Everyone likes to know that treatment for sleep apnea can have a successful positive effect on their health and happiness.
As pointed out by one of our members (hi Jessica!), people come here with questions and problems and move on, whether successfully using cpap or not.  They may or may not get what they need from here, but one thing they desperately need is to know that the trouble they're going through with cpap or any treatment is worth it, that cpap can make a difference.  They, we, need encouragement.  You all give plenty of encouragement in many of the posted comments, that is true, and keep it up.  But if you'd like to post or copy to here a favorite description of how cpap has worked for you, feel free to do so.  This can be a quick and easy-to-find place for people to read success stories and to find the hope they need.

The following are a few success stories from the ASAA website:
Click here for some success stories


Please limit your discussion here to success stories, and not questions. If you  have questions or other types of comments, please start a new topic or reply to another topic.  This particular topic may be edited (by me) to ensure that this topic is reserved for success stories.
Thank you.


Linda

I'll go first.

For me, there was life before cpap and life since starting cpap -- the difference was stark for me.  Don't get me wrong, I've had to work to get it all right, but I was one of the lucky ones who felt relief right away.  Some folks find relief gradually or after using cpap for awhile.

My apnea and the symptoms had gotten pretty bad.  I was nodding off or falling asleep everywhere -- at work, at movie theaters, while driving, everywhere.  My ability to drive had gotten worse and worse that by the time I had my sleep study, I was not driving at all unless absolutely necessary.  My job was threatened, one more nod off and I would be gone.  I stopped doing everything I loved to do.  I stopped talking to people.  I would nap at every possible convenience (except at night, when I would wake up so frequently it made me dizzy).  Finally, it was becoming a danger to everything in my life.  I was in such a brain fog that I didn't even realize how bad off I was, or even that somehow this was not normal.  But I also noticed that when I woke at night, my heart was racing.  I was convinced I was dying.

Well, perhaps I was, slowly.  Finally, I  had the sleep study and got set up with cpap.  It seemed to take forever to go through the process of being tested, diagnosed and getting my cpap.  Yet, it also seemed like SUDDENLY I was using this contraption.  It seemed scary and shocking.  

But now, I NEVER want to go back to feeling the way I did before cpap.  The difference was amazing.  It was so good that I even sometimes forgot how bad off I was before.  But skip a few days of cpap, and that feeling comes back.

The brain fog lifted.  Suddenly I had some energy and was getting more and more of it back.  I was smiling, of all things!  I was no longer napping at all hours of the day.  It was so startling a change that I almost didn't know what to do with all my new time!  I could sleep through the night and not awaken to find my heart pounding madly in my chest.  I went shopping and actually grinned at the sales help and customers -- and they smiled back!!  The real test was when I decided to try and make the 3 hour drive to my hometown where I used to frequently go for long Saturdays to do some volunteer work I enjoyed.  I had stopped doing that because I found myself stopping several times during the drive to close my eyes and nap.  It had become too hard, too dangerous.  This time I woke before dawn as I used to do (to get a full day in), and drove.  I couldn't believe it!  I drove straight through, wide awake .... I could have kept on driving and not stop!   This was no minor miracle.   And at work, co-workers responded to me as if they had just met me for the first time, for before cpap I had avoided everyone and had looked so glum.  For the first time in I don't know how long, I felt alive.  

And perhaps the most startling thing of all was learning that this was all due to a health problem, that the misery I had been experiencing had not been my fault!  You can't know how relieved I felt to realize that.  Yes, I owe alot to that pesky cpap.  And I owe alot to the many people who were available online to help me through the initial shock of learning I had sleep apnea and during the time of adjustment.  I don't think I could have done it without them.  So, I may grumble with my cpap every now and then, but when I remember what life was like before, suddenly that contraption becomes my friend.


Linda

It's been almost 10 months since my sleep study.  I had been feeling like !@#! for as long as I could remeber.  I was "sleeping" 12 hours a day and never felt like I was rested.  I would get up 6 or 7 times each night and would be sweating and out of breath.  Getting out of bed in the morning was a chore.  I think I wore out the snooze alarm from hitting it 4 or 5 times each morning. A nap after work, a nap after dinner and then to bed. Getting to work on time was becoming more and more difficult.  All I did was sleep.  I was moody and depressed.

The final straw was when I was coming home from a weekend fishing trip and had to ask my partner to drive because I felt I was dozing off. He has been on CPAP for several years and encouraged me to get tested.  The next week I saw my Dr. and was set up for a sleep test at the local hospital.

