sleepycarol

Female

Sedalia, MO

United States

Profile Information:

My Interest in Sleep Apnea: I have Sleep Apnea
Treatment Being Used, if any: Auto-Adjusting CPAP
If Machine Being Used, What Type? (e.g., Respironics M Series with A-Flex Auto-Adjusting CPAP): Respironics M series with C-flex Auto-Adjusting Cpap with integrated humidifier

Also own a Resmed S8 Vantage with intergrated humidifier

Fisher and Paykel HC100 stand-alone humidifer base with water chamber
Fisher and Paykel HC150 stand-alone humidifer base with water chamber

Encore Pro 1.8 for monitoring therapy
Pressure set at 9 -15
Started therapy on August 30, 2007
If Mask Being Used, What Type? (e.g., ResMed Activa Nasal Mask): Headrest/Aura; F & P 431;

Comment Wall:

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Ruth Rayceen

Thanks for the welcome Sleepy Carol. I started cpap in mid January. I haven't had the best beginning. I am just beginning to know what's going on, I will post my equipment tomorrow. I am impressed with the level of the discussions and want to learn all I can. Ruth Rayceen

Mar 28, 2009
Patricia Jones

Thank you for the welcomeing comment. Both my husband and I have sleep apnea. He adjust really well to the cpap. however I continue to have problems adjusting to cpap and the mouth guard. I feel like giving up on my options!

Mar 30, 2009
peter stoddart

thank you its time for bed and time to first put on the thing to stop my mouth falling open then the cpap fiting it over my nose press the button then fall a sleep with air going up my nose then fall a sleep somehow but you do happy days

Apr 2, 2009
Theresa Holmes

I am just curious about it, haven't had this problem neither others that I know of, just did see it online and got curious what it was about and well to keep in case, everything can happen for later, who know.

Apr 3, 2009
White Beard

Thanks for the kind Welcome Sleepy Carol, I was first diagnosed with Sleep Apnea in January of 2007, but did not get put on the proper treatment till May of 2008. I normally post over on the Sleep Apnea Support and talkaboutsleep forums. Anyway Thanks again for the warm welcome!

Apr 4, 2009
Ruth Rayceen

Sleepy Carol - I wrote you a comment, and it vanished - if you get duplicate, feel you are appreciated twice. Our little grandaughter was well enough to go home - not better, but her doctor said, "Get her outta here before she picked something else from the air" Her parents compare themselves to week-old sphagetti. Not good for anything. The same for me and dh. Thanks for your kind thoughts. RuthR

Apr 4, 2009
Kenneth Southworth

Sleepy Carol... Many thanks for your thoughtful greeting. I have been dealing with Sleep Apnea for several years. Along with CPAP therapy I had surgery two years ago which was beneficial but did not take care of the problem. I stopped short of an Uvula modification, rather have put it on the back burner and decided to optimize my CPAP treatment. Hence although not new to the subject I wrestle with the CPAP every night like so many others. And as no one is smarter than everyone I am hopeful knowing the experiences of many may help matters.

Apr 8, 2009
Renee

Thank you for the welcome, Carol. Sorry it has taken me so long to respond. I only found your comment today! I have been working as a sleep tech and manager for 15 years. I still love this field and I am passionate about our quest to help others feel better. I love all the emails I get from this forum. The topics are timely and interesting.

Apr 9, 2009
ConnieK

Thank you for the welcome. I am a RT working in sleep. I have been using Cpap for the last 2yrs myself. Also, my husband uses Cpap. I enjoy working in this field.

Apr 10, 2009
paula riley

Thankyou for welcoming me,Paula.

Apr 15, 2009
Dorothea (Dottie) Maine

Thank you for your welcome - looking forward to looking through the site

Apr 17, 2009
suzanne mary schmidt

Thank you so much for welcoming me. Its been rough ,I not only have sleep apena I also have narcolepsy. I am glad I found this site.

Apr 18, 2009
B Robles MD

Thank you Carol for welcoming me. I am not a sleep doctor but rather an anesthesiologist that has to contend with the many issues related to sleep apnea. It is disheartening for me to hear patients who tell me that they do not use their CPAP because they do not think they need it or that they sleep ok without it. Clearly that patient does not understand the disease or the treatment. In the long run these patients run into trouble. It also means that their doctors possibly are not doing a good enough job educating their patients.

Apr 23, 2009
B Robles MD

Carol, for so long doctors were unaware that sleep apnea was the problem that it is especially because we did not have the ability to just order sleep studies. Time brings education, information and knowledge. It is a learning process for both the patient and their physician. So many times I see patients on sleep aids when one wonders whether or not the patient should have a sleep study instead. Its all about education. As for further surgery, you just need to discuss your concerns with your anesthesiologist. You can even request that they give you a call the night before surgery. I have taken care of a tremendous number of patients with sleep apnea, even patients as large as 650 lbs and they have done fine. Your anesthesiologist just needs be comfortable with your medical issues.

