When I was diagnosed in 2001, I weighed 170 pounds and I was running three to five miles a day. Since then I've gone up to 220 lbs and stopped running. I'm back down to 195 now, but the apnea is as bad as it ever was. Weight isn't the only thing that causes it.

I don't want to share the information that I have apnea with anyone. My belief that I am still a 100% healthy person who just needs a CPAP is part of it. My wife's negative attitude is another part. My shame at being overweight and complulsive stress eater is another part. I am disgusted by my inability to eat correctly, and have lost most pleasure from food as a result. Often can only eat when no-one is watching, because I am so ashamed of myself.
But I also think everyone has a unique attitude to health conditions. I know diabetics who keep it a secret, I know people who need to be on a low sodium diet and just tell their partner "I find if I put enough pepper and spices in I don't even want salt, its nothing to do with health."
Being very secretive about a health condition is usually a sign someone has not made peace with it, but whether to tell anyone other than your nearest and dearest is entirely up to you.


_________________
Arthur
Sleeping with a curvaceous blonde autoPAP (Resmed autoset). Hope springs eternal.....

For anyone who doesn't want co-workers to know their medical problems but still work.  Write down all of your medical conditions and medications.  Include your doctor's names and contact info.  Place this information in a sealed envelope and mark it:To be opened in case of Emergency only.  You can also mark it confidential.  This can be given to EMS should you become ill and unable to speak for yourself at work.  

This idea was suggested to me because i have a very common name and my PCP has another patient with the same name, same birth date but different year(Yes there have been mix-ups, that's how i found out about her).  I also have a medical alert bracelet because of other medical issues.

CatJ


_________________
Resmed S8 Elite II w/H4i humidifier
Mirage Quattro
Pressure 12
Started CPAP - July 2009

ArthurAnxious wrote:

I don't want to share the information that I have apnea with anyone. My belief that I am still a 100% healthy person who just needs a CPAP is part of it. My wife's negative attitude is another part. My shame at being overweight and complulsive stress eater is another part. I am disgusted by my inability to eat correctly, and have lost most pleasure from food as a result. Often can only eat when no-one is watching, because I am so ashamed of myself.
But I also think everyone has a unique attitude to health conditions. I know diabetics who keep it a secret, I know people who need to be on a low sodium diet and just tell their partner "I find if I put enough pepper and spices in I don't even want salt, its nothing to do with health."
Being very secretive about a health condition is usually a sign someone has not made peace with it, but whether to tell anyone other than your nearest and dearest is entirely up to you.

Hi Arthur!

Since OSA is an assault to our bodies it is no surprise that it's call to us to consume calories is often heeded.  Since it also takes from us a lot of vitality weight gain is a natural happening.

Give yourself a break, you are in a lot of good company.

It takes time for the new "habits" to form.  We get to overweight one baby step at a time.  We walk back from that, against the tide of our tendency, I believe, one baby step at a time.

This week I am learning about soybeans.  I am sad to learn how genetically engineered they are, but happy to see so many good nutrients in them.  This little baby step is added to the many I have taken on a journey to loose 30 pounds in 40 weeks.  I am up to walking 10,000 steps four days a week, use my Total Gym, and have learned that veggies in various forms make very good snacks.

My nutritionist gives me good things to learn each visit, my doctor encourages me seeing my BP and sugar levels now normal nearly all the time.

May we both take a baby step and maybe two today.

Todzo

Hi Todzo

That was a very nice positive reply.

Todzo,

It's good to share some of your positive attitude--inspiring. I've gone back and forth a lot with my attitude, so it's good to hear encouragement.

Arthur,

I understand where you're at. When I first brought my machine home, I would wait until the lights were out before I put the headgear on. Then I would pull the sheets over my head so my wife couldn't see me. In time we both came to accept it because not having it was worse than the embarrassment of having it.  I found that out when an ice storm took out our electricity for a week. It's not the sexiest thing in the bedroom, but you can't start getting better and losing the weight if you don't have the energy to start exercising. Hang in there, you get used to it.

I am newly dianogned and after reading this thread I am wondering:

Once you start using your equipment, is it easier to lose weight?

Do you usually lose weight, stay the same or gain weight?

Thanks...

1sleepygal wrote:

I am newly dianogned and after reading this thread I am wondering:

Once you start using your equipment, is it easier to lose weight?

Do you usually lose weight, stay the same or gain weight?

Thanks...

Hi 1sleepygal!