To say the least, I was nervous and didn't think I could go through with it, but I did.   Two hours into the test, the technician woke me up and told me I needed a CPAP ASAP!  She hooked me up and I went back to sleep.  I awoke 6 hours later and had a feeling like I had never experienced!  I was almost giddy!  The tech informed me that in the initial 2 hours, I never entered REM sleep.  When she put me on the CPAP, I went into uninterupted REM for almost an hour.  I felt so rested that day it was unbelievable!  

A call to the local medical supply office and a call to my insurance company and I was in business.  I got "hooked up" that afternoon and haven't looked back once.  in the past 10 months I have not taken any naps, I rarely get up during the night and I have more energy than I know what to do with.  I'm back to doing all of the things I used to do and then some.   I could never imagine life with out my CPAP.  There are few things in a persons life that can be described as life changing, but this experience definitely falls into that category.

I never knew why I needed naps during the day; I just accepted it as part of my weight problem, a side effect of my medications, a part of my cardiomyopathy, or an effect of my hypothyroidism. I knew I snored; I was either told that I did ("you can rattle the windows!") or there were times I'd woken myself up doing it, especially when I'd had a cold or something like that.

Even when I did try to go to bed earlier, I was still tired in the morning many times, and I had no idea why. For awhile when I did begin losing some weight, it did go away, so I had attributed it to that. But then it had come back.

Even doing something such as watching the evening news or reading a book would result in me dozing off within minutes, but still, in the midst of all this, apnea was the last thing to come to mind. I thought it was a disorder that affected old men.

It wasn't until last summer that I was sent to a pulminologist in Pittsburgh as part of a pre-op routine testing that was required by my insurance for gastric lap banding and upper endoscopy surgery that it was recommended that I be sent for a two-part sleep study. I never had one of these done before and had no idea what to expect.  

Naturally, I wasn't very thrilled with the CPAP part and only slept about three hours with it there.  When it came to the questionnaire concerning if I would use one at home once I was diagnosed with mild to moderate OSA, I replied, "H*LL NO!"

So it was back home, and back to the afternoon naps, at least for awhile.

Once the insurance approved me for my surgery, I was informed by my surgeon's office that I was to start CPAP therapy prior to being scheduled for surgery. Groaning, I made arrangements with the pulminologist's office to set everything up to get a machine, which I thought would mean another trip to the office *GROAN.*

 Imagine how pleased I was when the secretary informed me she could do the paperwork right then for the DME and have and RT come to the house within the next week.

True to their word, the RT showed up a few days later and showed me the CPAP machine. To my surprise, it wasn't the monstrocity like I had at the sleep study, but one that was the size of a shoe box, if not a little smaller. He showed me how to operate and clean it, and I couldn't believe how comfortable the mask was once I had adjusted the headgear. I actually slept through the night the first night!

I felt a difference within a week. When it took me 12 hours of sleep before to feel remotely decent (and still needed a nap), I can now get away with about 7-9 hours with a CPAP and get a lot more work done, not to mention my mood and energy levels are much higher.  If I feel this well now, I can almost imagine what I will be like once the surgery is done!


_________________
*Lady Who Loves Doing PR for ASAA!*

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer about two years ago.  It had spread to my bladder and a couple of other places so they put me on a hormone treatment that suppresses testosterone instead of surgery.  I had been fatigued for years... no energy at all, but it got much worse after I went on the hormone therapy.  I didn't even feel like getting up out of my chair during the day.  I was sleeping 12 to 14 hours a night and still hated to get out of bed in the morning.  If I had an appointment during the day, I dreaded going to it.

I asked my urologist about being so tired and he said it was the lack of testosterone from my hormone treatment.  Luckily I went to a new GP since moving recently and he turned out  to be a pulmonologist also. When I told him about  the extreme fatigue, he immediately sent me to a sleep study.  I didn't think that would do any good (dumb me) so I procrastinated for weeks.  Next time I saw the doctor he told me that it was very important that I get the sleep study so I made an appointment and went.

My first night of sleep study, I didn't sleep very well, but enough to determine I had severe obstructive sleep apnea.  On the titration night I was extremely uncomfortable with the cpap mask and was depressed at the thought that I would have to wear it for the rest of my life.  However, later the next morning I felt like I had a shot of adrenalin.  I felt great after only about four hours on cpap.  My wife said I acted like a different person, all chatty and happy.

