A nice coincidence

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

So, I had to go to the sleep clinic last night to be tested for sleep apnea.
I walked in the door and what was the first thing I see? Ansel Adams prints EVERYWHERE! What a way to make a guy feel at home.

Oh, BTW, I got a prize for the worse case they've seen in a long time
Guess I get to see what its like living with a CPAP machine.

Jim

[shrinkpictures]

Welcome to the club - and yes, you soon forget the inconvenience once you start sleeping properly again and get your quality of life back.

[Cheatwoodj]

Ah sleep, How I miss thee. I get around 4-5 hours max a night. Thats with a hour or so before I dose off, mind wonders on things that happens during the day.

My kingdom for a well rested 8-10 hour sleep.

[Michael Meissner]

So, I had to go to the sleep clinic last night to be tested for sleep apnea.
I walked in the door and what was the first thing I see? Ansel Adams prints EVERYWHERE! What a way to make a guy feel at home.

Oh, BTW, I got a prize for the worse case they've seen in a long time
Guess I get to see what its like living with a CPAP machine.

Jim

Welcome to the club, I've been using CPAP since 2001. Some people tolerate it easily, and some take longer. Also, some people see an immediate benefit, and some people see a more gradual benefit as you have a much larger sleep debt you have to pay before you start seeing results.

The biggest problem initially is getting a mask that fits you properly. If you live in Massachusetts, I can give you the contact for a sleep technician in one of the hospitals that has a complete setup of all of the masks on the market and a bed/CPAP machine so that you can see what mask works best for you (it turned out my current mask, the Ultra Mirage full face mask was the best, and that the new model from the same company was worse).

If you travel, you have to get used to carrying the gear with you on the road, and it will eat into your precious carry on space that you previously might have used to carry more DSLR lenses. I find, I can pack my laptop and CPAP in a roller bag, and have an under the seat bag for the camera gear (National Geographic NG-2475). I just got back from a trip to Austin where I was traveling on the smaller regional jets that don't have space for the roller bags, and I went with a laptop case and a back pack containing the CPAP, E-1/14-54mm and SP-550UZ.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Thanks to all for the comments. I am looking forward to sleeping again. Its been a long time. They already had me trying different masks Fri night, even before the study. I go in tonight for the test and tune procedure (I think they called it "titration"? sp? ) Anyway, I was more commenting on the choice of pics they made to outfit the place.
My travels are limited by the range of the tank in my truck and the gas money in my wallet. I do need to check into battery powered tho, as I spend a lot of time in my tent and camper.

Jim

[Michael Meissner]

Thanks to all for the comments. I am looking forward to sleeping again. Its been a long time. They already had me trying different masks Fri night, even before the study. I go in tonight for the test and tune procedure (I think they called it "titration"? sp? ) Anyway, I was more commenting on the choice of pics they made to outfit the place.
My travels are limited by the range of the tank in my truck and the gas money in my wallet. I do need to check into battery powered tho, as I spend a lot of time in my tent and camper.

Jim

Some machines have DC inputs that you can hook a deep-cycle marine battery to, though often you lose the use of the humidifier. Everest is the only machine I'm aware of that has a battery as part of the design, but the pressure output of the machine is not the highest.

Here is one of the CPAP vendors that has his own battery solution:
http://www.cpapman.com/batterygeek.html

And here is the cabling setup:
http://www.cpapman.com/supplies.htm#anchor170754

[Petephoto1]

well Jim , like Mike & Bob says join the club, that and the weight loss club.It works tho .yep me to. Best Pete

[shrinkpictures]

CPAP means that I need to stay where there is some sort of power - really puts a dent in your options. As Michael has said, carry on luggage just got a hit! I just had to go and buy a new machine - they wear out after around 5 years as I found out and the $2000 for the machine. 200-300 for the mask(s) and replacement parts also need to be considered. You can take a while to get the right mask/s that work for you. I use 2 different ones on a regular basis as I sometimes develop pressure sores from my main mask and need to use my alternate mask for a few days here and there.

Most machines are capable of connecting to a 12V battery source as well - so simply knowing that it is a requirement for you before buying a machine is a good thing. On my machine, I had to purchase a separate 12V inverter that was designed to work with the machine.

My sleep study told me that I was having around 40 events/hr (only moderate) and my O2 sat was dropping below 90 for (avg) of 3 mins/hr (severe) - that means that brain damage was occuring for 3 minutes every hour every time I slept - pretty scary when you think about it.

I can still remember the Titration - I got around 2 hours sleep that night and it was the best night's sleep I could ever remember having! It literally changed my life. I used to have my eyes closed around 14 hours a day with absolutely no quality! Within 1-2 weeks of CPAP I was sleeping around 6 hours a night and was able to function again.

