CPAP

I don't know how to search the forums for a previous post on this topic other than to scroll endlessly. If this has been covered before, forgive me. 

I go in tonight for the follow up to my sleep study and will be on the CPAP machine. I'm told that this was very serious and absolutely necessary if I am to recover after surgery without major complications. 

I'd love to hear from other people who learned of their sleep apnea while going through their pre-surgical requirements. How did it effect your sleep prior to surgery, in recovery and the first week after surgery. Did you get accustomed to the machine and wearing the mask quickly ? Any troubles? 

Thank you for your input.

 

I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea.
The way my sleep doctor put it was that if I wanted a cpap, he would write a prescription. If not, he wouldnt.
My surgeon told me thay because I was diagnosed with sleep apnea that I would need the cpap for after surgery.

I had the trial of the cpap for three weeks. I didnt get used to it. Although it was getting a teeny bit better by the last night I had it.

I havent had surgery yet, so I dont know how it will go using the cpap during recovery.

Im actually going to pick up my cpap today. Insurance finally approved the claim! (Cutting it pretty close..surgery is in two weeks!)

Good luck with it! Ive heard other people get used to it right away and it starts helping them the first night. I think the reason I have had so much trouble with it is because of how mild of a diagnosis of apnea I have.

Well, hey, thanks for responding! Mild or not, I kind of anticipated it being cumbersome. I really hope that it gets more comfy for you as the time progresses. I want to be used to it before surgery too. End of April for me. I'm glad your claim was approved too! I have been very fortunate in that I have had no road blocks with insurance or payment. I'm grateful for the help I'm receiving everywhere while I try to get my body back to normal. 

 

Hi again!

I just wanted to let you know that I am back from my appointment picking up my CPAP machine. I asked about the Nasal Pillows (as mentioned in other posts here), tried them and they are WONDERFUL. Of course I haven't yet tried them while sleeping, but they feel much better.

She said they are good when you don't have a high pressure, otherwise it could really hurt your nose.

Maybe try those if you can't get used to it!

 

Good luck!

-Kendra

Way cool, I did talk to the tech about all of the options you wonderful people suggested, but we both settled on the full mask mostly because the tech witnessed my study before and said my mouth was definitely open most of the night, with the CPAP and full mask last night I only woke once in a panic because of the mask but otherwise slept the best I have in years! That was a long sentence XD. Anyway, constant oxygen levels to 93-95 and three REM cycles, where I come to find out I was having 120 waking episodes in one hour with oxygen saturation levels dipping to 81 and then thankfully recovering briefly. 

I am so grateful this worked, and I can't wait to get my machine. 

I have a VPap and should use it all the time.  I do feel better when I use it and did have to use it at the hospital with additional 02 as my sats kept dropping.  The reason I do not use it is that my nose it too small.  The nasal and full face masks do not seal (I think I have tried them all).  The only "mask" I am able to use are the Resmed Swift for Her nasal pillows in an XS (they are for a child!) and I have such a high pressure that they stretch my nostrils out so much during the night that my poor little nose hurts the entire next day.  I have tried using it several days in a row to see if I could get used to it, but I could not.  Even in the hospital we eventually switched to using just nasal cannulas.

Hoping that my upcoming weight loss will alleviate the problem as all my sleep apneas were obstructive, not central and this is mainly caused by obesiety.

Oh wow, I bet the fit issue is a struggle. I hope that I fit because I just really don't want to add that extra issue you know? I will do what I have to do though, and I haven't slept for more than a couple hours at time in years and it turns out I am actually failing to breath every  few minutes and the sleep wake cycle is happening repeatedly and too fast. I was told I have an incredible ability to return to sleep within a second of these instances, but on the ones where I move I wake for longer and thus have the sensation of only sleeping a couple hours. This stuff is crazy. 

I had my cpap prior to surgery, and it was the absolute best thing I have got.  Changed my life - I had no idea how little good sleep I was getting. 

That being said, this was the SECOND go around to get a cpap.  The first time I was diagnosed, trying to use the stupid machine was a complete disaster.  I gave up on it after a few weeks because I absolutely could not tolerate it.

My doctor get bugging me to try another sleep study, and after several years, I finally agreed.  I explained to the sleep tech that I had a terrible experience the first time and was horribly claustrophobic, and she told me not to worry she would make it work.  And she did perfectly.

I cannot sleep without it and do not plan on having another sleep study to see if the apnea has approved after my weight loss because I cannot imagine giving it up.

I have one bit of advice.  In my opinion, if you cannot tolerate the cpap machine, there is something wrong - wrong setting, wrong ill-fitting mask, something is wrong.  Do not let the doctor or tech tell you that you just need to keep at it until you get used to it.  Once my mask was fitted properly, I was able to sleep well the very first night.  Do not suffer in silence.  Keep bugging them until it is right, and you will be amazed how it will change your sleep.

Good luck with the cpap AND your surgery!

 

 

 

 

Ok, very nice, I will definitely make sure I am fitted properly and speak up immediately if I think it's not right. Sometimes I am not assertive enough with doctors, but believe me, I've gotten more bold now that I've made this choice for surgery. Thank you for the good wishes, am really glad to read a story where it's been a welcomed life change. 

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea during pre-op testing. I had moderate sleep apnea. I got the machine because they wouldn't do the surgery without it. I needed to use it enough prior to surgery to get clearance from pulminologist.  It was hard getting used to, but I did because I wanted the surgery. I stopped using it about three weeks after surgery. I just couldn't take it anymore. I didn't feel any difference when waking up. I know the pulminologist wants me to bring in my chip to see if I can discontinue it, but I won't be following up with him. I feel fantastic when waking up now. My daughter said I snore a trillion times less than before.  Bottom line is that if you need it for the surgery go ahead and get it. You may not have any problems using it and may feel better in the morning.  Or it may just be a short term thing to get through. Good luck!!