The DME came to my house with a cpap machine and I have been on it ever since. (Two months or so.) I am on my third mask which I am now happy with (Fisher & Paykel® Flexfit™ 432.) Here are the things that have improved since I started cpap:

• I don't snore.
  
• I don't get up to go to the bathroom many times during the night.
  
• I am not fatigued during the day anymore.
  
• My blood pressure has gone down and I'm off my meds for it.
  
• I only sleep seven to eight hours a night now.
  
• I don't thrash around in bed anymore, I sleep in one position.
  
• I actually feel like exercising.

I haven't lost any weight since going on cpap... I have actually gained some weight.  Probably because I now have the energy to get up and fix myself breakfast in the mornings. I now look forward to putting the mask on at night and immediately go to sleep.  My pressure is 14 and I am so used to it, I don't even notice it anymore.

And a funny thing... the urologist who told me that my fatigue was due to lack of testosterone is now on a cpap too!     

P.S. My prostate cancer is under control.  My PSA has been zero since I've been on the hormone therapy.



Last edited by hhopper on Mon Jan 22, 2007 6:22 pm; edited 1 time in total
_________________


Acronyms and Often Used Forum Phrases
Respironics? M-Series Auto w/ HH & C-Flex; Flexfit? Hybrid? Mask, Encore Pro 1.8i

I,like Linda refer to life as preCPAP and post CPAP. I started on CPAP Nov. 17,2005.
I was soooo tired of being tired all of the time;I hated when people who hardly knew me would comment that I needed to "go to sleep earlier at night"; I hated that I would be at the nurses station and couldn't keep my eyes open ( Thank God my boss has known me for 20 years and knew this was not my usual state). The final and deciding factor for me that something wasn't right was I felt so tired 24/7 that my DH became my personal chauffer. This meant that I could no longer drive my beloved sports car- "03 Mitsubishi Eclipse.
CPAP has been my "BEST FRIEND" since Nov. '05; I feel that I was given a second chance at life and I'm taking advantage of it!
 I live by the motto  "Pay it Forward". I have started and am the coordinator of the Las Vegas A.W.A.K.E. support group. And,yes,I have do drive my Eclipse,myself,every chance I get!!!!



Last edited by BARBCCRN on Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:24 pm; edited 1 time in total
_________________
EVERY SILVER LINING HAS A TOUCH OF GREY
-Grateful Dead

I was sound alseep one night (so I thought) and I felt someone shaking me.  My wife was waking me up.  I asked her what was wrong and she said I stopped breathing.  After what she thought was about 2 minutes she woke me up.  Said the only was she knew I was not breathing because it was actually quiet in the bedroom.  So I went through all the doctors appointments (being in the military at the time, it took me convincing 3 doctors before I got to schedule a sleep study).  Showed up the night of my sleep study, got all wired up and off to dream land I went.  Two hours and one minute into the test I was awaken and given my first mask.  My tech told me that she has never heard anyone snore like I did, little alone have the apneas as severe as I did.  Woke up 4 hours later and felt better than I ever have before.  Went home at 6 am and cooked the wife breakfast in bed.  It has now been alittle over two years since.  I now use an APAP insted of a CPAP, and still looking for the perfect mask (leak issues every now and then).  I feel lots of energy and hardly ever feel bad in the mornings.  While the mask is not sexy and kind of makes me feel like an old man every once and a while, I would not trade it for anything.  the only thing I would have changed two years ago is that I wish I would have found this site earlier, kind of felt alone out there.  Not anymore, thanks to Linda and everyone who help/posts info here.  Proud to be a "Hosehead"


_________________
Resmed- S8 Autostart Vantage,H3I Humidifer
Swift Pillows
Pressure- 11
A.H.I.-109
Failed masks- Resmed Ulrta Mirage Full face, Activa, Ultra Mirage II, Respironics Comfort Gel, Puritan Bennett Breeze Nasal
Failed Machine- Remstar plus C-flex