And No, the Sleep unit where I was tested didn't have Ansel Adam Prints or photos on the wall!

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

O2 saturation below 90? , thats bad? Holy cow, how can I still walk ? Mine was down to 60!

Jim,
who is now apparently brain dead, no wonder I cant sharpen a picture :-)

[shrinkpictures]

You will see a huge improvement in a very short time!

Yes, as soon as your O2 dips below 90 you start losing brain cells - and 60 is very low indeed!

[glenbarrington]

I had the surgery rather than being tied to a cpap machine.

I do NOT recommend the surgery, except as a last resort. It is my understanding that physicians are much more reluctant to offer a surgical option than they used to be. That is a good thing.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Well, they are starting me on CPAP at 13 PSI, and told me I will most likely end up on an ASV machine. 7000 bucks! wow. Now I really cant sleep.
As a far as stats? 238 obstructive apneas, 141 central apneas, for a total of 379 events in 356 minutes of sleep. Average duration was 32 seconds. I was not breathing for over half of the time I was asleep! No wonder I feel like crap all the time and cant hardly function. Look out world If my brain grows back :-)

Jim
BTW Glenn, they are VERY reluctant to do surgery now.

[finemom]

What made all you guys get tested? My dh snores a lot and loudly, but doesn't feel tired when he wakes up. Now you've all got me thinking.

[shrinkpictures]

Well, for me it was easy! Apart from the fact that I was "sleeping" around 14-15 hours a day and always tired, my SO told me that every time I fell asleep I was loud enough to wake the dead. A referral from my GP and next thing you know the cause was identifed and an appropriate treatment was implemented (about 5 years ago)

Jim -> you probably mean 13cm. Yep, I know and remember all the time having my eyes closed for up to 14 hours a day and sleeping uninterrupted for about 1 or 2 minutes at a time. APAP for me - 8-20cm and it normally sits around the 11cm mark or closer to 15 when I have been drinking.

[Will Sawtelle]

I have asthma, and my pulmonologist recommended a sleep test. I don't remember how many apnea events I had, but the doctor did not feel I was bad enough to require a CPAP machine.

It helps that I normally sleep on my stomach, which is a position that lets gravity help fight the apnea. If I roll onto my back, my wife quickly punches me in the side and makes me roll back over. My snore can wake-up my daughter through 2 closed doors.

I traveled with a buddy to a conference a couple of years ago. He had begun using a CPAP in the 6-months prior to the trip. When he turned the machine on, I thought it would keep me awake, but after a few minutes I realized it was more like white noise, and it actually helped me sleep.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Shrinkpictures,
Yeah, I meant to erase the PSI, as I didnt know what the "term or unit" was. But I forgot to :-(

First night on the machine was a huge improvement! I was worried about the machine noise as well, but after you mask up and it builds pressure, it quiets right down.

Finemom,
Snoring is only part of the sympton list. For me, the biggest reasons where, in no particular order, never feeling rested , even after a seemingly good night sleep, waking up with headaches, loss of concentration, difficulty following & understanding instructions, ( just what a new DSLR and PP software purchaser needs) and the biggest for me, I ALWAYS feel like I spent the night riding a bull that was on crack. Constant, unexplanable pain, all over. You know how you feel the day before you realize you've caught the flu? I feel that way, 24 /7. For years. It aint fun. Finally, I saw the right doc who suggested a sleep test. Physical shape of the mouth and throat area can show if you have a tendancy to develope apnea.
Make sure you have good insurance, this aint a cheap deal.

Jim

[TrapperJohn]

I have the spousal solution as well. Works pretty good, I guess. Then again, I don't have full blown apnea, just a bad habit of sitting up to 1-2AM reading books, playing computer games, or watching old films.

Of course, when she starts doing the chainsaw imitation, I don't really have the same option. Not if I want coffee in the morning, anyway. It's blackmail, I tell you.

[Godfrey]

Jim (and others as well),

Glad to hear you're getting treatment for this disorder. Good luck with it! It's transformed the life of one of my friends ... his wife was very alarmed with the state of his health, but it's all going better now.

Although I've had a few months of my own pulmonary battles this past year, and some increase in my tendency to snore, this does not seem to be anything to do with sleep apnea. My energy and sleep patterns are stable and good (I've always been a short-hours sleeper, but sleep deeply and feel rested).

But the weight loss and physical condition club ... yes, I've joined that one.

From October to January, my legs turned to mush and I was feeling bloated all the time. Bought a pedometer and I make sure I've been walking 2-5 miles a day for the past month and a half now. My legs are coming back nicely. I just installed a speedometer/odometer on my bicycle too, starting a "10 miles a day on the bike" regimen now. Sure would be nice to get back to my college fencing condition... :-)

Godfrey