Hi!  I am a 55 year old Grandmother of eight.  I was officially diagnosed with severe sleep apnea over 25 years ago.  But - Now that I know the symptoms I can readily see that I had sleep apnea as young as TWO years old.  I know this because my father used to tease me unmercifully about how bad I snored as young as 2.  I suffered through my entire childhood being ridiculed because I could NOT stay awake in class.  Not to mention screaming nightmares, too numerous to count.  I could go on and on with n entire litany of symptoms - I had them all but fifty years ago Sleep Apnea was unheard of.  Now there are now rumors going around suggesting that SIDS - Sudden Infant Death Syndrom, is sleep apnea in a newborn whose brain is not yet mature enough to rouse the baby from an apnic incident.

Anyway, I have been on a self-titrating machine for over three years now.  Fisher-Pakayl, I think, with a full face mask.  I bought an oximeter finger probe to monitor my oxygen levels at night.  I am averaging 119 events every night where my oxygen levels drop to below 86.  And at least twice a night it is plunging to below 60.  

I have already had 2 different throat surgeries that were basically worthless including the uvppp or whatever it's called.  

I once went to an Orthodontist who told me I had the largest soft pallet of ANY of the THOUSANDS of mouths he had EVER examined and he had been in practice for over 48 years.  He assured me this was a congenital defect and that no orthodontic device on the planet was going to fix it.  

My CPAP machine is set with a range of 4 - 20.  It wakes me up EVERY night blasting air out from under my mask.  

After wearing this God-awful torture device for 25 years, the straps have literally flattened my facial features and distorted the shape of my skull.  I can NOT get them any tighter!

Basically, I have had it!  I am researching tracheostomys and consider there to be no other alternatives available unless one of you good folks could educate me as to what I am doing wrong.  All input is valued and appreciated.  Thanks for taking the time to read this.  Kate.