I knew that I had apneas. Wife told me. Sister told me. I didn't want to "bother" with treatment...and was scared of the possibility of having to go "under the knife" to correct the problem. So I waited.
For years.
Then, last Fall, my employer set up an appointment for my drivers medical card at the local Medics-R-Us that the company uses. Nice folks, but mostly general check-up type stuff. Anyway, I FAILED my testing due to high blood pressure.
Imagine that.
They sent me to my family Doc, who put me on meds, and ordered a sleep study at the local hospital. Nice place. Great tech. Kinda nervous...
I thought, "OK, This might be kinda neat..."
Lots of wires, and an IR camera, and I dozed off watching a Discovery Channel show on sleep disorders.
Once again, imagine that.
So... about 2 hours into the study, the tech wakes me up and sets me up with a nasal system, and tells me that they can't let me continue without some treatment. Slept like I hadn't in many moons for the last 4 hours. Dreamed, too.
Turned out that severe apnea was my middle name,(over 100 events per hour, and oxygen was dropping to middle 70s% range) and I was at serious risk of really bad things happening to me if I didn't get with the CPAP program.
The DME brought a ResMed S8 and Swift nasal mask to the house, and within 2 weeks of the study, at 49 years old, I was a hosehead.

Middle of November, 2006
Since then, my insurance had gone belly up with my job, and I bought a ResMed S8 from an online auction.
Same one that the DME just took back. 1/3 the cost.
Imagine that.

I HAVE to use CPAP, and really enjoy being awake all day. I don't have night trips to the bathroom at night now. Acid doesn't wake me by creeping up my throat at night. I don't snore. My attention at driving is SOOOOOO much better, and don't feel like nodding off on the 45 minute drive home at the end of the day.
I know that the treatment is a hassle to deal with, but, as someone said, "It's just a little air..."
Small price to pay for feeling alive again.
2 months and a week into it, and I'll keep going. It's much better to breathe at night then to go on to whatever WAS going to happen.
This Forum is great, and a wealth of information. Good people. Thank you for being here.
 
Dave


_________________
Getting Better Sleep...

The following success stories are copied from an earlier topic "Positive and Uplifting Stories" posted back last May:

Quote:

Hi Geo and welcome to the forum.  You will indeed find many positive stories here and people more than happy to share them with you.  Consider me one of them. For more years than I can remember I was complaining to my docotrs of fatigue, inabilitiy to concentrate, irriitability, depression.  I had changed primary care physicians three times...all three of them sent me for blood tests which all came back negative.  They would call me to give me the report and that was that.  The only thing that was taken seriously was the depression.  All three doctors were willing to advise me to seek treatment for that.  Oh yes, that had to be the answer as there was obviously no physical cause for my problems, they had to be psychological.  Bingo, diagnosed, now be a good little patient, take some pills and don't ask any more questions.  Well, I'm not a stupid person nor am I usually gullible, but the doctors did have me questioning my own sanity.  Deep down inside I knew that something else was causing these horrible problems, something they obviously were missing. In the darkest of times I thought that perhaps I had an incurable disease that no one was finding.  

I finally got to the point where I could barely function.  I was taking time off from work because I was so exhausted that most mornings I could not have gotten out of bed if my life had depended on it.  The days I did make it to work I was at least one to two hours late and I really was not a very productive employee.  Fortunately my employer was sympathetic to my problems (even though they didn't know quite what they were because I didn't either.)  The overwhelming fatigue was my greatest issue.  I could barely function.

Finally after the last round of blood tests came back, again with normal readings, I told my doctor that I was just feeling worse and worse and practically begged him to find out why.  My life was in shambles and I had no energy to make it better.  He must have had a light bulb moment or something as he kind of casually said, "well, maybe we should have a sleep study done."  First I had heard of that.  So, a sleep study was scheduled for November.  Not the greatest experience of my life, but I tolerated it.  The study showed that I did indeed have moderate sleep apnea and another study with titration (wearing the mask and seeing what pressure worked best to stop the apneas) was scheduled for December.  December 27, 2005 was my second birthday...it was the day I got my cpap machine and life began anew for me.  

I'm not saying these past five months have been without problems.  There certainly have been challenges along the way, but none that couldn't be dealt with.  I now feel better than I remember feeling in years.  Not only do I awaken refreshed and ready to start the day, I actually wake up before the same alarm that I used to sleep right through!  And, the energy lasts throughout the day until it is time for bed. In my opinion that is nothing short of a miracle.

Geo, I hope my story is the kind you are looking to read about.  It does help to hear what others have been through and how CPAP treatment has changed their lives.  I wish the same for you.  Please keep posting and let us know how it is going and don't hesitate to ask any questions. You might want to consider joining, there is no cost and no obligation, but there are some perks.  Whether you do or not, please know that there are a lot of caring people on this forum who are more than willing to help newly diagnosed apnea sufferers.  After all, we were all one of them not so very long ago.