Apr 23, 2009
Yvonnie Crews

I have been using my new Total Face Mask, since Feb. I am completely satisfied with this mask, best one I have tried. It puts NO pressure on your face, but surrounds your face with an envelope of air so the mask, kind of floats. You are not getting a direct blast right into your face but it is gentlier blowing the air into your face. My machine is set on 10(whatever that means),. I believe we all could benifit from more information on apnea and supplies.

Apr 24, 2009
B Robles MD

Thank you very much for the kind words. I definitely try to educate the patients I come into contact with. I encourage patients in whom I suspect sleep apnea, to be tested and find out so that if they have it, they can treat themselves and avoid the pitfalls of non-treatment. I also encourage patients who do not use their CPAP to use it, given that the CPAP is intended to treat a serious problem. Have a great weekend!

Apr 24, 2009
Jim Hackett

Thanks

Apr 26, 2009
April Reeves

Thank you, Carol! I feel like the information I'm reading here is going to help me better understand CPAPs and the things so many of my customers have to go through to get a good nights sleep. And don't you just love irony? I have a new husband who snores like a walrus on mnay nights but refuses to get a sleep test done. I feel like it's weight related-so I'm happy to see that there are forum posts about the weight aspect!

Apr 29, 2009
Lori deutsch

Thank you I will get my cpap Friday Is there any thing I should request special other than the set up? lori

Apr 29, 2009
Colleen chase

Thanks, my goal is to learn and get my husband to get treatment. I was glad to find your site!

Apr 29, 2009
Jeannie Christmas Smith

hi, i've just been told by my ent that the sleep apnea surgery is probably my last option for getting better. don't know if you're familiar with this, but it involves tonsils being removed, along with some of the soft palate at the roof of my mouth and the removal of bone spur in my left nostril which dr says is 90% blocked. i fully my dr, but just wish i could talk to someone who has had this surgery because of similar situation. my sleep is terrible and i feel so tired and like i want to cry most of the time. i'm taking rx sleep med and antidepreassant. can't use the cpap. can anyone offer anything?

May 4, 2009
Sharon Michalove

Thanks very much for the welcome. My husband has been using a CPAP for almost 4 years for snoring and it has made a big difference for him. I just found out about my low oxygen problem and adjusting to the machine has been an interesting experience so trying the new one tonight will make for a good comparison with the other one. I was told this one should be quieter and the doctor thinks that the lower pressure for most of the night should keep me from waking up. So all this is a work in progress, especially when I get to spend a week in a tent in 6 weeks.

May 4, 2009
Richard Neider

Thank you for the welcoming. I am a new user of CPAP, in 4th month. I will be using this forum. I also belong to an Awake group.I look froward to meaningful dialogs.Thaks again. /s/ Dick

May 4, 2009
Sally Bowron

TY

May 4, 2009
Mark Alford

Thank you. I'm a newbie so for now most of my input will be in the form of questions.

Mark

May 5, 2009
richard d

Thanks for the welcome

May 8, 2009
Woofman Jack

I dont believe that putting a devise on you face is the answer. For one the devise alone is more than what I can afford and it appears to be uncomfortable. Unless someone has a better solution or something that is more affordable I would probably consider it. I know by losing weight helps and/or surgery makes better sense.

May 8, 2009
Linda Brown

Hi Carol, I just found your message about my excessive problem with the CPAP. I knitted a tube to fit over the hose, but then my provider turned the humidity down, and that seemed to have fixed it. My problem now is that I have marks on my face from the strap connected to the pillows. They are so visible that someone asked me the other day if I used a CPAP.

May 8, 2009
Mike

do you know of any travel size cpap machines?

May 9, 2009
Linda Brown

Thanks so much for the info at www.padacheeks.com. Of course I'll make my own, but it was great of you to point me to these ideas for padding. I was just folding up a piece of flannel to put under the straps. These are a much more elegant solution. By the way I noticed that I left out a vital word in my last mail to you. I hope you realized 'excessive moisture' was what I was referring to. As my mother used to say, 'Sleep tight...don't let the bed bugs bite!'

May 10, 2009
Mary L. Montovio

Thank you for the welcome. I'm new to this and I have a mild case of sleep apnea. My pressure is 4 to 6. I don't' use a mask claustrophobic, I use a little thing that goes under my nose, with time I've learned to adapt to wearing. But I have noticed a difference of not feeling so tired when I get up in the am.
My husband has an appointment with a sleep study clinic, I know for sure he has it as well. The snoring, and he sometimes stops breathing. We'll have his and her's CPAP machines.

May 12, 2009
JoshCoop

I have a few questions. I have had my CPAP since 2006 or 2007, I wore for quite a while. Then I go new pups in 2007 and I stopped wearing it because I did not want them to be scared or chew the hose. I just started using it again about a week ago, with a new mask.
How long does it usually take to notice something? I wake up, in the morning, and feel so "out of it" more so than when I did not use it. I get tired, like usual, around 1pm (I usually get up about 5am). Anything I could do differently or does it take some time to "kick in"?

Thanks in advance!!!

