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Kady
Member
07-30-2000
| Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 12:08 pm
Anyone else have sleep apnea? I just had a sleep study done and was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I was prescribed a c-pap machine and must wear sleep mask. I hate the thing!! I look like an alien. Here is a picture of someone with similar headgear to mine. I also have to wear a chin strap to keep my mouth closed.
I am not a happy camper. I am gonna go Tuesday and try different types of masks. The one I have now is so uncomfortable.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 12:31 pm
My husband has it bad, but won't wear the mask. He ends up on the couch most nights cause of the noises he makes!!! I hate it, it sounds like he is choking!!!!!!
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Kady
Member
07-30-2000
| Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 1:27 pm
I used to be the one that got ran out to the couch but when I started having my back problems, my DH started going to my son's bed and running him to the air mattress. DH has now put a small bed here in the office/extra bedroom. I am wearing the mask but my snoring is still too bad for DH to sleep with me. I think the machine needs adjusting. Also my chin strap doesn't hold my mouth shut and I make some god-awful noises through my mouth. But no matter how bad my snoring is...my kitty still snuggles against me. I tell DH my kitty loves me more than he does. And he tells me that I love the cat more than him. LOL 
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Heyltslori
Member
09-15-2001
| Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 2:54 pm
Kady, I have severe sleep apnea as well, and would often quit breathing several times during the night. I would snore loudly, and wake up with horrible headaches due to lack of oxygen. I now wear something very similar to the lovely apparatus shown above. Sexy, isn't it? This probably explains why I am single. HOWEVER...I now sleep soundly, do not stop breathing AND according to my mom, my snoring has decreased dramatically! It did take some time to get used to that hideous mask. I normally sleep on my side with half of my face buried in a pillow, and I can't do that now or it would cause the mask to not fit properly. I eventually found a position that works for me and is comfortable while wearing the mask. I also had to play around with adjusting the straps to make it fit properly, but now it works fine. I feel a lot better knowing that I don't stop breathing anymore...plus I never wake up with a headache. I would see about getting it adjusted, if you feel it's not fitting properly...or try out different masks, like you mentioned. But in my opinion you shouldn't give up on it. I think once you find a way to sleep comfortably with it you'll be glad you did. Plus...it'll give your son something cool to wear for Halloween!! Good Luck!
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Kady
Member
07-30-2000
| Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 3:06 pm
Plus...it'll give your son something cool to wear for Halloween!! Thats the best chuckle I've had in awhile. My DH says I look like ALF. There is no way that I'm giving up on it. I've had it about 2 weeks now and I've already noticed that on the nights I ripped it off my face and slept, I was tired, sleepy and groggy the next day. The lady said if the mask wasn't working out, come back and we'll try others. I may try some strap adjustment first. I'm not sure how many mask my insurance will pay for. I've already had to go back and get a new hose since my precious little kitty bit holes in the other one. They told me then that insurance would only for a new hose about every months so be careful with this one.
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 3:55 pm
i have sleep apnea, and have a CPAP machine. you'll get used to the sleep mask in no time. let me tell you, getting a full night's sleep makes you such a different person! texannie, let your husband know, when he sleeps, he stops breathing, and there may just be a night, when his body doesn't wake him up. that may get him to wear his mask. and I"M SERIOUS! i've been living with mine almost 2 years. here is my story. my husband stopped sleeping in the same room as i did, because my snoring was SO LOUD. i fell asleep everywhere, movies, family events, my daughter's swim meets. but i was always extremely exhausted. i have fibromyalgia, and was having severe muscle spasms all the time. my body wasn't getting any rest. i was so tired, i was even falling asleep in the parking lot as soon as i got to work. when i fell asleep while driving, that was it. i went to the doctor's immediately. after having the sleep study done, i was told i stopped breathing over a 1,000 times a night. i was put on the CPAP machine right away. the first night it made a difference. now, i will not go anywhere without it. my husband has even figured out how to hook a battery to it, so we can go camping. it took some getting used to, but the rest was worth it!
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 4:01 pm
I worry about my dh not waking up either, Landi. It's a huge fear of mine, especially since my mom just went to sleep and died. But he won't do it.
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Myjohnhenry
Member
01-02-2002
| Sunday, January 30, 2005 - 11:00 pm
I have sleep apnea too and am using CPAP. I found it helps, but i am still struggling with the fit and not taking it off in the middle of the night.
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Essence
Member
01-12-2002
| Monday, January 31, 2005 - 6:25 am
I have it too. I had no clue I had it, but I asked my doctor for sleeping pills because I knew I wasn't getting enough sleep (was always tired). He didn't want to give me pills so he referred me to another doctor. When I had my sleep study they said I woke up over 200 times. They did a next day study where I had to take a 20 minute nap every 2 hours. The other person there that day never went to sleep, but I was sleep within 2 minutes each time (just wouldn't stay that way). I've switched to a different mask... trying to find one that I'm comfortable with. The one I have now is a little better than the first one. I was getting concerned because my skin is very sensitive and I thought I would have a ring around my nose (it was a little red when I first started using it). I played around with the strap adjustments and it's much better now. The one thing that bugs me (other than the mask) is when I wake up in the morning, my mouth is extremely dry. I've been playing around with the heat on my humidifier and it's helping, but my doctor thinks the dryness is because my mouth comes open during the night while I'm sleep, so he is presccribing a chin strap.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Monday, January 31, 2005 - 8:52 am
I am curious about the testing procedure. I have thought about going for the tests, but I don't think I could possibly sleep in a laboratory. How do you manage to sleep in the testing situation? What is it like? How long does it take? What exactly do you do?
