Sleep Apnea

Today was a great OKC support meeting - I asked the question about sleep apnea.  I  was diagnosed preop with severe sleep apnea.  Got the machine, used it up to surgery, and since I have been home, not been using it.  I know not good.  Betty told all of us that we need to be using it, that we should be tested once a year with a new sleep study and hopefully we won't need it.   She explained that when our oxygen level gets so low at night, the first organ it affects is our heart and that is when we can have a heart attack.  WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't know that.  So be thinking of me tonight, cause I will  be trying to get use to it all over again.  And if any of you have gotten lax about using yours, get back on it, it's not just about snoring, it's about saving your life.   Thanks everyone for reading this - hope you have  a great weekend!!!!!!!! Brenda

glad that you got the words that you needed to get you back to using yours... Way to go to you!!!! 

I sure did - I asked the question to get that exact reaction.  Just a slap on the hand I thought, never realizing I was risking my own life.  Geez.   Thanks for your response. Brenda

Brenda, You can do it. Just think before long you won't need it at all. Yes, if your oxygen level goes down your heart has to work harder to keep up with the demands. I don't need a CPAP, but I am a Respiratory Therapist and I know exactly what you are going through. Make sure you have a comfortable mask. That makes all the difference in the world. Best of Luck, Rita

Thank you for the encouragement  - I have the nasal pillow mask - I will  get use to it again.  Thanks for the reply.  Have a great evening!  Brenda

I've been using mine every night now for 3 weeks!  I hate that darn thing.  It was a little hard to get used to the first few nights, but then it wasn't so bad, and then all of a sudden (without adjusting straps or anything) it decided to start "farting on my face!!!!!" Yeah, it starts to leak air at about the sides of my mouth (I have the full face one) and it flaps and sounds like LOUD FARTS!!  The first time it happened I said something to Josh about it after we woke up and he said "I was wondering about that!"  (I hope he didn't think it was me making wind out the other end!!!!!) Then one night it started doing it and I couldn't get it to stop, so I just had to laugh!!  So, that disrupted Josh and he commented on that the next day. I've since tightened the straps (about TOO TIGHT) and it is better.  I think I need a different size of mask or something.  I don't know.....  Anyway, I'm hanging in there.....  It is scary for me to think that my O2 levels got down to 71% with bradycardia when I was sleeping during my sleep study!!!!! Another thing I want to remind people is to CLEAN that mask every night!  Don't let that thing get grungy and then put it on your FACE!! Dot

Good job Dot on using it for 3 weeks.  Does the full face one feel suffocating?  I am claustrophobic, and I told them and they suggested the nasal pillow style. That is too funny about farting, I think my husband would rather hear me snoring than thinking I am farting all night long, lol.  Just kidding.  He told me for years that he knew I stopped breathing and it would scare him.   What do you clean your mask with?  They told me to rinse it off and a dab of dishwashing liquid.  Do you use that?  Thanks for the reply.  Have a great night. Brenda

I clean it with a regular wash cloth and anti-bacterial hand soap (very LITTLE soap) I think it said in the booklet to use "mild soap"  Well, I don't know what is considered "mild" but I know that I can feel grunge on the mask in the mornings when I get up!!  I think it is just the moisturizer I use at night, but, I don't want days worth of moisturizer build-up on my face every night! When I had my sleep study, I started out with the little triangle one on the nose only and they strapped my mouth shut.  I don't normally sleep with my mouth open, but my nose was a little stuffy then.  Anyway, even with my  mouth strapped shut, I managed to open it, so they decided I needed the full face mask. I need to call that lady and see if I can switch it out for the smaller one or the nose pillows...  Or, if I have to wait until it is time for a new mask.  I can't remember how often she said insurance pays for a replacement mask....

Tooo funny!!!!!! I have had my machine for over a year and last night was the first night I had the farting noises going on.  Of course its a new mask maybe that is why!!!!!  I kept getting woke up to this vibrating noise and then started hearing the farting. 

Hi Brenda.  I think you sit in front of my mom and the support meeting on Saturday and then you and I saw each other in the gift shop looking for the protein bullets.  I asked one of the gift shop ladies and she said they were only sold in the pharmacy at Baptist.  I looked around for you but couldn't find you so I could tell you.  Anyway the pharmacy is closed on the weekends.  I'm glad you asked that question because I've been pretty lax on using my cpap machine also.  I have very mild sleep apnea it is only a little of the line of not having it.  I'm going to do better with it.  I thin****pt it on about three hours last night.  I have the nose pillows and love them compared to the mask I first started with a year ago.  I'm and side and stomach sleeper and they adjust better for me than the mask did.  Hope you can get used to your mask again.  It was nice meeting you at the support group.  I'm not with Dr. G, but I do enjoy the support group.  I go to WeightWise in Edmond and really like my dr up there.  Take care and maybe we will see each other next month.