Coop

May 15, 2009
Lady T

Thank you for the welcome. My husband has suffered with SA for several years now; however, he always finds a reason not to pursue getting his CPAP machine even though he has had several sleep studies. I am so frustrated with his non-committal to the process. He snores so loudly, I must try to sleep during his waking hours after a couple of nights. I love him. We've been married 27 years. He is now 64 years old and has so much more living to do. Does anyone have any suggestions for us? Thank you for listen (reading)...

Lady T

May 15, 2009
Jill Deitrick

Sorry Carol. I just found your comment. I am a RRT doing homecare and acute care. I find the this forum very helpful as the patients using CPAP have the most insight!

May 18, 2009
james

Okay I have a question. Lets just say if something happened to where I could no longer have a CEPAP michine what would happen to me in the long run or would there be a long run for me.

May 21, 2009
Laurie McLucas

hi sleepy carol - my 7 yr old daughter has sleep apnea. is there any way to communicate to other parents who might be going thru a similar experience or is this site primarily for adults who have sleep apnea? thanks so much for your insight:)

May 25, 2009
Jill Deitrick

I completely understand Carol and would not take it personally. I realize that not all healthcare professionals or DME providers put patients first....

May 26, 2009
Laurie McLucas

yes carol, i am very interested in communicating w/ other parents whose kids have sleep apnea - if we could do this, it would be great!

May 27, 2009
sheila Mannix

Hi sc~ I'm not quite sure how this all works, so it will be interesting. Don't know what threads are and how they work, so not sure if I can follow this right now. That's another thing about being so extremely tired constantly, I cannot figure things out, like computers and all that is involved in technology because I cannot think straight. I do know I am a lot smarter than I let on, but I am way too tired! My creativity is about non existent anymore... In fact, where is the darned "send" button? Is it where "Add comment" is? Does not make sense!

May 30, 2009
Stacey Meltzer

Thanks sleepycarol!

The diagnosis was not expected by my neurologist or my ENT, so I'm still getting my head around it. I know it may sound strange, but I was actually kind of glad; I could tell everyone around me, though trying to be supportive of my continued problems, were doubting that anything was 'really' wrong... Now I know, and they understand, what I was going through and why, and am hopeful about the treatment. I'm looking forward to alleviating many of my symptoms and problems, getting a good night's sleep, and being my 'old self' again!

Stacey

May 31, 2009
Thomas Stevenson

Hi Sleepycarol, greetings from sunny Ireland(yes after two years of constant rain and grey skies the sun is now out). Many thanks for your welcome. This is probably one of the better discussion sites and I had my initial query successfully answered in one day. So from the only Irishman on the site ( I think) many thanks.

May 31, 2009
sleeppuppie

Thankyou sleepycarol. This looks like a very nice site. I hope I can offer some good information as well as learn from everyone here. You all seem great, again thanks for the warm welcome.

Jun 2, 2009
Cynthia Licharowicz

I know what this is doing to my family. I am offended. I was asked to tell my story. No where in that post did I say, Come on guys send me FREE stuff. PItty me.

I simply stated my story. I dont take charity well. I have tried every resource in my local area. unfortunately the financial aid looks at your last 12 months of income. I dont qualify for ANYTHING for 8 more months. my income is still too high. I dont understand why it is this way when i lost my job due to no fault of my own. but it is.

thanks for the kind words.

Jun 6, 2009
David Stillwagon

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Jun 9, 2009
Teresa S. Tidwell

Thanks for the welcome. I have been diagnosed with SA since April 2005 and am n CPAP with full face mask. I have the same problems that others are reporting. I was not aware of this site until recently and I know it will be a big help.

Jun 14, 2009
Sleepy Mary

Thanks for the welcome. AFter being misdiagnosed for years I finally had a P.A. who listened to my symptoms. Diagnosed with sever SA in April and still working through tryin to get used to my partial sleep mask. But I was told it could take several months. I don't think the general public understands the health problems associated with SA. Looking forward to participating in the forum!

Jun 14, 2009
Sleepy Mary

Anyone familiar with the nasal tubes vs. the face masks? And if so did you find it worked better? Thanks

Jun 14, 2009
Jerri Lynn Matta

Thank you so much and i love your picture.

Jun 20, 2009
Chris

I have always snored my whole life. When my twin bro. and I were adopted (at 2 years old) the foster parents wrote about how good we were and how I snored very loud. My bro. was diagnosed 7 years ago with sleep apnea. He was very bad. Then 4 years ago, after I got married, my wife just couldn't sleep with me. So I went to the Dr. to stop snoring and that led into a sleep study and ta-da. I have it too. Now my snoring is very slight and I sleep very well. I even have dreams that I remember and I wake up rested. thank God for CPAPS!!!!

Jun 20, 2009
Elaine W. Sheppard

Thank you for the welcome, Carol. I have used a CPAP machine for almost a year now and my brother and mother are able to sleep in the same room with me when we travel *LOL*. It has been a life saver! Literally.

Jun 26, 2009