[posted by sleepyjean  May 19, 2006]

Quote:

The story is the same for me...thought it was depression, been on several meds, all blood tests negative...irritable, could not concentrate, felt like something was very, very wrong with me...could not put a finger on it...my MD wanted to change my meds and I asked her if she would order a sleep study for me...my older brother has OSA and I thought I could also have it...come to find out I have moderate OSA.  I have been on CPAP since 5-2-06 with swift nasal pillows.  I did not feel better for two weeks and figured out even with a chin strap my mouth was opening and causing leaks.  I have been taping my mouth since 5-15-06 and I have to say, I feel 100 percent better, like I have not felt in years.  I am caffeine free and still wide awake...I am so happy to have found out what the problem was...hang in there, give it some time, and check these message boards...all of the people I have encountered have been supportive and helpful.

[posted by Feistyone072 May 19, 2006]

Quote:

Here's my abbreviated story.

Last July, I came down with a mono-like virus and felt like fertilizer.  I was nervous, depressed, anxious, mentally disconnected, and I had difficulty doing ordinary tasks.  I also had a fever, loss of appetite, the usual virus malaise. (I wisely weaseled out of meetings at work, and just sort of hovered in a depressed fog.)  Even though it was lasting weeks, I was fairly certain that it was a virus, and would be self-limiting.

My doc did some blood work, which was not exceptional except for high RBCs.  My blood pressure was sky high, and I ended up on bp meds.  BP was difficult to control.  The doc kept asking about my sleep - did I get up several times during the night? (yes, but I drink a lot of fluids), did I snore loudly? (yes, no big deal).  I was sure that I slept just fine, because I fell asleep so easily.  Did anyone in my family have sleep apnea? (Not sure).  Importantly, as crummy as I felt, I maintained a positive outlook.  This took some extra effort at times, but I was assiduously optimistic.  This is a key for anyone, I believe.

Then, driving to work in a depressed mental vapor, it hit me.  The high RBCs might be due to...sleep apnea.  I get to work, fire up the search engines and viola!  Elevated RBCs are seen in some OSA cases.  That night, as an experiment, I slept on my side and another viola! my depression seemed as if it were cut in half.  I'm now convinced that I have SA, so I begin to lose weight.  I went from 207 to about 185, and I've maintained that wt.

I went through the usual waits for pulmonologist appointments, sleep study appointment, study review appointment, and DME appointment. About 3 months total. (I have not complaints about waiting a few months.) In that time, I began to reflect on how long I have had OSA.  My best guess, almost 50 years.  Since I smashed my nasal septum on a playground as an elementary school kid.  My point here is that so very many of us with diagnosed severe apnea have had it for decades, and had no clue whatever.

Now for the good part.  What have I noticed?   Repeating what I've posted before, I now think more deeply and I'm more mentally alert, I speak more clearly, my mood is much improved (even though I've always been a "bright-sider"), my dreams are more user friendly, I write more clearly and type more quickly, I've noticed a boost in the "mojo" department, I no longer take daily naps,  and without exaggeration, I accomplish twice in a day compared to what I muddled through pre PAP therapy.  My immune system is stronger (as evidence by a lack of URIs since starting PAP therapy in early Dec 05).    One problem, my visual acuity is suffering.  The reason (and this is a test of my sense of humor) is that I had laser surgery 10 yrs ago to correct myopia.  What I had no way of knowing was that much of my near-sightedness came from inflammation and swelling within the eye orbit due to OS.  So, my vision which was surgically corrected to 20-20, recently became over-corrected once my occular inflammation subsided due to PAP therapy.  My eyes no longer hurt to look from side to side.  As the inflammation and swelling subside, my eyes are less oblong, changing the focal length and making me over-corrected.  

I'm getting into some pretty fair shape for a 57 year old.  Last August, I could barely jog for a sustained minute.  So far this year, I've run in a 5K, 10K, and five mile race, and I train by running about 16 mi/week.  Not enough is made of the fact that when OSA is treated, physical fitness is more easily attainable (with some work, of course.)

My blood pressure has dropped nicely, and is normal when I take it , but it's still high in the doc's office.  I think that my "white coat" syndrome is a holdover from the extra anxiety that I had for the past 40 years.  I'm optimistic that with time and 100% compliance, my in-office bp readings will be just fine.