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Mocha
Member
08-12-2001
| Monday, January 31, 2005 - 10:02 am
My mom and both aunts have been diagnosed with this and all but 1 aunt wears the mask. My mom said I should go for the study but I only have problems going to sleep at night. I can nap during the day with no problems, lol.
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Essence
Member
01-12-2002
| Monday, January 31, 2005 - 10:06 am
Juju for me it was a regular hospital room. I had to get used to all of the wires that were connected to some part of my body... I also had to sleep with one of those oxygen things attached to my index finger (she had to tape it on). I don't see how they can get an accurate picture of your sleeping pattern when you don't normally sleep with all those wires on, but according to the test I had no problems falling asleep... staying asleep was my issue, which was my problem at home. Daytime napping was no problem for me either Mocha. It was just the amount of daytime napping that was the problem. It really was starting to interfere with everyday living.
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Monday, January 31, 2005 - 10:32 am
for my sleep study: i was encouraged to bring my favorite pillow, blanket, and wear my most comfie jammies. when i got to the sleep lab about 9pm, i got wires attached here, wires attached there, wires on my legs, arms, and all over my head. then the lady who worked at the lab held the wires and we walked to a room with a tv, a bed, a toilet, a sink and a comfy chair. she hooked all the wires behind the headboard of the bed, and helped me into bed. (aboout 10pm)(i did bring my own pillow and blankie (oh and holly's mr.fuzzums). since i was always so exhausted, i fell right asleep, after about a couple of hours (about midnight), the lady came back, disattached some wires, and put a CPAP mask on me. i got to sleep from then until 6am - the best sleep i'd had in years!!!. i got my CPAP machine about 1 week later, and that was almost 2 years ago.
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Essence
Member
01-12-2002
| Monday, January 31, 2005 - 10:40 am
Wow Landi, I had to go back for a second visit after they did the first study... complete night without the CPAP. The second visit is when I got the machine. My room was nice, it had the bed and a couch, but no TV. And it was during the premiere of the last Survivor that aired. I was put to bed (lol) at 10:00 and they officially woke me up at 6:00. Then I had the 20 minute naps every two hours throughout the day until 2:00 when they sent me home... exhausted. About the wires... I gave the woman problems when it came to my head. She had never hooked up someone with braids and had no idea what to do with me, lol.
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Monday, January 31, 2005 - 10:49 am
i had long hair to my waist, and after getting the wires out took me days to get the glue out. she put me in all these little braids (about 5-6 per side of each head.) it is so much easier with short hair to wear my mask!
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Myjohnhenry
Member
01-02-2002
| Monday, January 31, 2005 - 6:47 pm
My sleep study was done in a portable attachment to the hospital with only a bed in the room...no luxeries in that clinic! I was told to bring my pillow, favorite blanket and comfortable jammies. I was prescribed a sleeping pill, but chose not to use it and just keep with my regular meds and reading in bed. I was there about 12 hours total with getting set up, getting settled, the study itself and finishing up. About half way through the night they came and put the CPAP on me as i stopped breathing frequently, snored continuously and never went into REM sleep or stayed in stage for long. I went into all stages and REM sleep with the CPAP on. I was also diagnosed with Periodic Limb Movement Disorder at the same time...which doesn't help matters any.
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Bubbakitty
Member
01-29-2005
| Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - 5:39 am
My husband was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2001 after I woke myself up elbowing him in the side because he had quit breathing. After we talked about it, we realized that he had been having sore ribs for at least 2 years, and had a sore elbow for even longer. When he had his sleep study done the lab technician woke him up after about 45 minutes and put a CPAP on him. He was the worst she had tested. He had never slept w/o it until August 2003 when he had to fly to D.C. for an interview and didn't want to have to check his machine. [We now no that no matter what the airlines try to tell you, a CPAP machine is considered a life necessary medical machine and is not counted towards carry on baggage and should never be checked.] It was just an overnight trip, but he has never slept w/o his machine since. His machine is a little similar to the above, but instead of a mask over his nose he has nose pillows and there is a stream of air going directly into each nostril. He's set up for another sleep study as he's having problems with his machine and will probably get a full face mask [covering the mouth too]. Yeah it's not that romantic, but it's better than him quitting breathing. Landi, the battery idea sounds wonderful. My step-kids love to camp and we had no idea how we were going to do it. [I WILL NOT camp by myself - too much of a wussy] Never thought about trying to hook a battery to the machine.
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Kady
Member
07-30-2000
| Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - 6:39 am
Juju....I read this site before my sleep study to prepare me. It was extremely helpful. Sleep Study
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - 6:45 am
Thanks for the descriptions of the tests, everybody.
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Kady
Member
07-30-2000
| Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - 12:51 pm
I just got home from getting a full face mask that covers my mouth and nose. It feels so much better than the other. I will try it for a few weeks and see how I do with it. Annie....has your DH tried different kinds of mask to find one he can live with. Maybe the one he has now just doesn't fit well. Tell him how sexy he looks with it on. I'm now worried about him since learning all the dangers of sleep apnea.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - 1:46 pm
He won't even take the test cause he won't wear a mask. 
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - 1:59 pm
so you really don't know how bad his sleep apnea is? or if he even has it? you do know there are surgical alternatives don't you? without going to the doctor and finding out he'll never know. he could have a deviated septum, he could have uvula problems. (that's the little thing that hangs down at the back of your throat) a CPAP with a mask is not the only answer.
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - 2:12 pm
I feel pretty confident that he does based on symptoms but no, not 100% diagnosed. Sadly, he won't deal with it.
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - 2:28 pm
like i said there are other alternatives other than a CPAP
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, February 01, 2005 - 3:14 pm
You and I both know that, but.....men, can't live with 'em.....can't live with 'em! LOL He has serious phobias about doctors since he had his stroke 5 years ago (wow this month!)
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