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Hi All
I have just started to use cpap after 8 years or so of suffering with OSA (unknown untill a couple of years ago)
I have 90 Apnea's per Hour and would be classed as "Severe" I suppose
!
I self diagnosed the condition after much research on the Internet and went to my local GP and asked to be reffered to a Sleep Clinic, he wanted to carry out some tests first Thyroid function etc, when these came back negative he said he would reffer me to the ENT clinic, So I waited and waited and chased and waited and chased ..........................etc, etc
Finally I got an appointment through for a ENT clinic at a Doctors Surgery in Binfield, a small village in Berks, my elation at getting an appointment was quickly replaced by intrepidation at the prospect of seeing a "country bumpkin" Doctor who knew nothing about the misery I was suffering (not to mention the Wife's)
The appointment was for Saturday morning when I turned up The Surgery was empty with myself as the only patient
I was seen straight away by a very knowledgeable Doctor who didnt harp on about my weight as others have (As an ex Hammer Thrower and Shot Putter you need to be big and I have had to point out to several Doctors that Calculating my BMI by my height and weight does not work when you have such a muscle mass)
He gave me an examination including a camera down my nose (which was not the most pleasent of experiences) and then sent me home with a machine to monitor my sleep.
After dropping the machine back off he called me on my mobile about 10 minutes later saying that this was the worst case he had ever seen and that he would reffer me to the Churchill Hospital in Oxford and put me down as an urgent case but it could take up to three months to get an appointment.
Less than a month later I got my appointment for the following week and went up to Oxford
The Doctors and Nurses at the Sleep Clinic where great (and good looking!!!
)
They fixed me up with a machine and an appointment for two weeks hence
The first night was great I only woke up a couple of times despite a hurricane blowing down my throat
The next night even better
Third night I was so "gluggy" I didnt go swimming the following morning as I got up too late
I have a load more energy and alertness now but still have the odd tired moment in the afternoon however I put that down to early days and lack of fresh air in my office
I cannot thank the Doctors and Nurses at Binfield and The Churchill enough they are great and I look forward to getting my life back!!
I have just started to use cpap after 8 years or so of suffering with OSA (unknown untill a couple of years ago)
I have 90 Apnea's per Hour and would be classed as "Severe" I suppose
!I self diagnosed the condition after much research on the Internet and went to my local GP and asked to be reffered to a Sleep Clinic, he wanted to carry out some tests first Thyroid function etc, when these came back negative he said he would reffer me to the ENT clinic, So I waited and waited and chased and waited and chased ..........................etc, etc
Finally I got an appointment through for a ENT clinic at a Doctors Surgery in Binfield, a small village in Berks, my elation at getting an appointment was quickly replaced by intrepidation at the prospect of seeing a "country bumpkin" Doctor who knew nothing about the misery I was suffering (not to mention the Wife's)
The appointment was for Saturday morning when I turned up The Surgery was empty with myself as the only patient
I was seen straight away by a very knowledgeable Doctor who didnt harp on about my weight as others have (As an ex Hammer Thrower and Shot Putter you need to be big and I have had to point out to several Doctors that Calculating my BMI by my height and weight does not work when you have such a muscle mass)
He gave me an examination including a camera down my nose (which was not the most pleasent of experiences) and then sent me home with a machine to monitor my sleep.
After dropping the machine back off he called me on my mobile about 10 minutes later saying that this was the worst case he had ever seen and that he would reffer me to the Churchill Hospital in Oxford and put me down as an urgent case but it could take up to three months to get an appointment.
Less than a month later I got my appointment for the following week and went up to Oxford
The Doctors and Nurses at the Sleep Clinic where great (and good looking!!!
)They fixed me up with a machine and an appointment for two weeks hence
The first night was great I only woke up a couple of times despite a hurricane blowing down my throat
The next night even better
Third night I was so "gluggy" I didnt go swimming the following morning as I got up too late
I have a load more energy and alertness now but still have the odd tired moment in the afternoon however I put that down to early days and lack of fresh air in my office
I cannot thank the Doctors and Nurses at Binfield and The Churchill enough they are great and I look forward to getting my life back!!
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