But wait, there's more.   I have had some apneic episodes with CPAP, and a few wakeups to the sounds of snoring.  My PAP pressure is only 5 cm, so I asked my pulmonologist for another cm H20 or so pressure.  He decided instead on a home autopap study, which I did, and I have my results review next week.  I'm now hoping for an auto pap.  Here's the amazing thing.  All of the truly fantastic improvements to my health and life were apparently from a PARTIAL therapeutic pressure.  I may see even greater benefits in the future (I'm expecting to see through walls or something.)

So there's my short story.  After I get my new machine, and I have a few additional months therapy on the new pressures, I'll be writing a much more comprehensive first person account of my PAP success story.  I'll post it here, but I'm thinking of trying to create my own inexpensive website with just CPAP success stories.

One thing more.  I've mentioned to the mods here that we should have a dedicated forum to positive successful responses to OSA therapy.  I'll take a chance and suggest it one more time.  This is a good site, with several good forums; however, I think that it would be improved with a forum dedicated to first person accounts of PAP therapy successes.

Regards all - - Woof

[posted by Woof_man May 20, 2006]

Quote:

Good moring all. Hope you have a great day!

My story pales by comparison with some of the others, however, here goes.

My first awareness that I might have a problem was in Sept. 04 while driving on the interstate at 70MPH. I simply dozed off at about 1PM. Had the wife not gone bananas when she realized what had happened, I probably would be a statistic and not writing this. I spoke with my MD about this and was counseled to get more sleep! Made sense to me since I was sleeping about nine to ten hours a night at the time. As time progressed, I found myself napping more and more, it became the standard joke around the office, "not to bother Joe, he is in conference". Translated into "he is asleep at his desk again". I found myself having more and more trouble concentrating on matters at hand, difficulty remembering just what I was doing and why, etc. Discussions with my MD again did not shed any light on this matter, more or less attributing my changes to "my age". Previous writers have cited depression as the standard diagnosis when the MD types don't know, or don't care, what the problem is. With people in my age group it seems to always be "your age". The other major change in my life was an accelerated weight gain for no obvious reason. I went from 195 to 265 over a period of about four years, with a spurt from 225 to 265 in the last year of this cycle. The combination of things, fatigue, lack of awareness and inability to concentrate, weight change, got to me and in fact did depress me. Of course, which came first, the chicken or the egg.

In December 2005 I changed Doctors and returned to my Cardiologist as my Primary Care type. During my first visit he questioned me about my general state of mind and physical condition and asked me to describe myself in one word. I used the word "lethargic". I mentioned that I was always sleepy and related the story about falling asleep driving etc. He jumped all over it and immediately referred me to a sleep doctor with the diagnosis of "Possible Sleep Apnea". I had no idea what this was to say the least.

To shorten a long story, I went through the sleep studies, married my CPAP machine, and like nearly everyone else, have sufferred setbacks and frustrations along with the successes. Fortunately, there are far more successes than failures at this point. Most importantly, I am now sleeping less than I have in years, I feel great, I have my energy back, I am exercising again, people I work with tell me that there is a smile in my voice that has been missing for years, and I am functioning at the level of efficiency that I have always known. I told Sleepy Jean that one of the best things that has happened to me is that I like myself again, something that was missing for some time.

I think the most important thing for new personnel to realize is that this is not a miracle cure. Like everything of value it requires a contribution and dedication on your part. You have to accept the treatment as being of benefit to you and truly follow the system. When you wake up with your mask over your ear instead of your nose you have to wonder is it really worth it, how did this happen, and where is it all leading? The answer is simple, turn over, put the mask back where it belongs, and continue the march to better health and happiness!

God Bless and take care

Joe

[posted by Joes May 20, 2006]

Quote:

Before I was diagnosed and went on CPAP I thought it was normal to almost fall asleep while driving on long drives, fall asleep in afternoon meetings, wake-up with a dry throat and horse voice etc.  I have been on CPAP for 10 years now and have run 7 marathons, 90+ triathlons and numerous other races.
....yes I wouldn't trade my CPAP for anything; life is good!

Don't give up, it took me several weeks to get accustomed to being a hose head.

[posted by Ace Wingtip May 22, 2006]

I knew I snored.  But I thought "sleep" was the one thing I did really well. I could fall asleep anywhere!

