RE: New member introduction
Yeah for your first good night Jon!!!!! I found that once I had a few good nights, my mind adjusted to CPAP, and now after about 8 weeks...if someone took my machine away I would really be upset. I actually wake up sometimes and have to feel my face to see if my equipment is on me. I hardly notice it ..on a good night. Of course I still have some bad nights, but am sure they will happen less and less. Good luck with tonights sleep...hoping you have another good one!
RE: New member introduction
well, I am hoping I become like that also and will grow to LIKE having to wear it!
after 6 months of hardly getting any good sleep, and a full year of wondering why I was always so wiped out and waking up with headaches, it's great to finally have some answers. I will wear this device every night with no problems if it means a sold 7 or 8 hours of sack time, it is sooooooo worth it!
And Trish, I can relate to your Mom and also to the term "rebelling against the machine"..... I used to look at it the first 2 or 3 nights and tell myself "there is no way you are going to sleep with that thing on", dooming myself to failure of course. Now I am much more positive, last night and future nights telling myself "this can help me" and not fighting the whole process - hopefully overcoming all the negativity and getting some much-needed dream time. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
RE: New member introduction
(06-10-2012, 07:13 AM)Jon in Thailand Wrote: Did much better last night folks, finally!!
I'm very happy for you.
I know it's hard to believe now, but once you get used to not only the machine itself, but the benefits you derive from the machine, you'll never want to go without it.
I started over 7 months ago, and am still improving. Feeling better, lower blood pressure, less anxiety, and just in general leading a much happier life.
Sleepster
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
RE: New member introduction
As you can tell, Jon, we're all pulling for you, and it sounds like you're now making progress. I've been trying to think back to recall my mindset about 5-1/2 years ago when I first began therapy after that initial sleep study. As has been said, it certainly is a mental attitude that helps one get over the adjustment to the whole idea of going to bed with mask, straps, a hose and a machine nearby that's blowing air at you. My own adjustment, in part, had to do with knowing how many folks fail to make the adjustment. It felt sort of like a challenge to me and created a determination that I would be a compliant patient. Perhaps it was that personal challenge along with a desire to avoid the serious results of continuing on with untreated sleep apnea. The the kicker for me was prior to that first sleep study when I awakened during one or two nights gasping for air. That wake-up call (no pun intended) drove home the fact that it was more than the snoring that my wife had been telling me about. Then, over time, the mask, straps, hose and machine became a bedtime habit. With mask leaks under control (a major challenge for some of us) I put on the gear, get comfortable in bed, and the next thing I know it's morning. Ahhh, the beauty of a good night's sleep; hard to beat.
RE: New member introduction
Hi there again John, CONGRATULATIONS! I'm glad to hear that you had a good night's sleep. It's good to hear that you are resolved to getting used to your machine. It sounds like you are on your way to embrasing the machine instead of rebelling against the machine. Keep on keepin' on with it, even though you may still have some off nights..
trish6hundred
06-11-2012, 01:14 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-11-2012, 01:15 PM by BabyDoc.)
RE: New member introduction
It takes a lot of experimentation to find out what will work best for you. I have been using my machine only a bit over a month, now, and have made several adjustments. I first had a CPAP machine; then switched to A-pap. I first had a nasal mask, but when that didn't work as well as I would have liked (it killed the bridge of my nose and left strap marks on my face), I switched to nasal pillows. That seemed more comfortable, but began leaking every time I rolled from side to side. If I tightened the straps, too much, the pillows leaked even more. I finally added a chin strap which not only kept my chin in place, but covered a good portion of the mask straps that kept the mask straps and pillows in place. I no longer had the leak issue, but began noticing that the humidity from my humidifier wass annoying me and my sleep, more than when I was using the nasal mask. Even with the humidifier on the lowest setting and climate line tubing, I am awakening with a "runny" nose. So now, I am going to try sleeping without a humifier and see how that works for me.
My point of all this isn't to tell you what to do. Everyone is so different with their different needs, that even your doctor can't tell you what to do. My point is to keep trying until you get it right for you. Ask for help, here, if you have run out of ideas with which to experiment.
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