Hi Irma!! Glad to hear from you. Well, today's the first day since Christmas that I thought I might actually be able to get over this. It got worse before it got better. Decided not to call sleep doc--I've already mentioned having intermittent issues with the milder form of this--he kinda blew past it. I was SO sick that I was afraid if he tried to give it another pass-by, I was gonna be out of control. Went to my PCP, he put me on doxycyline--kinda helped for a couple of days, then failed.

I was talking on SG about how sick I was at that time, and Dr. Park came on and intervened. Thank God......he pretty much laid out (on SG) what was happening to me and that I'd now moved into a chronic phase of it. Said he's treated a # of apnea patients with the same thing.

He offered his thoughts re: a treatment program (didn't advise, just laid some options out). I took his comments into my PCP the next day--he concurred with Dr. Park and put me on Levaquin + some other stuff, including that nasal rinse which I can't make myself use! Stupid, but it freaks me out for some reason....... Have had one full 10-day round, am on the second round now. Went of CPAP 4 nights ago cause I couldn't tolerate it. Between that and the Rx, I'm finally improving. Last night is the first night I've been able to sleep without having to use nasal spray so I could breathe enough to sleep (I only use that stuff at bedtme--scares me!). So I feel like I turned a big corner last night. Still mildly symptomatic but NOTHING like I was.

Hi Irma--wow, I was doing a little better for a couple of days. Yesterday, last night, and today, not good at all. Couldn't even tolerate CPAP last night--couldn't breathe with it--took it off and finally slept for awhile without it.

I don't know what I'm gonna do at this point. I'm not tolerating anything in or up my nose at all. My whole head feels like it's gonna blow up. Ayr gel seemed to help some, at least more than my Ocean stuff. Even the gel isn't helping now. I'm pretty much of a mess, seems like. Something's definitely wrong--no idea what. Gonna call sleep doc tomorrow and see if I can get in.

Carol suggested getting it cultured. Don't know how they culture sinus, but I'm gonna see about it tomorrow. Something's got to be done that works though, or I don't know what I'm gonna do. Scares me to be off CPAP but if I can't tolerate it, I'm not gonna force it.

This thing is discouraging--I'm totally not used to having THIS kind of problem. Have no idea how to proceed except to try to shake the MD trees.

I so appreciate your ongoing support. Thank you.

Susan

'Morning, Irma--thanks for the update. I found out what I did wrong the first time. I squeezed the bottle instead of using the pump when I used it--just used doing other sprays that way, I guess, and it didn't connect that I should use the pump on this one! Duh!! Before I went to bed I pumped it into the air--it sprayed that time, so that's what I did. I had to use 2 shots as well. Just did the same--iti's 7:20 a.m. here. I only slept 4 hours--ugh! Not sure what woke me but I couldn't go back to sleep so i just got up.

We've got a big snow happening--I love it--glad I don't have to go anywhere. I do need to pick up an Rx that I brain-faded yesterday which could be a challenge. May see if my son has time to get it for me-he has a 4-wheeler. Supposed to get 3-6 inches--wind chill's -8 below zero. Brrrrrr......

Did you get snow within the past couple of days? It's coming out of the West but not sure how far out.

Gotta go get warm--hope you're doing better. I don't think I even asked you how YOU are yesterday. I'm sorry. Do you feel like you're making any headway?

Susan :-)

Hmmmm....I'll bet it has something to do with the pumping. I'm gonna try it again and see what happens. Do I need to pump it every time or just the first time?

You're right about SleepGuide. There's so much (cyber) friendship going on and people are really sincere in wanting to help. I've had kind of an odd but funny thread running about this whole sinus infection thing. Out of character, but Jeff (jnk) and Tim just pissed me off, sounding cavalier initially (couldn't POSSIBLY be that I felt like crap and was more than touchy!! lol )--anyway, there was some sparring going on last night. Now today, after a couple of apologies between Tim and me, it's all back to normal, helpful, interesting stuff. Almost like a family of sorts sometimes.....I love it. And I'm really happy you showed up on here, for sure!

Okay, I'm gonna go pump. OMG, that's the first time I've said that since I was breast-feeding my younger son!!!!!! LMAO

Talk to you soon, and thanks again.

Susan :-)

Hey Irma! I got the gel "spray". Does yours have this weird top on it? Also, after I pumped it, per directions, I test "sprayed" it just to see what it would do. It shot straight up in the air!! That kind of intrigued me, so I put one "shot" up each nostril. Jeez, it never touch the side of my nose, just shot straight into my sinuses! Weird feeling--not bad, just weird. I've been very congested all day--no faucet at all. Had to go out tonight to get the gel, and to get more groceries 'cause we have a huge snowstorm coming in tonight or early a.m. I noticed, while i was out, that it seemed like my head was opening a little. It's really cold outside (I haven't been out for days), so I don't know if this is happening because of the cold, or because of the Rx, or whatever else it may be. Things are changing again though so I'm just waiting to see.

I DO wanta know if your spray does what mine did. I think I pumped it enough, but it certainly doesn't "spray" in the true sense of the word, and maybe it's not supposed to. (?)

Thanks for all your encouragement. It means a lot to me.

Susan :-)

Hey Irma!! I found it!! There's a Meijer store within 4 miles of where I live. I called down there and they have it in stock!!

Wow!, I'm so excited I can just go get it. Thank you so much. I would have NEVER thought to look at Meijer. Also hadn't occurred to me to check the internet. DUH!

Will let you know how it works for me! YOU are my angel.....

Susan McCord :-)

Hi Irma--you were right about the Ayr-nasal gel spray. I found the other two, but couldn't find that particular product. I'd really like to try it--would you let me know when you get yours, and how it works. Wondering if it's better than regular saline which is what I'm using.

Thanks! Sure do appreciate you input and support!

Susan :-)

Irma!, thank you SO MUCH. Omigod, I'm going nuts with this. You're the first person that's had something, intervention-wise, that I can try.....I haven't even been able to go out for days 'cause it's soooo cold and I just can't tolerate frigid air with this--can't breathe. I'll be going out tomorrow to get this stuff to try though, or maybe I can get my kids to go for me. But I AM gonna try your tips and I'm so, so grateful. I've been dealing with this crap for months now, and no one but you has seemed to really understand how awful it is......

Thank you, so much.

Susan McCord :-)

I have been to Powell Gardens. It is beautiful there. In fact, my son's graduating class had their senior pictures taken there. He graduated from Otterville High School (where I teach) in 2000. Geez, it has been 10 years!! Where does the time go?