I think there are two things in play which affect this.  You have more vitality.  That makes any changes easier to do.  You also still have all that extra stress hormones in your system.  That makes you hungry.  From your bodies point of view you are fighting a battle and need to stock up on calories and electrolytes.

It probably does not help that things start tasting better.  It is not so much that one would notice but in my case time as a cook makes me more aware of how well these senses work.  I believe I have seen that these things often tend people toward weight gain somewhat offset by more activity.

If one wanted to offset this tendency I think they could make a plan to eat a lot of salads using taste intense dressings (balsamic and white vinegar half and half with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and a crushed garlic clove seasoned with a bit of salt, pepper, and cayenne is great!!!).  Also one to two ounces of nuts a day (I do almonds, pecans, and walnuts 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 - natural not roasted or fried and no salt) and a couple of servings of fresh fruit.  If they add to this movement toward 10,000 steps a day to burn off some of the stress hormones I believe the taste intense veggies and all would kind of jump start the system toward healthy.  I believe I would plan to keep this up for at least the first three months.  I do not believe it would be a bad thing to keep these habits for life.

Have a lot of fun!

Todzo

Sleepygal,

I think it different for each person. For me, I gained about 40 pounds. I was in pretty good shape when I was diagnosed, but age and sleepiness have taken their toll. I expected to wake up refreshed and with more energy, but that's never really been the case. My mask comes loose, my mouth gets dry, air bubbles pop out from under my eyelids, sinus infections,---there's always something to ruin my sleep. So I became less active and ate more.

Hi Williamg

Is that still the case, that you do not sleep well or has it gotten better?  I keep on thinking it will get better for me and I think it is.  I would only wear the mask up to 3 hours a night and that was it. However after having a choking episode on the week-end I thought I better try harder at wearing the mask longer.  So that last two night it has been 6 and 7 hours.  Mind you I get up 3 or 4 times, but I put the mask back on.  I am trying to be patient with myself.  I actually did some house cleaning when I got home from work today. I thought what got into me.  I was thinking, just maybe I am more rested.  Cross my fingers!!

Lynda,

You have to keep trying. Eventually you find what works best for you. Is it still the case with me? Well, sort of. My weight is back down a bit. I shaved off about 20 pounds last summer, and have kept it down since then. But there are still plenty of nights when I wake up with my mask slipping off, or with my mouth completely dry, or something like that. My doctor perscribed things like ambien, but they weren't very effective for me. I think the only thing I can say has truly helped me has been the nuvigil perscription. For some reason it seems to help me sleep better because instead of nodding off every couple of hours, I'm now able to stay awake all day and sleep much more soundly at night. That has allowed me to feel better and have more energy. I know how frustrating it is at first, but as you are finding out, it's hard to do without the cpap.

Hi Williamq
 Congrats! on losing the 20 lbs.  Maybe that will give me some inspiration to do that myself.

CatJ wrote:

For anyone who doesn't want co-workers to know their medical problems but still work.  Write down all of your medical conditions and medications.  Include your doctor's names and contact info.  Place this information in a sealed envelope and mark it:To be opened in case of Emergency only.  You can also mark it confidential.  This can be given to EMS should you become ill and unable to speak for yourself at work.  

I would strongly disagree with this recommendation - unless you are in a very small intimate business setting, in which case it is likely that everyone will know you well enough either to know your personal business, or have worked it out - should anything happen to you, you will be packaged and transported before anyone remembers that there is an envelope somewhere with this 'confidential' information on it.

As a working law enforcement officer and former firefighter/EMT, I would recommend anyone with any serious medical issues to subscribe to MedicAlert (or a similar service).  You will be provided with an alert tag - I wear a dog tag - but it could be a necklace, bracelet or even a wristwatch which has the alert symbol on one side and a phone number and member number on the other.  Authorized medical staff can call and get a comprehensive report on your situation in minutes.  You can update this information with any changes to conditions at any time.

I have a cardic arrythmia, diabetes and OSA, take twelve meds, have an allergy to one common med, and have both my spouse's and my MD's contact details available to those who need it.  It's impossible to keep all this updated in an envelope in the bosses drawer.

Even if I was handed such an envelope, as a medical professional, I would be very cautious about acting on such a paper as it is difficult to establish to whom the information relates with any certainty - and how up to date it is.

MedicAlert [url] http://www.medicalert.com [/url] works worldwide 24/7 and costs pennies a day.  I've been a member for years and I wouldn't be without it.


_________________
Drew Witham

VPAP III ST-A 30/24 CM H2O
with HumidAire 2i humidifier
Mirage Activa LT Mask