MarkHanson

I was recommended to get a Pulse Oxy and I did. I got mine off Amazon for small $$

Zacurate 500BL Fingertip Pulse Oximeter Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor with Batteries and Lanyard Included (Navy Blue) by Zacurate My whole family now uses it to measure a pretty basic parameter - O2 level - as a basis for if we need to go to Urgent Care. SImple easy and seems functional.

Jeff I have attended the last three Sleep conferences and found them all very informative. Looks like I will miss this year in order to help car for a new grandchild, but I encourage your attendance. Mark

I trust that you have shared all of this with both your Sleep Doctor and your durable equipment provider. If not, please do so.

Yes My sleep care has involved a collection of suggestions and observations by not just my sleep doctor , also my
dentist - a mouth guard custom made that aligns my jaw and stops me crushing my teeth neurologist - a cervical collar to better support my neck while I sleep and reduce pinched nerves ear nose and throat - annual checkups that addressed my balance and dizziness especially experienced laying down pulmonologist - to learn about my lung conditions and the need for an inhaler primary care - to point me in the right direction for referrals when I present symptoms None of them see the whole picture - but as I collected diagnoses and did as I was guided to do - combined with my daily use of CPAP and with the check-ins with my sleep doctor my sleep has improved - a lot. And, to reiterate - my dental appliance has become a key to my improved sleep.

I have OSA. I have been using CPAP for years. I have had chronic breathing issues since my teen years and recently learned that I needed a device showing my O2 and pulse.
I bought a pulse oximeter on Amazon for about $30 which is serving me well. Several of my doctors seem glad that I have one. The doctor at my last incident told me that if my rate went below 90 I needed to check in to the Emergency room. It, and the simple plastic flow meter I got at my last incident give me data that seems to match with how I perceive my breathing.

Hello, Patience tied to persistence are the most important attributes of this process. If I read you right you experienced basic training - and so you know that resilience leads to survival leads to success. But something the service did not explicitly tell you was that determination is essential. Believe in your own decision on the decisions for your sleep and give yourself the time to succeed. The only magic-bullet is the one you build for yourself - in your brain (determination) - give it time. You just invited trauma . NOw allow healing.
PS there is no magic!

I have similar symptom in mine and find it is temporarily resolved by un-seating and re-seating the reservoir. I also found that refilling the reservoir when I am using my CPAP for a nap during the following day seems to delay/eliminate the noise.

I worked for a time in a study as 'patient support;, meeting with new CPAP users and following up with them by email and phone periodically. While the study did not show 'significant' improvement in compliance from the support, my own impression was that it did help. For one it helped me to better understand the range of issues experienced by new CPAP users. And the meaning of 'compliance'. And the care one must take to protect patient confidentiality. I have heard/read of studies that were far more successful with the 'patient support' model and hope to see more studies undertaken so that 'patient support' becomes a regular part of care.
One way I improved my own use was to become attentive to comments by others and notice that just about every group I am in has some number of folks with sleep issues. That usually includes some number of folks who do, and others who do not,use CPAP.

My machine got adjusted because there were several months when I was sending in SIM cards. My machine now can get adjusted remotely because my newer machine apparently has wi-fi access both ways! The compliance rate is low for a number of reasons.
I wonder how much follow-up is done as I bet it is not reimbursed as billable time. No proof just as suspicion.

Fears are not irrational until you understand them and then they may be if you let them. I feared using CPAP because I was not briefed on the system well enough to really understand it. I was convinced that I was at risk if I did not - so I did. Years with CPAP convince me that it is the mask - not the machine - that is the issue for most folks, myself included. I am lucky. I am able to sleep with my mouth exposed, so I never had to deal with a full face mask, I used nasal buds. I now use a dental appliance because I was crushing my teeth, so my mouth is occupied.

I was luckier still to be at a conference in Denver and be shows a newer sort of mask - which is great --- for me. Respironics Dreamwear Nasal Mask Frame Medium and Softwraps It is wicked comfortable and very light weight. When my original one wore out I found I could buy a replacement on Amazon, so I did.

It took months for me to become comfortable using the CPAP. A major inducement was the support of my wife who remarked that with it both I, and she, seemed to sleep better. No snoring. After years of use and a machine upgrade after about four years I am committed to using mine at night -- and napping. I travel with mine.

Give yourself time and be patient.

Sierra I am interested and I do look at the detail - with my sleep doctor. I pay more attention to my affect after I have slept. I also discuss my sleep with colleagues in the sleep apnea community where anecdotal evidence is it. It would be great to have a strong community of patients advocating for sleep, not just for the dangerous conditions like apnea, but treating sleep like diet --- a fundamental of good health. I participate in part to encourage others to speak up and join in! Thanks for lending your voice. Mark