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Permalink Reply by BeeAsleep on August 1, 2009 at 6:10pm

It's me again Susan...I have been thinking a lot about how hard it is for us to wrap our minds around having OSA and knowing that we have to wear this odd, weird, funny, scary, bizarre thing on our faces every night. After reading a lot of posts on this site and other sleep apnea sites, I realized that my very life was in danger if I didn't wear my machine each and every night. So after I got really angry about having to wear it, and embarrassed because it looks so weird on my face and my husband thinks I look like an elephant...I decided that I was going to make friends with it. I decided I was going to think of my APAP as a friend that gently blows the breath of life into me each and every night. I decided that I was going to treat this piece of hardware/technology as a life saving sleep buddy. :>D I know it sounds goofy, but changing my attitude about my little ResMed S8 Autoset II has made it easier for me to comply. I love the feeling of taking a huge breath at night and feeling my lungs fill up. I know that the oxygen is flowing to all parts of my body, to my little pea brain and my heart, and I try to feel glad that some genius figured out a way to push life saving air into my body. I do have arguments with my mask some nights:>D. I find that when I have problems with it it is usually because I am fidgety and irritable, and if I relax the mask seems to fit so much easier. As is everything else in life, it is just a process. Some times hard and sometimes easy. :>D hang in there girl!

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Permalink Reply by susan mccord on August 1, 2009 at 6:34pm

Hi B.G.--that's actually a very helpful way of looking at this whole thing.....food for thought. To tell the truth, the past couple of nights, I've found myself kinda looking forward to putting the stupid thing on for, I guess, some of the reasons you just spoke about. I just hadn't thought it through that far. The "friend" thing, I think, is something I can wrap my mind around, as soon as I can find a funny name--humor totally keeps me going in this life, in all areas, not just OSA. (as you probably noticed with my previous "cpap/crap" statement. It's the little things that work for me. I've also found myself much more willing to take the mask off to go to the bathroom and then PUT IT BACK ON. It used to just tick me off. Now not so much. One thing that's helped is I've kinda gotten a technique down for putting the mask on that doesn't require undoing all the straps. Sounds simple but I just loosen them to put it on AND off--that relieves me of having to re-fit the thing if I need to take it off in the middle of the night. It was a major breakthrough when I got THAT one!! Small victories.....I just don't like being annoyed with.....well, anything!, to tell you the truth!!!!!!!!!! LOL Don't s'pose anyone else does either. But, right now, at least half the time in my mind, it's all about me!!!! Lord, how pathetic is that?! Not like me at all, but that's the way I feel. Much less so since I got on here with you guys. Not many people who are closely involved in my life seem interested in understanding how difficult this is. Good people, but the reality is too much, I think.....besides I live alone so no one has to be day-to-day associated with seeing it, so it's easier to not think about it, I guess...............having said all that, I'm going to go about the business of naming my "little friend" (sounds like guys who name their private parts, which I always thought was kinda weird!). In this context, a life-giving context as you describe it, it doesn't seem weird at all. So again, thank you. I hope some day I'll know enough and be confident enough to be helpful to someone else as you guys all are to me.......Susan :-)

BeeAsleep said:

It's me again Susan...I have been thinking a lot about how hard it is for us to wrap our minds around having OSA and knowing that we have to wear this odd, weird, funny, scary, bizarre thing on our faces every night. After reading a lot of posts on this site and other sleep apnea sites, I realized that my very life was in danger if I didn't wear my machine each and every night. So after I got really angry about having to wear it, and embarrassed because it looks so weird on my face and my husband thinks I look like an elephant...I decided that I was going to make friends with it. I decided I was going to think of my APAP as a friend that gently blows the breath of life into me each and every night. I decided that I was going to treat this piece of hardware/technology as a life saving sleep buddy. :>D I know it sounds goofy, but changing my attitude about my little ResMed S8 Autoset II has made it easier for me to comply. I love the feeling of taking a huge breath at night and feeling my lungs fill up. I know that the oxygen is flowing to all parts of my body, to my little pea brain and my heart, and I try to feel glad that some genius figured out a way to push life saving air into my body. I do have arguments with my mask some nights:>D. I find that when I have problems with it it is usually because I am fidgety and irritable, and if I relax the mask seems to fit so much easier. As is everything else in life, it is just a process. Some times hard and sometimes easy. :>D hang in there girl!

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Permalink Reply by D. W. Conn on August 2, 2009 at 8:24am

In regards to getting sick shortly after starting with CPAP.
1. Many patients will gulp air during sleep, it is an adjustment. This can cause real symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, and may even bring on a pseudo-gastric reflux symptom. (if you have this problem tell your MD,DO etc. It maybe your pressure is too high).
2. The constant air pressure can dry the mucous membrane of the sinus cavity and cause inflammation and cold like symptoms. The nose is just trying to lubricate. Adding humidity or heated humidity to your CPAP or BiPAP may help lesson the cold like symptoms.
Be sure you clean your mask and nPAP hose. A mild soap and 1 part bleach to 10 parts water or 2 parts white vinegar to 10 parts water will help kill the nasties that could invade your equipment. Maybe not a good practice but I wash my mask in the dishwasher.

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Permalink Reply by susan mccord on August 2, 2009 at 8:42am

Thank you for your quick response,Dr. Conn. I'll do as you suggest. There seem to be conflicting ideas re: humidification #s. I've thought I had a cold for several day. Now I wonder if I'm having CPAP-related congestion/nasal drainage back and forth, not a cold. Was advised to raise Humifier with CPAP dryness (which I had severely a few days ago), but to decrease # if I had a cold, which I did. It's hard for me to remember what's transpired with all that the past couple of days-can't think straight right now-but whatever I'm doing doesn't seem to be getting me more than 3-4 hours of quality sleep at a time. I'm tolerating the mask well at this point, but jeez, this is a pain in the ass...people keep telling me (not necessarily on this site) that once I tolerate the mask, I'll "feel better than I have in years" but that's definitely not happening. (/) Susan McCord

D. W. Conn said:

In regards to getting sick shortly after starting with CPAP.
1. Many patients will gulp air during sleep, it is an adjustment. This can cause real symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, and may even bring on a pseudo-gastric reflux symptom. (if you have this problem tell your MD,DO etc. It maybe your pressure is too high).
2. The constant air pressure can dry the mucous membrane of the sinus cavity and cause inflammation and cold like symptoms. The nose is just trying to lubricate. Adding humidity or heated humidity to your CPAP or BiPAP may help lesson the cold like symptoms.
Be sure you clean your mask and nPAP hose. A mild soap and 1 part bleach to 10 parts water or 2 parts white vinegar to 10 parts water will help kill the nasties that could invade your equipment. Maybe not a good practice but I wash my mask in the dishwasher.

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