- Matt Small
----- Original Message -----
From: Earl, George
To: CF-Community
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 2:09 PM
Subject: RE: Sleep Apnea
Thanks for the info guys . . .
Matt said:
> You go to the doctor and tell them that you might have sleep
> apnea (if you have the symptoms, I certainly did. Google
> sleep apnea for them) and you'd like a test. You'll go to a
> sleep lab where they hook up about 20 wires to your body and
> monitor your brain activity and oxygen levels while you rest.
You just rest? No sleepover?
You sleep over night, from about 10 to 5 - to give you enough time to get to work in the morning.
> After the test
> last night, she told me that my oxygen levels were up to
> 100%.
With the help of a CPAP? yes, before the test I was at 72%.
>Which is why I feel like a new person. I have lots of
> energy today, I can sit and progam without it boring me to
> death. It's renewed the love of my job, on which I was
> getting really burnt out, but now it's great. And all this
> after two nights.
This is what grabs my attention. I am perpetually tired and foggy at work,
even after many hours of 'sleep'. It started a few years ago. It doesn't
seem to happen outside of work. I thought maybe it was just attitude.
Me too, I thought I was burnt out, sick of computers. I would do anything to get out of sitting at the computer for the day. I thought I needed to change jobs, do somehting different. Sleep apnea causes a loss of concentration and focus, also you can become depressed.
Ben said:
> When I wake up in the
> middle of the night to go pee sometimes, I pop the hose off
> the mask, leaving the mask on my face. when I return, just
> reattach the hose, go back to sleep.
I walk past a large mirror on my way to and from the BR. Not sure how I
would handle my reflection with the mask on at that hour . . .
> I didn't get hooked up in a sleep lab.
> They sent me home with a portable kit and a lot of attachments -
> fingertip o2sat sensor, cannula with microphone, etc - plus a
> recording unit. It all measured my apnea episodes while I
> slept at home.
I kind of like this. I wonder how accurate it is compared to the sleep lab?
The first test is a machine that you take home to measure oxygen levels. The second test determines exactly how many apneas you have per night. The third comes after you get the CPAP and they measure the change in o2 and apneas.
Brian said:
> You have to go to see a sleep specialist, who will schedule
> you for a "sleep lab". . . . It's not a pleasant experience.
> Still, it's
> worth it if it helps you get better rest.
So you went on an over-nighter . . . just one? Was it covered by your
medical insurance? Was it like staying in a hotel room or a hospital room?
I stayed in a hospital room that was like a hotel room - just me, a tv and 20 wires attached to my body. The second time I had the mask on.
> George, do you snore at night, and does your sponse, loved
> one or family members notice you stop breathing?
I have been told that I snore, wasn't told that it was especially loud. I'm
single now so I can't ask how often, long, or loud. I've never been told
that I stop breathing.
Brian said:
> In my last test at the lab
Do you have to keep going back for tests?
So far, only twice.
> What I really notice is
> how testy I get if I don't have my machine with me. My whole
> personality changes. After two days, I start getting
> narcoleptic, and start to fall asleep while driving, and other things.
Again, this is the thing that grabs me. It's not that I feel sleepy, I'm
TIRED. I don't come near to falling asleep at the wheel or while watching
TV, or while sitting at the computer, etc. I'm just tired, lack energy and
focus, and my eyes get that feeling like when you're sleepy, but I'm not
sleepy.
That describes me exactly.
Ben said:
> If your sleeping companion is complaining about snoring, GO
> GET CHECKED, it might save your health and your relationship.
I think I'll mention this at my next doctor's appointment . . . I'm about
due for the great 50 and over lower backend routine . . .
I notice no women are participating in this thread. Is this predominantly a
male phenomenon?
This is a predominately male disease.
George
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