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+--- Thread: Oldie but a newbie (/Thread-Oldie-but-a-newbie)
Oldie but a newbie - Slick7533 - 11-16-2014
Hi Everyone,
I'm just getting started here. I'm amazed by all the good information. Already I have downloaded and installed Sleepyhead and captured the first 10 days of my new "hosehead" life. It's pretty cool to see every breath broken down in such detail. I'll share this with my doc, who will no doubt be blown away.
I'm starting with a constant pressure setting and will likely take advantage of my device's APAP capability once my response to the therapy is better known. With your help I will have a VERY informed participatory role in my sleep therapy.
I've had apnea for years...decades. My wife told me that long ago. She had to waken me occasionally when I stopped breathing. That happened even when I was in top physical condition. I used to be a smoker which certainly didn't help, but only recently did my doc say that apnea is a likely contributing to heart attacks so he prescribed a machine. I am older now, and not in the very best of shape but at least the smoking habit is a distant memory.
The first night with a nasal mask I couldn't sleep at all....maybe drifted off for a few minutes at a time...but it felt like no sleep at all. I was so tired on the second night I'm sure I could have slept with a porcupine or a cactus on my face no problem. That got me over the hump and I have been able to sleep as a bona fide hosehead every since.
Guess what? I don't nod off at my desk after lunch any more! Maybe my project work is just more interesting....but no...I think I'm sleeping way better. The covers are much less rumpled in the morning and I'm feeling better rested....no doubt about it.
Anyway...I'm really glad to have found this resource and hope to contribute to the knowledge base in a positive way.
Good sleep to all!
RE: Oldie but a newbie - Tez62 - 11-16-2014
Welcome and well done Slick, keep at it the benefits are well worth the small hassle of having to sleep with a mask on.
RE: Oldie but a newbie - Crimson Nape - 11-16-2014
Welcome to the board. I still consider my self as a newbie without the training wheels. One thing that I have noticed based on my personal experience and reading other posts is most people new to CPAP are overtighting the headgear. I'm sure other members have better techniques but I have found that reclining in a sleep position with the headgear having a slight leak and adjusting until the leak stops works well. I hope this might be of help.
RE: Oldie but a newbie - surferdude2 - 11-16-2014
(11-16-2014, 03:21 AM)Slick7533 Wrote: The covers are much less rumpled in the morning and I'm feeling better rested....no doubt about it.
I've always thought they should include some sort of rating for how the bed looked after a night of CPAPing.
When I wake up and the covers are in the floor, it was a bad night. 
Slick7533 from an old Socal resident who is now retired (commercial refrigeration) in southern Illinois. It looks like you're in for some Santa Ana's today. I envy you since it's hi=26° low=14° tomorrow back here in God's country.Best regards, Dude
RE: Oldie but a newbie - PaytonA - 11-16-2014
Welcome to the forum Slick7533. You are right, this is a great resource. It took me almost 2 years on CPAP before I started looking for information like what is available on this forum. I found out about the data that is available. It took me several months to obtain the proprietary SD card and appropriate reader for my old S8 Resmed machine. Once I could see all of the data it became fairly obvious that I had been mouth leaking quite a bit with my nasal mask. Finally got to a good DME and got a good FFM which fixed the leak problem. All of the improvement was due to the people on this forum and I still can not thank them enough.
Best Regards,
PaytonA
RE: Oldie but a newbie - DariaVader - 11-16-2014
hi slick.
I just completed my 8th night so you are just slightly ahead of me. I too had apnea for a long time and through thick and thin
as near as I can tell now, I always had it, and have all sorts of historical symptoms. It took me most of this week to feel rested for longer than an hour after waking, but right from the first I felt the relief of good sleep. You are right, this is a tremendous resource and I know that my week has been smoother for having it to guide me. I am excited to see what sorts of health improvements are headed my way
RE: Oldie but a newbie - Franklyspeaking - 11-16-2014
Welcome slick,
I'm pretty new too, at least to the machine. I've had sleep apnea for 25 years. When I finally had enough with my sleep habits and with no insurance to help out with the equipment I would need to help with it, I hit the net and spent a lot of time reading.
I bought a S9 Resmed autoset. It has changed my life. I no longer make endless trips to the bathroom at night nor do I take afternoon naps, I feel rested when I wake. I found that the blue gel mask was my first and only mask. It works great.
I have recently secured a health policy which has paid for a sleep study. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I have yet to talk with the DME, but only a breathing therapist, but I was set up with a new S10 resmed machine. My initial setting was 8-18, my own original setting that I determined by trial and error and listening to my body was 4-13. I tried the prescription my DME advised but after two weeks I had to adjust my settings to 4-18, the new machine was found to be faulty and is being replaced. I'm using my old trusty S9 and I am back to resting well. My average high number is 11.4.
I've learned to listen to my body, never give up, don't be afraid to try different settings gradually and I use common sense to figure out problems. I also did lots of reading on this forum. It has been a god send. When I picked up my machine after the sleep study the therapist said he had never talked with a patient that actually knew so much. I of course contributed all the reading/knowledge from this board.
I wish you the best and lots of restful sleep.
RE: Oldie but a newbie - Doc J - 11-16-2014
Welcome Slick, I'm glad everything is going well and you are starting to feel the benefits of the hose. I agree that this forum is the best thing anyone can do to further their knowledge on everything pap related. I have not witnessed the internet doing so much good ever. May be that it is only people willing to learn or forced to learn to help themselves. The community feeling and knowing that they are finding the help they need on a global scale is mind numbing to me.
So keep up the good work everyone.
RE: Oldie but a newbie - trish6hundred - 11-16-2014
Hey Slick7533,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
You have a great attitude and that will go along way toward how well you do with your CPAP therapy. I look forward to more posts from you hear on the board.
Hang in there for more responses and keep up the good work and much success to you and happy CPAPing.
RE: Oldie but a newbie - Peter_C - 11-16-2014
First off, welcome to the forum, it's full of great people (and one grumpy person). I'm an old-timer from the 'brick' generation, but you can tell by my join date that I am very new to learning about what I've been using for years.
My failing heart health was the flag that started this process for me, and after 10-odd years of PAPing my heart health has improved greatly (they weren't sure it would).
As far as 'life sentences' go, CPAP ain't so bad, once you find a mask that works for you and you like. I would add, if you do find that perfect mask, buy a bunch of extras - as models come and go, and changes get made to *improve* them as well.