Well, that was definative.

[autographedcat]

One of the complaints I gave to my doctor during the course of the last year was how tired I am all the time, and she recommended that I go and have a sleep study done. So back in January, I went down to the Sleep Disorders Center of Georgia for a sleep study.

Today, I went in for the followup to find the results of the study. Dr. Wellman had predicted, just based on my description of symptoms, that I was suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. When I sat down in his office, he flipped open the chart, glanced at the report, and said "Well, you just about broke the record."

During the course of the sleep study, I stopped breathing an average of 130 times an hour, and my oxygen levels dropped as low as 84%. No wonder I'm so fatigued all the time, if that's the kind of sleep I'm getting!

I have to back in tomorrow to get set up with all the apparatus. Looks like I'm joining the growing legion of folks with CPAP machines. I wouldn't say I'm looking *forward* to it, per se, but I *am* looking forward to a good nights sleep.

Comments

[aiela.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I have no idea what it's like on your end, obviously, but watching you sleep was very scary. I'm glad it's getting taken care of.

*kiss*

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

CPAP Good.

I knew it was going to work for me the moment they starpped the mask on me. It opened up exactly what I felt closing up when I was falling asleep.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Jeez louise, yeah, that beats me.... (I was averaging every 30sec, 130x an hour is worse than that) You will not believe the difference it makes. The only pain in the ASCII is travelling with the thing; the Gestapo knows what a CPAP is but they still treat you like a common terrorist, with the chemical sniffer bovine scatology and such like... I'm tempted to hang it into them under the ADA... but it is worth it.

And you will find, I think, you'll actually sleep less time (six hours is very common), but it's far more effective sleep... I call it "turbo sleep"... I think the extra partial pressure of oxygen has something to do with it...

Welcome to the club. (Oh, and I just got a link last weekend for a reasonably inexpensive UPS that's capable of powering *two* units... haven't even had a chance to look at it yet. Don't know how your power is out there, but...)

[fordprfct.livejournal.com]

As a member of the legion you are about to join, I would like to share a couple of things.

First, be ready to have *WAY* too much energy after the first night you use the CPAP. My first night, I woke up after four hours, bouncing off the walls, and insisted on dragging my poor wife out to Waffle House at half past three a.m., because there was no way I was going to be getting back to sleep. Besides, I was hungry, and had to find some way to occupy the remaining three hours before I needed to get ready for work. It was a large enough difference that even one of my coworkers, almost a decade later, still remembers that day.

Second, not every night will be like that. In fact, none of the nights since have been like my first. But I remember what it was like before, and my life has been much improved as a result.

If you have any other questions on all things CPAP, feel free to ask. I will offer any help I can.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I was gonna say, not only does the wearer sleep a whole lot better, but so do his sweeties...

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

First, I am going to quietly sit in this corner with a large paper bag over my head and a pillow to cover my face and yell I TOLD YOU SO, just once. :)

Second, I sure hope we can find something to help MY tiredness.... perhaps your less restless sleep will help me as well, or maybe they'll be able to help me on Monday. All I know is if you're full of energy at fuckall am, I'd just as soon be able to keep up with you. *EG*

[persis.livejournal.com]

Well, it's about time... :-) I;m glad you took your Dr's advice. Spencer has had one of those most romantic of all face masks since 2001, and it really makes a difference. On all fronts.

*hugsyou* and wishes lots of good sleep from now on.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I don't think you ever saw/heard him "sleep" before his surgery, did you? It actually did make a huge difference. I am terrified, in the light of these results, to think how bad it would have measured out at before.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

I never doubted you, sweetie. I'm sorry if I ever seemed to. *hug*

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

Yowza! Sounds like the machine will be a good thing. Glad you found out what the problem was. And yeah, watching people stop breathing in their sleep is SCARY. *hugs*

[magid.livejournal.com]

While in the best of all possible worlds, Kitanzi would've just waved a magic sleep wand and everything would be better, I'm glad it's been addressed and figured out, and there's (noninvasive) treatment. Wishing you lots of energy and better quality of life (as if that can be possible :-)!

*hugs*

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

No, you never doubted me, but I remember actually telling you that if you really wanted to give me a gift for Christmas you'd go get the study done finally. :)

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I can learn to sleep through snoring - I have NEVER been able to learn to sleep through someone NOT BREATHING ALL OF A SUDDEN. I betcha I get better sleep too. *G*

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Oh, sure. That was just garden-variety procrastination. I'm the champion of that. :)

[(Anonymous)]

That's even scarier, since yeah, the first time was last March during a nap, and it was pretty bad then, at least to me, who'd never dealt with anyone with sleep apnea before.

[aiela.livejournal.com]

Whoops, that was me obviously.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm probably the runner up in that case, so I can't point fingers too much. I'm still elated for you that they've found something to help.

[artbeco.livejournal.com]

Have to tell you that my little sis has had a CPAP for several years now and it has made an enormous and life-changing difference to her. It was really scary to watch her sleep before she got the machine, and she constantly fell asleep during the day, every few minutes, anywhere. She got very adept at waking up suddenly and seamlessly continuing conversations that were left in mid-sentence when she'd drift off...
She says there are times when the mask is a pain (very cold rooms can make the air coming in the mask painfully cold, for example), but the overall good benefits are so huge that she'd never go without it voluntarily now. :)
And I'm so glad you're taking care of yourself.
*hugs* to you and kitanzi.

[mbumby.livejournal.com]

Glad you're getting it taken care of. The list of "and this is what could happen if you don't" is pretty darned scary.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

well, if he gets the unit tomorrow you'll be able to observe the difference this weekend. I am sure, just from when he came home after the study, that he'll have a lot more, ah, energy. *G* Good timing, that.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

*hugs* to you too, and real life *hugs* to come in just a couple of weeks! :)

CPAP and stuff

[markiv1111.livejournal.com]

As another sleep apnea person, I just want to join in my voice with everybody who is saying it will make your whole life better, and you'll sleep fewer hours but it will be better sleep. I have found this to be overwhelmingly true for me; I am better rested after six hours, these days, than I used to be after ten hours. It did, however, take me about a month to really adapt to the CPAP machine; and for some of that time I was waking up very groggily, taking off the uncomfortable mask and trying to go back to sleep. It took a few weeks even to break myself of this bizarre and counterproductive habit. But, among other things, this has changed my whole work life and feelings about work; I am functioning far better, and when I need to get a new job in a few weeks, I will have far fewer problems dealing with a job that would want me to get up very early.

Nate B.

[poltr1]

I'm glad you're making the effort to take care of yourself.

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Ooh, you're going to be one of the sleeping elephants!

(I say this affectionately, as I do dearly love my own sleeping elephant)

I hope you're a back or side sleeper, though. And I hope it helps lots lots and they get you set up right away.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Getting set up tomorrow, in fact. Would have been today, but they were all booked up.