"please keep me updated about oximeters "
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i ended up with a trach
ive had a trach for 6 years now due to sleep apnea and i think with all the lung infections and pain i get i was better off with sleep apnea,is anyone else in the same boat im in,,
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mack D Jones, MD, SAAN on
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The devil is in the details. I had a life saving tracheostomy four years ago and have nothing but good things to say about it. I sleep with no more obstructions (AHI =0), have had no infections and no pain. The only negative I have had is the inconvenience of having to clean my one inch stent with hydrogen peroxide twice daily, which takes about a minute.
The big reason I have had no difficulty is that I was in good health (except for PAP resistant OSA with an AHI of 47), have a BMI of 24, exercise daily, eat healthy, don't smoke nor drink alcohol to excess.
I have lots of questions, but it is not appropriate for me to pry into your private health issues in this forum. All I can say is that if your OSA required a trach, then it is not likely that you would have been better off with sleep apnea. I don't think you fully realize how bad OSA can be. Read my book "Deadly Sleep" and you may look at your situation differently.
Mack Jones, MD
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Permalink Reply by Mike on
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I'd like to hear more about the "dark side" so to speak of getting a trach. as i understand it, it's the only 100% cure for sleep apnea. i am clear on the upside. don't know anything at all about the down side. i'm sure many others could benefit from hearing what you have to say.
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Permalink Reply by bradford hanley on
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thanks for replying i should start by saying im 42 diabetic, overweight, asmatic. i was diagnosed with sleep apnea after i kept falling asleep everywhere i went, driving, at work, just sitting in one place for any given time, i underwent 5 sleep studies and was found not to be reaching rem sleep at all, so after numerous talks with my doctor, he believed a tracheostomy was my only real option..i thought about it for a while, but not knowing anyone with one , i decided i didnt really have an option
so i did it
now a fast list of things they dont tell you before you get one
1. you can never go swimming again, as the trach is not watertight, you would drown if you fell in any water
2. lying flat to sleep wont be easy for a long time, ive slept propped up for years now
3. bang it, hit it, tap it, and it hurts and nothing you can do about it
4.unlike the doctor above responded, i get lung infections all the time
5. and unwanted attention, it looks creepy- lets be honest, people stare at it when you first meet them,you cant blame them, its just youll end up talking about it ,so be ready
hope this helps anyone- if you have any questions please feel free to ask
Brad
4.un
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Permalink Reply by sleepycarol on
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Much has been accomplished in the field of sleep apnea and different treatment options other than a trach. Have you thought about having a reversal done and treating it with one of the newer machines?
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Permalink Reply by Banyon on
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sleepycarol said:Much has been accomplished in the field of sleep apnea and different treatment options other than a trach. Have you thought about having a reversal done and treating it with one of the newer machines?
Brad,
With all the negatives you list, I would think about sleepycarol's advice. The way to go about it would be to try an appropriate CPAP with the plug in your trach after getting some advice from your doctors. If you take some time and get it under control with CPAP, then you could have the surgery reversed.
Of course I don't know why the doc thought CPAP would not work for you so my proposal may not make sense in your case.
For some time, I have been in admiration of Dr. Jones and his surgeon for how well his trach works.
Whatever you decide to do, I wish you better luck going forward.
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thanks for replying...actually i have tried both c-pap and bi-pap both didnt work the pressure had to be turned up
so high it was unbreathable. im real sure of any new treatments and i know the trach is reversable but id be back where i started. i also tried loseing weight(had a gastric bypass) thinking that would help .it didnt..im hopeing im not stuck with it the rest of my life but i cant see any other way
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to be honest i dont remember. it was so long ago, but the pressure was so high it was like a strong fan blowing in my face. i couldent sleep at all.and i did give it some time to try to get used to it, but no luck>
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bradford hanley said:to be honest i dont remember. it was so long ago, but the pressure was so high it was like a strong fan blowing in my face. i couldent sleep at all.and i did give it some time to try to get used to it, but no luck>
Newer treatment options are available now days. If you don't remember because it was so long ago, then you, in all likely hood, haven't tried them. If you have had your trach for 6 years, technology has came a long way since then.
If you lost weight, did you have a new sleep study done to see if your pressure requirements had changed? Without a sleep study, you don't know for sure what your pressure requirements are now. Machines are now data capapble, which 6 years ago many weren't, to track your pressure and apneas. You may not need as high of pressure today.
I would schedule an appointment with a sleep specialist and have a new study done.
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What sleepycarol said.
CPAP is not something to "try to get used to". It is something to commit to, something to persevere with, something to get educated about, something to work at for your health.
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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Bravo Banyon!
Banyon said:What sleepycarol said.
CPAP is not something to "try to get used to". It is something to commit to, something to persevere with, something to get educated about, something to work at for your health.
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Permalink Reply by Judy on
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Yeah, well, given what you say you are experiencing due to the trach I know I'd be checking with a good sleep doctor and also a good local DME RRT who knows their various xPAPs and their capabilities (such an RRT is darn hard to find!). There's a LOT to be said for "putting a plug in it" and trying out a GOOD sleep center for advice and posssible PAP titration based on a good interview and discussion of your past history.
I'm a creature of comfort and firm believer in the most comfortable, easy way to do things.
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