09-08-2014, 03:04 PM
Newbie Success Story
This is for the ones who are struggling, perhaps newly diagnosed, the frustrated, even the angered, the ones that are nearing the point of giving up on this new fangled machine that hisses and blows a hurricane down your throat.
I am that person. I was near the point of quitting. One thing kept me from it: I have a condition for which there is no cure, only treatment. That condition, which the doctors call Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea, will certainly shorten my life, and decrease the quality of living in the meantime. So there was a decision to make: either commit to educating myself on treatment, or quit & die.
The message to any of you who are nearing this point is:
My sleep study showed AHI in the 40’s, and during my frequent frustrations, my machine was showing AHI in the 60’s. The sleep study recommended CPAP pressure = 8. Finally, after months of fidgeting with this mess, last night my AHI was 1.70. For 5 nights in a row, my AHI has been less than 5.00. My pressures are NOWHERE NEAR 8 (they are routinely around 19), I am getting the best sleep of my adulthood, and I am refreshed upon awakening, every day. I am 60, and convinced that I can live for decades. The rest of my life is going to be the best of my life.
My path may be helpful to any of you considering quitting, and if not, perhaps it will at least be interesting:
My wake up call came last year. I was alone, and awakened from a deep sleep by noises that can only occur at 70mph, in a ditch, 8 ft below the surface of the road I had exited, with dense coastal seagrasses blocking my view.
Afterwards, my loving wife continued to “guide” me towards the doctor’s office, (where I don’t like to go), but never complained about my snorting, gasping, jerking and thrashing, even though she sometimes would get bruises! Yes, I am a lucky man.
The doctor ordered a sleep study, confirming the diagnosis and recommended CPAP (albeit with inadequate pressure).
A rental machine was ordered and delivered. That’s when the fun really started.
After months of frustration and failure, I ran across the Apnea Board. My first post was a plea for help.
The generous members here led me out of the darkness.
The rental machine is gone, I own a cool APAP that can actually talk to me. (Well, sort of---SleepyHead does the talking, and gets it’s data from the cool APAP.) Things I learned from members of Apnea Board, like how to program the machine, how to make adjustments in small increments, recommended delivery devices, the definition of success, etc, etc, etc really educated me on how to own my own solutions.
It’s not that doctors don’t care….they DO. They simply don’t have time to babysit you night after night to force success. It takes me 3+ hours to go to the machine rental store, and frankly, they are not in the business of babysitting either. So my advice:
OWN IT, ladies and gentlemen....NEVER quit.
Your success is right in front of you, and the people here will help you.
Thank you for what you do, Apnea Board — I am proud to support you.
My name is Keith Griggs-and I'm glad to know you.
I am that person. I was near the point of quitting. One thing kept me from it: I have a condition for which there is no cure, only treatment. That condition, which the doctors call Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea, will certainly shorten my life, and decrease the quality of living in the meantime. So there was a decision to make: either commit to educating myself on treatment, or quit & die.
The message to any of you who are nearing this point is:
——> COMMIT! <----
My sleep study showed AHI in the 40’s, and during my frequent frustrations, my machine was showing AHI in the 60’s. The sleep study recommended CPAP pressure = 8. Finally, after months of fidgeting with this mess, last night my AHI was 1.70. For 5 nights in a row, my AHI has been less than 5.00. My pressures are NOWHERE NEAR 8 (they are routinely around 19), I am getting the best sleep of my adulthood, and I am refreshed upon awakening, every day. I am 60, and convinced that I can live for decades. The rest of my life is going to be the best of my life.
My path may be helpful to any of you considering quitting, and if not, perhaps it will at least be interesting:
My wake up call came last year. I was alone, and awakened from a deep sleep by noises that can only occur at 70mph, in a ditch, 8 ft below the surface of the road I had exited, with dense coastal seagrasses blocking my view.
Afterwards, my loving wife continued to “guide” me towards the doctor’s office, (where I don’t like to go), but never complained about my snorting, gasping, jerking and thrashing, even though she sometimes would get bruises! Yes, I am a lucky man.
The doctor ordered a sleep study, confirming the diagnosis and recommended CPAP (albeit with inadequate pressure).
A rental machine was ordered and delivered. That’s when the fun really started.
After months of frustration and failure, I ran across the Apnea Board. My first post was a plea for help.
The generous members here led me out of the darkness.
The rental machine is gone, I own a cool APAP that can actually talk to me. (Well, sort of---SleepyHead does the talking, and gets it’s data from the cool APAP.) Things I learned from members of Apnea Board, like how to program the machine, how to make adjustments in small increments, recommended delivery devices, the definition of success, etc, etc, etc really educated me on how to own my own solutions.
It’s not that doctors don’t care….they DO. They simply don’t have time to babysit you night after night to force success. It takes me 3+ hours to go to the machine rental store, and frankly, they are not in the business of babysitting either. So my advice:
OWN IT, ladies and gentlemen....NEVER quit.
Your success is right in front of you, and the people here will help you.
Thank you for what you do, Apnea Board — I am proud to support you.
My name is Keith Griggs-and I'm glad to know you.
