Did/do you love your cpap....if you DID, please let me know!

I may be the biggest baby ever, but I could just SOB.  I went to the DR. today to get the results of my sleep study.  I have sleep apnea.  (My longest lasting apnea was 50 seconds......my shortest was 11 seconds)   He sent me to the lady who fit me and taught me how to use and clean the cpap machine.  When I left , with my cpap in hand, I could have just BAWLED and BAWLED.   I have only been married for a liitle under two years and the thought of cuddling with my DH with that thing on makes me so sad.    He is the greatest man who ever lived and he will be fine, I just feel so strange.  So.....if you loved the effects of your using your cpap, I would love to know about it.  If you hated it, maybe you can tell me how to lose it!  

I don't have one, but.... My Chef Rob has one!  He was waking up 18 to 30 times per hour...just enough to get up, get out of bed, put the dogs out or light a cigarette, forget what he was doing and go back to sleep!  He almost turned his dogs into pupsicles once and has more burn holes in the carpet in his bedroom than a bar floor has!  Very Very dangerous. I'm so glad he has one!  I actually like the "white noise" it makes...helps me sleep!   And as for cuddling...well you don't put it on until you actually are ready to sleep, so I get a smooch goodnight and then he likes to sleep on his side...so I just snuggle up!  I'm sure its different as the girl...we are usually the snugglers, but being well rested and alive is better than missing out on a little cuddle that you don't even remember cause your sleeping! Oh boy....this whole post may be TMI!

Hey there don't worry about it hun, you won't have it forever.  I have one and it was weird at first but I really like mine I sleep so good with.  I feel energized and ready to roll.  He loves you for you not the way you look in the mask.  It will be fine.  It is not loud so you won't keep him awake.  If you wanna chit chat  pm me and we can.....take care   Hugs Marsha

I have used a cpap for about 7 years.  It took me a couple months to get used to but now I can't fall asleep without it.  I hope to lose it one day though! 

I have to tell you that I sleep so much better with the CPAP.  I didn't know how badly I was sleeping until I try to sleep without it.  Both my husband and I have one and I don't think that we even notice the masks anymore.  Hang in there!!!!

Sorry Lisa!  Let's just be honest, looking like Darth Vader in bed isn't all that hot.  But if you stop breathing for as long as 50 seconds at a time, you need the CPAP.  And you will feel better when you start sleeping.  The best thing is that it's most likely temporary.  You will most likely leave it behind when you lose weight.

I knew I would feel better after hearing from all of you!  Thanks so much!   Really...I can't tell you how excited I felt reading your repsonses.  I needed something positive to help me strap that thing on tonight for the first time!  You all rock and roll!!  :O) Lisa Joy

I'm a lurker, not much of a poster here, but felt I should reply to your post.  I've had a cpap since 2003.  It, along with WLS has changed my life.  To back up, I had severe sleep apnea, but I didn't want to admit it, and really didn't want to use one of THOSE machines.  But in August of 2003, I fell asleep while driving and hit a guard rail, weaved back and forth in the four lane highway and really woke up as I hit the ditch headed for the woods at 65 mph.  You see, I didn't even start to wake up until I was weaving all over the highway.  My brain didn't register to take the cruise off. (lack of oxygen)  I don't know what turned the car around and stopped it in the ditch, only my guardian angel knows how that happened.  Luckily, I only sufferd minor bruising from being thrown around even with my seat belt on.  The whole side of my car was damaged from hitting the whole length of the guardrail.  I still have nightmares of what would have happened if cars had been in the lane beside me.  I still can't imagine how I didn't wake up when scaping along the whole guardrail. When I talk about it, it feels like it could have happened yesterday.   But it was my "wake up" call, and I was having a sleep study in a couple of days.  My CPAP pressure was set at 16.  I was faithful and wore it every night.  Fast forward to 2006, wls surgery, and now lost over 210 lbs and I'm at 157 lbs..  But I will be honest, I still have my CPAP.  The majority of people are able to be free of it, but it seems like I may not be one of them.  My pressure is lowered to 9, and who knows in the future.  But, I know how important it is, learning the hard way. Things I feared about wearing it, like my husband not standing to look at me....didn't happen.  He is much happier with me feeling great, not waking up gasping for air,  and he can get some sleep, too!  Do I love putting it on every night, I can't say that I do.  But I do love how it has helped my life and am thankful for having it. I only tell my story so others know how important treatment for sleep apnea is.  It is truly an adjustment, but my hope is you feel the benefits of the treatment and find the ways to adjust to this new treatment. For more info on sleep apnea and things you might want to know....check out www.sleepapnea.org  Take care and prayers for you on your journey!

WOW - what a scary experience - Praise the Lord that He had more plans for you on this earth!  I never had to do a sleep study as I had my surgery in Mexico because my insurance wouldn't cover it for any reason - but I've had so many experiences with sleepy driving, I'm not sure how I've managed to not get into an accident yet.  I would bet anything that at 331 pounds I suffered from sleep apnea - but would never had related my sleepy driving to it! This is definitely an important message that others need to hear about.  Thank you for coming out of lurk status to share with us all! Congrats too on your weight loss - 210 pounds!!!  That's an inspiration!

Thank you for sharing  Nicki