peeing every hour, no more sleep walking, no more acid reflux at night (and rarely during the day). I don't fall asleep at work anymore. I don't struggle to stay awake while driving. My boss and coworkers noticed that I am more energetic (it was embarrassing to fall asleep while talking to my boss or in meetings).

My wife says she don't hear me snore and I sleep more soundly. Toward the beginning of my therapy, she couldn't hear me sleep and reach over to touch me. I was cold and she thought I died. Actually, it was cold that night and I didn't have a blanket on. She shook me and I awoke to what's the matter? She now enjoys the quite nights of me sleeping.

This was a long story, but I hope anyone else that is struggling in the beginning of their therapy will know, it takes time to adjust and once you do it's so wonderful to have a full night peaceful sleep again.

Sleep well and live long, Hoseheads!

Sam
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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
Just got on my CPAP. Hope to learn and share a lot with this forum. Thank you for all of the information!
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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
It is good to walk through the day with a clear head, rather than stagger through the day like a zombie.
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RE: Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here
Welcome sdm0964, mattbratt and brianwood619 to the forum!

Hope your time here is productive and helpful... may you sleep well in 2014.

Welcome
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
Ok...so it does take some time. I've been on CPAP for about a year now and thought I had attained everything it had to offer. Not so. Last few nights something has clicked and I've actually slept even better. To all those starting off: hang in there! There may be some early growing pains and early benefits, but sometimes it takes a while to get the full effect.
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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