CPAP during hospital stay

I must confess I have a CPAP machine but never use it. Will I be required to bring it to the hospital during my stay?  And will they make me wear it?  

Yes and yes!  Why aren't you wearing it?  The machine will help post-op in the event that your normal breathing pattern does not provide enough oxygen.  It will also help prevent potential pneumonia due to anesthesia.  Tell them you have it.  Tell them why you have it.  Tell them the issues you have with it.  They are there to HELP YOU not torture you.  Be honest and get the help you need.(I have severe sleep apnea and I'm pretty sure my CPAP has saved my life.)

I was in the same boat. I was told I had sleep apnea, but didn't experience any of the symptoms other than snoring (I slept through  the night and was never tired etc.) I got a machine right before my surgery but had difficulty adjusting to using it - tried but ended up throwing it off during the night.

i took it to the hospital but  they didn't need me to use it (had no issues waking up etc). I am three months out and have stopped snoring and am just waiting to be tested again to see if the apnea has gone or subsided significantly.

I would definitely take it with you because it might help you when coming out of the anesthesia, or during the recovery. 

Good luck!

In addition, depending on the doctor, they may not do the surgery because you're not using it- and there's a chip in the machine that they can check to confirm whether it's being used or not....

While going through the process my center required a download of my cpap to make sure I was using it.  For my surgery the hospital required it, and in fact sent home with me at pre op   a checklist regarding my machine and how they would have it checked over for cleanliness etc by their respiratory therapists.  The therapists will set the machine up for you in your room and will come in each night to assist you in putting it on if needed.  I think its up to you if you use it or not while in the hospital, but they do insist it is set up.  I actually had issues wearing mine while in the hospital as the pressure setting it was on became uncomfortable (too high), so I would end up having to take it off.  Please remember that the cpap unit is for your health and safety.  Good Luck with your surgery.

So just to be clear, I was given the cpap machine years ago and gave it several honest tries and I didn't feel like it made any different. As someone else mentioned, I'm not tired during the day and other than snoring I have no issues. I've been telling the dr's all along I've been using it bc if I told them I didn't that would have set me back or my surgery may have been refused. My machine is an older one and there is no chip in it. I had to sleep at the hospital several times to make sure my pressure was set right etc so really they have no way of knowing wether or not I use it. I guess I'll bring it and have them use it on me but once I get home I'll probably pitch it again. 

I would stop lying to your doctors.  That's just not a good way to have a useful relationship with a doctor.  You expect your doctor to be honest with you, right?  And if you are lying to your doctors, they may not have the information they need in order to make good decisions about your care.  You put yourself at risk by lying to them.

The hospital will probably require you to bring the CPAP with you.  They cannot force you to use it when you're in the hospital although they will most likely encourage you to do so.

I brought mine.  They asked me I wanted to use it.  I said no.  Easy peasy.

Even the older machines show the number of total hours you've used it. If you've had it for several years and not used it, it will be immediately apparent. It's quite honestly really sad that your doctors didn't do a better job explaining to you why you need it. It's not JUST about being tired or snoring. If you were diagnosed with severe enough sleep apnea to need a machine, this means that every single night you are depriving your body, your brain, your heart, your organs of oxygen, multiple times. This shortens your life span, increases your risk of stroke and your risk of heart attack. You are literally allowing yourself to be suffocated multiple times every single night. And not to mention - untreated sleep apnea CAUSES weight gain. When you deprive your body of quality sleep -- EVEN IF you don't "feel" tired -- your body demands immediate energy sources to compensate, sources like carbs and sugar. Also, sleep deprivation causes imbalances in leptin and ghrelin, the hormones that cause you to feel hungry or satiated. You'll feel hungrier, and it will take more to make you feel full.

I realize hindsight is 20/20, but I'm telling you all this so you understand what a difference proper treatment COULD have made (and could still make!) in your life, and so that others reading this will understand the importance. If you couldn't get comfortable wearing it, you should have reached out for help. There are literally dozens of types of masks, and bunches of types of machines, and if you had kept trying you could have found a combination you could live with. It took me six months of trying different masks and machines, but I finally found the right combination. I've used my CPAP every night (INCLUDING at the beginning when I wasn't comfortable with it) because I understood how serious untreated sleep apnea was. I've used it nightly for 10 years now, and I love it. It's one of the best things that ever happened to me. 

Please give it another chance - at least until you've lost the weight and have confirmed (via sleep test) that you no longer have sleep apnea. It's not always tied to weight, so it is possible, if unlikely, you'll still have it even after you're smaller - mine was a genetic issue with a small mouth and large tongue, and I've had it since I was a child (though it wasn't diagnosed until my mid-twenties). 

EXCELLENT post - thank you!