Introduce Yourself!

I like to mimic Charlton Heston's old NRA slogan. "You can never take this CPAP and mask out of my cold dead hand." My anxiety is what would I do at this point in my life if I didn't have this life changing therapy. Loosing power is my biggest fear.

Hello, I was diagnosed with insomnia 20 years ago, and sleep apnea about 6 years ago. I love my CPAP, and can't imagine trying to sleep without it! I also have fibromyalgia, so I do still have problems with daytime sleepiness and scatter-brainedness (i know, not a word, but I like it so I'm sticking with it), but the CPAP helps a LOT. I'm also a registered sleep technician, so I am really excited to be a member of this site!

Hi everyone! We've heard from a number of people that it would be nice to have a thread where everyone can introduce themselves, and get to know the community better, at least at a glance. This was started in the early days of MyApnea, so we're bringing it back!

We welcome you to post here with a brief message about yourself and your experiences. We're excited to hear from everyone, and learn more about our community!

Hello MyApnea fans. My name is Joe. Fairly new to the site and message board. I want to keep the 'Introductions' thread going.

Hi Joseph, Thanks for posting, and Welcome!

Ian I am a Neuroscience professor, and also a sleep apnea patient. I suffered from sleep apnea for approximately 15 years, but have only been treated with CPAP for the past 5 years after self-diagnosing the problem. The increase in my energy and cognition is amazing since I started using a CPAP, and am only disappointed in how long it took to get the diagnosis. I look at using the CPAP like wearing glasses, I’d rather sleep without it, but I feel so much better using it.

Welcome ID.

Hi, thanks for bringing back the "Introductions" thread. I am 64 yrs old and live in FL. I was diagnosed with OSA in January, 2015. I am a nurse, by background, and was surprised by the diagnosis. I thought I just had an annoying problem with snoring, like my mom and her brother. The noisey snoring started about 22 yrs ago, when I was in my early 40's and weighed 112 lbs.

I started CPAP in March, 2015. I was very committed to making it work. Good thing. I have had a wide range of issues with getting CPAP to work for me, and found few resources. This site has been very helpful to me in resolving the problems I have run into. It helps to have other CPAP users share practical solutions from their experience.

Right now, I have been using CPAP nightly for 2+ months, and I have found a way to get it to work for me. I definitely feel more mentally sharp during the day, starting when I get up. My daytime energy is better. I still tend to nod off in the eve, prior to going to bed. Right now, I am working on establishing healier sleep routines.

So far, I have posted on a number of threads in the forums. Now that I am mentally clearer, I have been able to identify areas for further research on sleep apnea.

Hi all....

2Sleepy (Janet)

Hello, I am 63 yrs old and have been using my CPAP for about 6 months. I must admit I have a love hate relationship with it. I love that I sleep better ( my husband sleeps better also ), and I think better. I hate it because some nights it just feels so uncomfortable that I can barely stand to wear it. It seems like it sticks to my face and feels tacky.

Welcome, need2sleep! Happy you are here. Congrats on sleeping better!

Hi need2sleep! Welcome to MyApnea.Org. If you feel your mask sticks to your face, there are mask liners available that some users find improve the comfort of wearing the mask. A quick search for "CPAP mask liners" and "CPAP cheek pads" will provide some information. Your home care company might also be helpful. I'm glad to hear you and your husband are both sleeping better!

I am 49 and was just diagnosed with central sleep apnea. Have a BiPAP for about a month now ... already feel more rested though some nights I feel like I'm getting "attacked" by the thing ... wake up struggling to pull it off ... not sure what to do about that

Hi, I'm Lee. I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea just over a year ago, and use the cpap every night. My numbers were 58.4, which is ridiculously high. After using the cpap my numbers went down to 9, which is still not normal, but a huge improvement. I felt reborn! However, my numbers have been slowly creeping up and no one seems to know why. I use the machine religiously every night, but my numbers are back up to 23. I am scheduled for another overnight this week to try to figure it out. I am so tired! This has been very frustrating. Has anyone had the experience of their numbers creeping back up?

I was diagnosed with OSA in 1998. It took several years before I actually slept consistently with my CPAP. I know now that it makes a huge difference when I do sleep with it, so I am very conscientious about sleeping with it every night, and have been for a good number of years. I still hate it, and I have really been struggling to find a mask that is comfortable and that stays put regardless of my sleep position. I still have problems with leaks and disturbing my dh when sleeping. I also suffer from fibromyalgia, so sleeping is a struggle even with my CPAP. I am a restless sleeper, and I do not feel that I am getting good quality of sleep. My pressures have increased with each sleep study, and I think that may be contributing to the problem of getting a mask to stay put and not leak. I am now seriously considering having surgery done to see if that will help. Even when I am at my optimum weight, I still struggle with getting quality sleep. I have started using an activity tracker, and it does indicate that my sleep is frequently interrupted, and my actual quality sleep time is much less than the time I am actually in bed. I am very frustrated at this point in time as I am still always tired, but can't get good sleep.

Help. As soon as the ramp up function gets to max air, I am a hopeless mass of leaks and blubbering. It wouldn't be half bad if I wasn't in bed with my light-sleeping wife. I have a full face mask and I immediately get leaks as my jaw starts to relax. Just when I'm falling off. I fidget with it to no end and it does no good because again, my jaw will relax and it seems the mask won't allow for that. If I can't wear this for at least 4 hours a night the first 30 days, my medicare contract will be voided.

I use a product called Perineal Wash No-Rinse with Aloe. Made by www.medline.com I spray a cloth and then wipe my face with it and while it is still wet I put my mask on. Make sure your straps are tight enough.

Hello to the most recent members here at MyApnea.org.

Adventurous, Michael, Art.

I think you'll find a wealth of information, support and encouragement.

thanks for the comments! I got a recommendation on another thread: "Mayo Clinic help" to try a "full nose pillow". I'm hopeful,

Mynda - I was diagnosed about 8 months ago, and used the big full-faced mask for about 5 months with considerable problems..but did manage to sleep 7+ hours most nights. However, I suffered with headaches, sores on the outside of my nose, air from the exhaust blowing in my eye...matting it and drying it out...finally bought some eye patches that helped. Then some surgeries (not related to Apnea) and I just stopped using the APAP...for several weeks. But, I did restart with a new device, a nasal pillow. It has been liberating! I can again wear glasses and read in bed. and I can read the machine's data, and if it slips off, I can actually put it back on without getting up, or ripping it off. Still have some issues with a dry mouth, but the chin strap helps. My goal is to bring my high red-blood count down to normal.

Been a member for a while, never knew I was supposed to introduce myself. Honestly never noticed a forum when I answered all those questions. So let me introduce myself.... Been diagnosed with sleep apnea about 15 years ago. I have to force myself to use my cpap. I feel I sleep better without it but the sleep test says otherwise. So I am constantly looking for better sleep.

Peace out.