When I turned 50, I had a bunch of routine "half century" tests.  I had my mammogram, my colonoscopy, an EKG and I went for a stress echo.  The cardiologist there asked me if I had sleep apnea and I said "Not that I know of. Why do you ask?"  He told me the walls of my heart were very thick, as if the heart was stopping, starting, stopping and starting.

Well, THAT freaked me out.  I spoke to my sister who had been on a CPAP for about 3 years and the more I heard her symptoms, the more I realized they meshed with mine.  Sleepiness.  Snoring.  Getting up to go to the bathroom numerous times.  Daytime fatigue (I'm a stay at home mom and took 3 or 4 catnaps a day!)

I went for a sleep study and found I had 109 episodes an hour! Scary.    I went back for my second night at the sleep center - this time with a cpap and they had to awaken me in the morning. Not once did I wake up myself. Not once did I get up to go to the bathroom.  It was wonderful!

My husband was out of town on business when I got my machine so I had time alone to get used to it.  It didn't take much time at all. Of course, I'm aware of it, but you get used to flipping the hose around when you're sleeping. It becomes automatic.  Husband laughs and says the mask is Pavlovian. I put it on and fall asleep within a minute - never to awaken until the morning.  No naps during the day either.  Love my cpap!  So glad I went for testing.

I'm adding more descriptions of success stories from our forum.  This one is from kgoose:

Quote:

It just occured to me that something miraculous happened last weekend. I sat through an entire movie - Dreamgirls - and didn't fall asleep. Thinking back I realize I haven't done that for probably two years - I always nod off during movies. It's little things like that that make me love my cpap!  How about it - anyone want to share a "life's little pleasures" experience here???

[posted by kgoose Jan. 26, 2007]

I was aware I had sleep apnea for a couple of years but did nothing about it until I had problems remaining awake at work and while driving. I was becoming a danger to others! I also felt like I was 90 years old when getting up in the morning. Went to my local doctor with my self diagnosis. Fortunately he had a sister who was recently diagnosed and was really up on the situation. Was put in contact with respiration therapist and was given an oximetre to sleep with for 2 days. Then provided with a respironics auto cflex and fitted for a nose mask as well as an oxygen concentrator. Never have been to a sleep therapist yet. Doctor doeswn't seem to think I need to now. I didn't seem to have any problems sleeping with the contraption although I've have to sleep in different positions now and sometimes wake with a sore back. Anyways the results were immediate. Now I just feel like an out of shape 50 year old when I wake which I guess is all I have a right to expect. I haven't been sleepy during the day since and can drive long distances again. My blood oxygen average is over 95% when I sleep now when before it was 80%. Its been 9 months and I find I cannot sleep without the machine now. This is a fantastic forum and has been very informative.

I didn't realize that I had a sleep problem. I was going to every kind of doctor for headaches. My wife mentioned that I held my breath when sleeping so we asked the pain management doctor about it and he set up the sleep study. From what I was told, my sleep apnea wasn't very bad ( I need to get a copy of the results) but still they set me up with a cpap. That was about 8 weeks ago and it seems like I feel a little better every day. It didn't cure the headaches but I can deal with them much better now that I feel so good. The mask took a little getting used to but now I look forward to putting it on because I know I will sleep great. My problem now being late to work because I have a hard time waking up!

I know I quoted Joe before, but I felt his anniversary description makes for a wonderful success story:

Quote:

Good morning all. Today, February 9, 2007, is the one year anniversary of my CPAP experience and membership in the hosehead society. It has been an interesting ride, for the very most part a very positive one to say the least. How do I see myself after one year, simply stated a far far improved model of what I had before. Blood pressure is down an average of twenty points, I weigh thirty pounds less than a year ago, I am no longer exhuasted during the day, I sleep the night through wth very few exceptions, I can go on with positive statement after positive statement. And the most important change is something I know some of you will fully understand, I really like myself again.

Now amplifying comments, which came first the chicken or the egg. The first major improvement was the rest factor, I am one of those lucky ones who hit the sleep improvement right off the bat, and for the most part have stayed there. I get an average of seven hours of solid sleep everynight, wake up fairly well refreshed, and full of energy. Am I perfect, not on a bet, I still have bad nights, there are nights when the mask gremlin comes to call, but all in all, I am one heck of a lot better off than a year ago. My blood pressure started dropping at about the two month point, nothing spectacular, there were no gongs or flashing lights, just a slow decrease to the present level of 126/60 +- Not bad for an overweight older fellow. The increased energy has allowed me to resume my exercise program, I now do an hour a day, three days a week, half cardiovascular, half muscle toning. At my age one is not overly concerned about being a body builder, just keeping what I have useable is far more important to me. The exercise, coupled with a dietary change brought about by Weight Watchers has taken thirty pounds off this frame, the saddest point is I have  a very large amount that still has to go. It will, I assure you, it will.

