Hi All,

It's been a long time since I've posted anything on here.  I'm asking for your help.  My situation has finally gotten to the point where it has me scared.

I have snored since I was a kid.  Back then, nobody thought anything of it, and it was actually considered to be kinda funny.  Fast forward 20+ years and I get diagnosed w/ moderate OSA.  I was told that I needed to have the "gold standard" surgery at the time- they basically cut out the back of my throat.  No uvula, tonsils, adenoids, soft palate work, etc.  That was supposed to solve the issue of no enough oxygen.  All it did was leave a hole for my abnormally large tongue to fall into when I dose off and shut off my breathing.

Next, I was told I had to wear a CPAP.  I fought the mask for years because I am so claustrophobic.  After a good 7 years, I finally start wearing the mask every night.  It wore it religiously, even though I never felt any different after wearing it than without it.

I played semi pro softball for 25+ years and it left my body an orthopedic nightmare.  Every minute of every day is filled with pain.  About 2 years ago, my pain doc implanted a pain pump in my abdomen to deal with the back pain.  I was feeling pretty good until my body built up a tolerance to the medication... then my body starts falling apart.  The pain increased back to it's original levels.  I'm not asking for sympathy.  I loved playing ball and I wouldn't trade a minute of it.  I just have to deal with it.  I've had 3 knee surgeries, a double lumbar lammy, right elbow, left wrist, and a brush with a little cancer last year.  My body is a wreck, but whatcha gonna do?

I'm now 49 and went through my 5th sleep study last fall.  The apnea is still the same.  I have so much back and hip pain that it is impossible for me to lay in one position for long.  After the sleep study, my new sleep doc asks me if I thought I could feel better if I didn't wear the mask.  I said yes.  His answer was to tell me to quit wearing the CPAP.

I was shocked, but I hate the mask so much that I was glad to give it up.  I guess the problem is worse when I lay on my back, as it is for many of you.  The doc suggested I wear this device that is supposed to keep me from sleeping on my back.  It was pricey (I have limited health ins), so I made one of them.  I had to experiment a bit with the thickness, because I could not roll over at all without literally sitting up, getting out of bed and laying on the other side.

Long story longer, if I lay on one side for too long, the pain sky rockets.  My hip joints and low back hurt so bad I could not walk at all.  I had to quit using the pad.

Now my breathing is so bad that I flop all night.  I keep my wife awake, which upsets me, and of course I feel awful.  This is my routine now- when I get up in the morning, I am absolutely ripped.  I eat a little breakfast, but I have to take a 45 to 90 minute nap before I can feel decent enough to leave the house.  Luckily I am self employed because now I can't get to my shop until 10-10:30 am because of being so tired.  I make mistakes, I forget conversations, etc. because my mind aches.

I usually have to close my eyes at least once a day and take a 20 min nap at work.  I usually go home and crash, but I'm also trying to get my house ready to go on the market, so I have work that needs to be done there too.

This whole issue is spiraling out of control.  The pain is off the charts 24/7.  I am so ungodly exhausted that I cannot function at the level that I need to in order to do my work.  I am scared to death.  I can honestly feel in my gut that this problem is sending me to an early grave.  It seems that every problem that I have physically just makes the other problems worse and I don't know what to deal with first.

I cannot afford to pay out of pocket to see countless doctors.  Because of the insurance situation, I have to see certain docs in certain systems.  It's not easy to find anyone who wants to tackle the issue constructively.

I'm at my wit's end...  Where do I turn now?