Apnea Board Forum - CPAP | Sleep Apnea
Hello, new member, old user - Printable Version

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Hello, new member, old user - cwo4uscgret - 11-01-2014

Hello all. Found the forums by looking for information about my CPAP machine, a Respironics REMSTAR Plus Domestic Model Number 1005960.

A bit of my Obstructive Apnea/CPAP history. In 1991 I stopped drinking after being confined in the Navy Alcohol Rehab Center (NARC) at Miramar Naval Air Station, CA for 6 weeks beginning in November, 1991 and leaving on New Year's Eve. Top Gun was filmed at Miramar; we referred to the NARC as TOP DRUNK!:grin: Without too much drama let's say after 20 years of excessive drinking, first in the Navy then the Coast Guard, the Admiral whose Budget Staff I was on at Coast Guard HQ told my boss that despite being a good worker and well liked, he was getting tired of his senior division heads complaining about my booze breath...so off to rehab. On a side note I just celebrated 23 years of continuous sobriety!

So after I got sober and didn't pass out at night (instead of going to sleep) I found I was waking up in the morning more tired the the night before. Sounds familiar eh?

In early 1994 an Air Force ENT diagnosed Obstructive Apnea and ordered sleep studies - done at the Miami VA/University of Miami Medical Center's Sleep Lab. Obviously I failed the first test; two weeks later with an initial setting of 9 CM h2o the technician said wow, I didn't move an inch as I got probably the best night's sleep in decades.

Fast forward to now; my CPAP machine is set at 14 CM h2o and I am not sleeping well at all - had a sleep study last year and no changes in settings were suggested.

I know how Sleep Apnea affects other parts of the body; I was diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease in January, 1992 (had chest pains while I was in rehab) and since then I've had 7 angioplasties with 5 stents inserted in 3 different arteries. In April of this year I had my first and I hope last and only heart attack which I was very lucky to survive; my LAD Artery (The Widow Maker they call it) was 100% blocked. My wife got me to the ER in literally 3 minutes, running at least 1 red light that I was aware of. If you've never had a heart attack - please try not to; it hurts...bad. In the first 15 minutes in the ER I received 2 shots of morphine and 1 shot of dilaudid; it still hurt!

I will try to reset my CPAP machine from 14 cm to 15 cm and see if that helps me with a better quality night's sleep. I will keep you posted.

Thanks for reading guys and gals.


RE: Hello, new member, old user - Sleepster - 11-01-2014

See if you can get a better machine. One that will record full data.



RE: Hello, new member, old user - herbm - 11-01-2014

Welcome, glad to have you with us.

Both of my parents, and many of my other relatives are alcoholics, so your 23 years of sobriety is an awesome accomplishment. I wish you every continued success.

20 years in the Navy (drinking) before you gave up drinking so how long did you remain in the Navy?

If you don't mind saying, how are your sleep and health costs paid? Besides being the generous soul that runs this forum, Supersleeper is absolutely correct that we need to help you get a fully data aware machine and help you to learn all about both your equipment and your data so you will know when you getting effective therapy and how to obtain that therapy if you are not.

There are lots of very knowledgeable people here who will help you so plan to make some new friends even.

If you were in the Navy for 20 years by 1991, then we were also in the military at the same time because during 1972-1975 I was in the Army. Also, at that earlier time my wife's father was likely still a Sergeant Major in the US Army.

Thank you for your service, from the Vietnam Era until whenever you left the Navy. My younger son-in-law flew Navy EP3s in Gulf War 2 so perhaps we even share service across all those decades.

Besides your service in general, the fact that you made CWO4 means I have nothing but the deepest respect for you so please feel free to ask for any help that I can give you.

What general part of the world do you call home today?

My wife and I are in Austin, TX. My wife's family lived around Melbourne, FL where her Dad retired from first the Army and then civilian work for NASA at the Cape. Our son-in-law flew Navy out of first Galveston where he met our daughter, then Jacksonville, and finally Whitby Island (Seattle area) before he left the Navy.

Welcome aboard sailor!




RE: Hello, new member, old user - cwo4uscgret - 11-01-2014

Herb,

Thanks for the welcome.

I spent 4 years in the Navy then 26 years in the Coast Guard; all active duty. I got away with my drinking because I always managed to do a good job!

I have Tricare Prime I needto replace my machine I've had it or 15,000+ hours now. Time to get a scrip from my doctor. Thanks again,

Tim


RE: Hello, new member, old user - trish6hundred - 11-01-2014

Hi cwo4uscgret,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
CONGRATULATIONS! on your 20 years of sobriety, keep up the good work.
When the doc prescribes a new machine for you, make sure it's fully data-capable. Here is a link to look at for machines to get or ones to avoid: http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=Archangle:Machine_Choices
There is a lot of great information there.
Hang in there for more responses to your post and best of luck to you as you continue your CPAP therapy.


RE: Hello, new member, old user - herbm - 11-01-2014

Try for a Resmed S9 AUTOSET, keyword AUTOSET, or better or the Respironics equivalent.

This class of machine is an APAP (auto adjusting) and has full data capability which you can view in the free SleepyHead or manufacturer's software.


RE: Hello, new member, old user - retired_guy - 11-01-2014

Welcome aboard!

It's quite an honor to have you with us. Congrats on your years of service, and on your years of sobriety. Both are wonderful accomplishments.

As the others have said, a new machine is the best answer for you. Raising the pressure on your old one is just shooting in the dark I'm afraid. So go thee forth and get a new prescription for a spiffy new machine!



RE: Hello, new member, old user - Peter_C - 11-01-2014

Welcome to a great place. Lots of very knowledgeable folks here, so feel free to ask questions, and Herb is correct on the machine to get if you have any say in the matter. Thank you for your service Smile


RE: Hello, new member, old user - Evpraxia - 11-02-2014

Thank you for your service; and Congrats on the sobriety!

Second the idea of getting a machine with data capability. Feedback is needed to adjust the machine properly.


RE: Hello, new member, old user - cwo4uscgret - 03-20-2015

So after having the supplier dropping the ball in November and not getting me a new machine before my wife and I left for 2 months in South America - I finally got a new CPAP Machine today. I can now clean/sanitize Old Faithful and keep it for an emergency back-up spare machine!

I picked up a ResMed AairSense 10 Autoset; spending time reading the owner's manual(s) etc. I do believe its time to download Sleepyhead and start tracking the effectiveness of the machine!