2 weeks on

[sleepymarie]

omg for the last 2 nights i have had 5 hours non interupted sleep, then up for an hour for a drink, then back to sleep for another 3-4 hours, cant believe it, i feel wonderful, hope its not a fluke

[Berneta]

Sleepy Marie

Hi! Great news! Its like getting a new life isn't it? Thats the way it was for me the first week too--now I am sleeping great 9 or 10 hours a night and have been doing great for 6 months. I had my Medical Supply company send me a note today saying I can come in and try new masks on the 15th of this month or get a new mask like the one I have already. According to them my insurance will pay for a new mask and hoses every 6 months. I already have two of them, and one is unused--so I don't feel that I need another at this time. But I will order some new nose pillows, as I am allowed two sets a month. I have had such great luck with my Bravo Mask that I don't even want to try a new kind! I hope your good luck continues too. Isn't it great to have some energy again! Best Wishes for your future. x Berneta

[Nukkamtti]

Stories like yours give me hope. I am now sleeping all night with my mask (since the arrival of a CPAP pillow) but it is just the same as I was before I was diagnosed - 12 hours of interrupted sleep and asleep by 4pm the next day. Still that's a big improvement on my first week with the mask!

[Tigers Fan]

So something is wrong, Nuki - either with you or more likely your pressure setting.

[Nukkamtti]

Oh there's a hell of a lot wrong with me, I can assure you, my 'friends' would rush to confirm this :-)

In this specific case though, whether it is me or the pressure setting (or it is something other than OSA*) is hard to say. I'll call the clinic again in a few days and see if I can get a more detailed chat, or if they can have my data this time rather than just generalising.

* I know that sounds an odd suggestion but it was all very vague when I was being shown my sleeping charts, the doctor did not insist on a mask, saying a tennis ball at my back to stop me sleeping on my back might be the first step if wearing a mask worried me. After further talk he asked me to decide so I said I'd do whatever he decided as he was the expert and if he recommended a mask, I would wear one. He did seem pleased at that, but the way he was talking when showing me the graphs gave me the impression it was indeterminate/mild; whereas my day-to-day life was being totally disrupted and had been for years.

[Sparticus]

I Understand

My first 3 months were hellish, it just didnt seem to work, I complained to the hospital had appointments every few weeks, tossed and turned everynight cos I like to sleep on my belly and couldnt and I was told time and time again be patient. I decided that drastic measure were called for, so I took a month off work and consentrated on my APAP. What a difference it made, I will admit I didnt give my osa a chance before and would take my mask on and off and thought bugger it at times cos it aint working but with taking time off and concentrating on my machine and sticking to it religously no matter what, it worked. Thats just my story and I know everyone is different but since taking that month off, I feel so much better, at night I dont even know Im wearing my mask anymore just stick it on and Im asleep for around 7-8 hours. I cant thank my OSA team enough for what they did, my next appointment is in a years time but I know that my team are there for me 24 hours a day 7 days a week, I just have to call them. My advise to you is dont call go and see them and tell them something is wrong, my clinic will see me whenever I go with or without a problem and Im sure they will help you. Good luck

[Tigers Fan]

Hi Nuki

Seems that even very mild OSA (as measured by using very low pressures in treatment) can cause all the hell associated with severe OSA. I think OSA is very unlike pregnancy except whatever degree can cause hell with the sufferer.

TF

[symmit]

Hi Nuki

Seems that even very mild OSA (as measured by using very low pressures in treatment) can cause all the hell associated with severe OSA. I think OSA is very unlike pregnancy except whatever degree can cause hell with the sufferer.

TF

Apnoea is apnoea, so if 4hPa or 14hPa opens your airway allowing normal breathing then sleep is restored and apnoea is averted.

I'm still stunned as to how much of a difference it is making to my life being able to awake refreshed.

[Nukkamtti]

On that note, I finally got a hold of my results from my sleep lab stay. A copy of a letter to my doctor. I will have to trawl through the web site for definitions to work out what the ODI means(I have looked but just got confused as to how it relates to the quote below*) but, here goes:

I have "moderate sleep apnoea" (not mild, sorry I was just guessing from the way things were talked about)

AHI - 20

After 2nd night my "repeat oximetry showed a desaturation index of just 4 compared to 15 on the untreated night in the sleep laboratory."

--
*Oxygen Desaturation - less than normal amount of oxygen carried by hemoglobin in the blood; values below 90% are considered abnormal

[Tigers Fan]

Think frequency, Symmit, think AHI.

[Tigers Fan]

Well done, Nuki. Do you know what your AHI was/is when using CPAP? ODI is, of course, very important but you need the kit to measure it. We worry about our AHI because most (if not all?) machines give us data about AHI (the number of events per hour).

The golden guide is that AHI of 5 and below is acceptable.

[Nukkamtti]

Thanks - I'll check and see what it says, I have a PDF of the manual so even I should be able to work that out...scrub that re the manual it doesn't mention this at all...but I'll look at the display in the morning

[Sparticus]

Me Too

On that note, I finally got a hold of my results from my sleep lab stay. A copy of a letter to my doctor. I will have to trawl through the web site for definitions to work out what the ODI means(I have looked but just got confused as to how it relates to the quote below*) but, here goes:

I have "moderate sleep apnoea" (not mild, sorry I was just guessing from the way things were talked about)

AHI - 20

After 2nd night my "repeat oximetry showed a desaturation index of just 4 compared to 15 on the untreated night in the sleep laboratory."

--
*Oxygen Desaturation - less than normal amount of oxygen carried by hemoglobin in the blood; values below 90% are considered abnormal

Im starting to learn what things are now but there actual meanings are a mistery, maybe someone could explain all the letters that come with OSA (this one I know) AHI, I understand what it mean but not the actual meaning of the letters

[Tigers Fan]

Apnoea Hypopnea Index

2525characters

[Nukkamtti]

I was overly optimistic. I can see no place where the AHI rating is shown. I have a RemStar Series M CPAP 101M