Me and My Apnea
I got my sleep apnea CPAP machine today. It comes in a fantastic carrying case which I'm sure will become the latest rage in haute couture. They said I have severe sleep apnea which I could accept but didn't know what it meant...
With each "episode" you stop breathing correctly, and in order to breathe again, you wake up (which you may or may not remember). I had an average of 51 in 60 minutes. Good grief, no wonder I'm so tired! And to add to it, the test monitored my oxygen levels, and it seems I take extremely shallow breaths when I sleep. My awake oxygen level is about 99-100% as it should be. My sleeping oxygen level was high 70% to mid 80%.
I think this machine is going to make a *huge* difference! And seriously, if you snore, or know someone who snores, consider having a sleep test done. It's painless and you have a private bedroom while they monitor you overnight. Snoring or complete exhaustion for no apparent reason shouldn't be ignored! Here are some other symptoms:
* Restless tossing and turning during sleep.
* Nighttime choking spells, sweating, and chest pain.
* Waking with an unrefreshed feeling after sleep.
* Having problems with memory and concentration.
* Feeling irritable and tired or experiencing personality changes.
* Morning headaches.
* Episodes of not breathing (apnea), which may occur as few as 5 times an hour (mild apnea) to more than 50 times an hour (severe apnea).
[Credit WebMd.]
posted by Jen at
11:35 AM
3 comment(s):
Just a word of advice from the wife of a longtime CPAP user... watch out for power outages in the middle of the night -- there you are, sleeping soundly when all of a sudden...aaaagggghhhh!
That'll wake you up in a hurry!
It was great seeing you at the reunion, and I hope all goes well next week. We'll keep those prayers coming!
By
Anonymous, at
8/10/2005 4:53 PM
Marcia-
I've already managed to roll over once, somehow blocking the airflow to the mask. I woke up lightheaded! You'd think my stupid mouth would open so I could breathe, but noooo. :)
By
Anonymous, at
8/10/2005 5:02 PM
Quick question - I am a long-time (about a year) CPAP user. Have you experienced any odd side-effects during the day lately? Just curious. Please email me at info@dandykat.com. Thanks.
By
Dan McGowan, at
2/21/2006 3:46 AM
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