The road has not been without bumps and bruises, I spent a fair amount of time and money searching for the perfect mask, started with what the DME knew I should have, went to one of the new miracle masks which lasted me two nights and now rests in my mask hall of shame, and ended up with the Mirage Swift system. Is it perfect, probably not, but it works for me, and selfishly, that is what matters.  I learned that when you travel it is terribly important that you bring all the parts of your mask with you, the Swift does not work particularly well without the little clip that holds the cushion in place. Ah, the wonders of Duct tape, never leave home without it is my motto. Fabricated a clip and it held for one week, in fact several layers of tape! I have been attacked by my hose, lost my connection during the night and woke knowing I was suffocating, I guess like most of you, I have had a very typical CPAP experience, one I could live without, but I am living much better with.

I started CPAP after being in the Forum for nearly a month and the things I learned here, and for that matter continue to learn here, prepared me for the road ahead. I thank those of you who have contributed to my well being, whoever taught me to hang the hose over my head to keep it out of the way, those who gave such great advice on how to keep the system clean, those who gave me advice on the best mask, opinions of course, but so valuable in reaching a decision, the open loving givers of advice who are so wonderful about sharing knowledge, enthusiasm, and hope. I have made lasting friendships here, friendships based on a common malady, but the malady is the bond. Odd isn't it, that so much good can come from something that is bascially bad, yet it happens for all of us.

Thank you Forum for all that you have given me and my fellow Apnea sufferers. For those of you just starting the journey know that there is a pot of gold waiting for you, it will not come to you, you must go to it.

I wish for each of you the success I have had, and I hope that after your first year you can sit back and evaluate your own life and find that it is a fuller, richer one full of Blessings.

God Bless and take care

Joe

[posted by Joes February 9, 2007]

I had been a loud snorer since my teen years. Around 1991, I started getting awake gasping for breath and occasionally wetting the bed. My wife noticed that I stopped breathing while I slept, and she would nudge me to start my breathing again. By the time I finally admitted that I had a problem, she would literally sit astride me and pick my shoulders up off the bed to re-start my breathing. It used to make me so angry! A friend of ours (an RN) suggested a sleep test, so I mentioned it to my PCP.

There was no sleep clinic in our town at that time, so I drove the 60 miles to have the polysomnography. It took about 4 months to get scheduled, and everybody said that you never hear the results until several months later. Had the test on a Sunday night in Feb. 1993. The doc read the results and called my home on the Tuesday morning after the test  and wanted me back in the lab the following weekend for a titration study. He later told me that he doubted that I would have survived another 6 months without intervention. I was prescribed a BiPAP set at 14i/10e and the DME supplier showed up the next day with my equipment.

The results were amazing! I slept through the night from day one. My blood pressure went down. My blood sugar went down. My bed-wetting stopped. My energy level went up, and I stopped snoring. I went through the typical newbie stuff...finding the right mask (the third one was the charm) thinking the pressure needed raised because I had got used to it, learning to suspend the hose from above so it wasn't constantly getting tangled, etc. Being a truck driver, I had to shuffle the machine from home to truck and back every week. After 5 years, I got a new machine and left the old one at home and put the new one in the truck.

After another 5 years I got another new, smaller machine with a smart card. The doc reading the info from the smart card resulted in my latest polysomnography late last year and my pressure was upgraded to 16i. The sleep test was given with a CPAP, and I had a hard time with exhaling against that pressure. The doc's young associate was going to take my BiPAP away and put me on straight CPAP, but after a conference with the doc that was cancelled. (You gotta stick up for yourself!) Exhaling against a pressure of 16, even for 7 hours, gave me considerable pain in my sternum/diaphragm area that lasted several days.

I've survived 14 years with BiPAP treated OSA and am perfectly satisfied with the result. My wife, on the other hand, is paying the price for watching over me those pre-treatment years and giving up her sleep. She's had 4 heart attacks and is quite hard of hearing after sleeping with my loud snoring.