Plmnb's Never Ending OSA Journey (Data)

[ApneaQuestions]

Why scale the Y axis?
Because you want to really see the bad shape of the waveform unambiguously.
Once you do it.. you'll see what I mean.
EDIT: In this case try -60 and +60

It's just another form of "zooming" that really makes the point clear.
Also.. don't be surprised if that "nice" waveform looks a little less "nice" after you do this y-axis zooming.  ;-)

Snoring? 
So I guess you weren't snoring...  Not much else to say about that.
Snoring often may imply flow limitations but not all flow limitations involve snoring.
EDIT: squeeze your nose and try breathing through it... QED
(Think polyps or turbinates or septum).

[Plmnb]

I have the Y-Axis Chart here for the 2 minutes from 3:15 to 3:17.  Doing the axis bit was really easy, but I am still having way too much frustration with the regular zooming.

Using the arrow keys left & right, and the arrow keys up & down is no longer an issue.  What is an issue for me, is I don't think anyone has told me how to keep the one time in place, while setting the other time! Every time I get the start time set and try to set the end time the zoom level changes along with the time I had just set.  I have tried using the window of time that appears in the event chart above, that helps...but it still took me an hour to do this last chart. 

At any rate, ApneaQuestions, what does this Y-axis zoom indicate that the regular zooms don't?

Thank you for helping me so much.

Plmnb

[attachment=18374]

[ApneaQuestions]

At any rate, ApneaQuestions, what does this Y-axis zoom indicate that the regular zooms don't?

Hmmm... I'm surprised you ask... doesn't it look even more scary to you than the other versions?

It's now unequivocally non-smooth and non-sinusoidal.   

I guess it was before (which is why I said don't sweat the little stuff) but these shapes are screaming "Help!" to me.

Theoretically, I could give you an interpretation of each millisecond of those breaths but that's not what we are trying to get to here.
We just want something where anyone can clearly see that something is very much amiss with those breaths.

The same zoom on the "nice" timeslot will also show some additional flattening even there when you use this -60/+60 scale.
You couldn't really see that too clearly when the curves were less exaggerated.

Just tap your right and left arrows on the keyboard and you should be in the correct timeslot in seconds (not hours).
(See my sig at the bottom) ;-)

[Sleeprider]

That has to be one of the worst flow limitations I have ever seen on a chart. if I was writing a wiki or a book I'd want to use it as an example. So I'll ask...can i use this as an example of severe flow limitation?

Your doctor is going to know what to do with this. The need for bilevel therapy is simply obvious. I think he was already going that direction. Show him this chart and no words should be needed. Get the Resmed Aircurve 10 Vauto. Just do it.

[Plmnb]

A bit sobering those last replies.

ApneaQuestions:  Scary?  It ALL looks scary to me.  As for this axis zoom, yes, it appears to make the wave lines more defined I suppose.  But not being used to looking at all this yet, it is difficult for me to pick up what the tiny differences actually mean.  It is exactly like me looking at an x-ray at the orthopedists office.  The doctor says "Wow, look at that! See how that shadow in that area differs from what we see in this other area?"  And all I see is a bunch of fuzzy blobs and streaks.

Re: When I tap my right and left arrow keys, the start or end time I have finally previously set where I want, changes.  It either becomes a higher number or lower number. Then I have to go back and try again.  I keep looking for a "freeze" type function to hold the start or end time in place so that I can go and set the second number. Obviously I am probably doing SOMETHING wrong.  I'm sorry.

Sleeprider: I don't see why I wouldn't let you use it.  If it will help you to help others, then absolutely you may use it.  It just sort of freaks me out a bit because I'm sure you have had a look at many, many of these charts.

Good night all,
I am very tired. 
Plmnb

[ApneaQuestions]

This one picture explains everything...

If your Doctor doesn't know this then he/she needs a new job.

Certainly the lab technicians MUST know this.

[ApneaQuestions]

Don't try to fix a start time and an end time

Instead do this...

By hook or by crook get the zoomed plot looking at a 2 minute time range (approximately)  ANYWHERE  (by using up arrow and down arrow)

Once you have two minutes showing... STOP hitting the up and down arrows

Next... push and hold the left and right arrows to slide that 2 minute window across to lower or higher times.  (think fast forward on a VCR and rewind on a VCR)
Glance at the shading on the event window to see where you are in the "VCR movie"

When your 2 minute window is where you want it... hit F12

[Plmnb]

Morning All. 

ApneaQuestions...I'm on a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.  I guess I could change my system preferences and set it up to be able to perform function operations.  However, in regards to pushing and holding the left and right arrow keys, that just makes what I'm trying to do, give wacky results.  Everything speeding at a million miles a minute to the right or left.  I'll try again, in the meantime I guess I'll continue to do things the hard way.

Well, tonight is the big night.  I am now assembling all my documents in case the information is needed.  I'm quite tired right now, I did not sleep well at all and in addition I got maybe 2 hours total.  I work today from 11am-7pm, and I have to be at the sleep lab by 8:30pm... it will be rough staying chipper today.

Thank you everyone who has helped me get to this point, I really appreciate your time and patience.

(I may sneak in a post or two from work, but basically this is is until tomorrow.  And jeeze, I have to be at work again at 11am.)

Regards,
Plmnb

PS. I almost forgot, I found this interesting report, a few years old, but still interesting to me: [/url][url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0954611105003744]Physiological consequences of prolonged periods of flow limitation in patients with sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome

[Plmnb]

(Strange things happen technically speaking when posting on iPhone btw.)
Mayo Study on OSAHS

[ApneaQuestions]

...pushing and holding the left and right arrow keys, that just makes what I'm trying to do, give wacky results.  Everything speeding at a million miles a minute to the right or left....

That's precisely what we want it to do... it's like "Fast Forward" on a VCR... let go again and it stops.  Don't try to read the graphs as they fly by.
If you just tap the key (instead of holding it down) it will just step forward down the time line a little ways ... that's like hitting "Skip ads for 30 seconds" on a VCR/DVD
Keep an eye on the shading in the event window to know where you are jumping to on the timeliine... that's like asking... "How far into the movie did I just jump to?"

One final image that shows what we did and why we did it...

This data is from an artificial robot that tries to generate data that a typical patient would have if their breathing was "normal" or "flow limited".
Notice that the flow level curves look EXACTLY like yours.

This whole process of getting you to zoom was simply to get images like this one. 
Good Luck with the sleep study.... at least you should have no problem falling asleep tonight.

EDIT: Using poetic license.... the lower curves on these plots are "similar" to the "Flow Limitation" curves