What an exciting night!

[Thumper]

Upon Lynn's insistence, I went in for a sleep study and spent the night in the VA Hospital last night. Sheeesh, what a fun time! I reported in at 8:15 pm and the technician proceeded to "wire me up". Dang, I had 4-5 wires stuck to the top of my head, all over my face, my back, sides, legs .. you name it, it was wired up. Well, there was no anal probe or cock ring ... but everything else was covered. Of course, the whole night was on video ... regular as well as infrared. I was even wired for sound. They knew when I was awake, resting, sleeping and even dreaming! (hope I didn't play with myself) Heart rate, breathing rate, etc. etc. etc. ... it's all recorded.

Well, the technician comes in during the middle of the night and wakes me up. The conversation goes sumpin' like this:

"Well, you've got it all right!"

"I've got WHAT?"

"Obstructive sleep apnea ... I need to get you on the machine."

Great, now I have a zillion wires stuck to me AND a mask strapped on my noggin' blowin' air up my nose! Then he tells me to go back to sleep and leaves the room to go back to his little monitoring booth. That must be a boring-assed job, sitting there all night watching someone sleep. Oh well.

So, about 5:00 am this morning, he wakes me and asks if I want to wait for the doctor who will be in within the hour to examine my results, or do I want to go home and come back in next week for an appointment to get set up with my own pump/mask set-up. I opted to beat the Friday morning rush hour and headed home.

Here's how I looked before turning in for the night before he walked out of the room and told me to "get some sleep"! Ha! Yeah, right ... no problem! And this is BEFORE the mask!

P.S. EVERY one of the wires coming out of that junction block was hooked up to me "somewhere"! :(

Caution ... this could be disturbing to some viewers!

1085

[Bwana]

Thanks for the warning but it wasn't sufficient. ;)

I realize alot of folks have sleep apnea but does EVERYBODY? The reason for the question is that I have yet to hear of one person who took the test that DIDN'T get diagnosed as having it. Is that simply because only those people who are having issues are the ones who get tested? Most likely but if everyone that goes in gets the mask anyway, why not just dole them out? I know there are steps for everything, I'm just saying.

[Thumper]

From the web in case you're clueless:

Obstructive sleep apnea is a significant medical problem affecting up to 4 percent of middle-aged adults. The most common complaints are loud snoring, disrupted sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness. Patients with apnea suffer from fragmented sleep and may develop cardiovascular abnormalities because of the repetitive cycles of snoring, airway collapse and arousal. Although most patients are overweight and have a short, thick neck, some are of normal weight but have a small, receding jaw. Because many patients are not aware of their heavy snoring and nocturnal arousals, obstructive sleep apnea may remain undiagnosed; therefore, it is helpful to question the bedroom partner of a patient with chronic sleepiness and fatigue. Polysomnography in a sleep laboratory is the gold standard for confirming the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea; however, the test is expensive and not widely available. Home sleep studies are less costly but not as diagnostically accurate.

[Thumper]

Sorry Bwana, I posted the above as you were posting. I know quite a few myself ... I think most of them have thrown their pump and mask under the bed and figure the heck with it. I really don't know the answer to your question. Lynn started snoring a few years back and went in to be tested, but she got a clean bill of health. BUT ... like you, it seems every dude I know who went in, came home with a diagnosis of apnea. I assume it's only because nobody would go in if they didn't already think they had a problem ... I'm not sure.

Lynn tells me I snore like crazy, stop breathing at times and at other times wake up "choking". I told her she was nuts (I don't remember any of it). The technician verified it last night and that's when he came in and put the mask on me. He said I had a fairly uneventful night after that.

[Big Skyz]

I took the same test back in Jan. I gots it too. However when they told me what the cpap machine is going to cost me I decided to wait a bit before I do anything about it.

[BarryBobPosthole]

From the folks I kow who've been diagnosed with it, once you start using the machine you will feel MUCH MUCH better and really get some honest rest when you're sleeping. Its worth it to get one of those.
BKB

[Thumper]

Yeah B/S ... I've been told a sleep study itself (in a lab) can cost anywhere between $2000 - $4000. (Thank you again VA Hospital.)

I have no clue what the machine costs.

[Captain]

I've been sleeping with a Cpap for several years now. Cannot rest without it. I have two of them one at each home.
Last year one of my RedFishing buddies is a dentist and he is now doing a procedure that makes a mouth piece that does the same thing as the Cpap. It's a simple plastic/rubber mouth piece that is designed custom to you using the results of the test you just had. It moves your lower jaw forward while you sleep and keeps the airway open. The cost without insurance is about 2 grand.
I had an appointment with my doctor a few weeks ago and asked him about the mouth piece method and he said it work just as good as the machine. He gave it a big thumbs up.
I'm keeping a sinus infection these days as a results of the Cpap drying me out too much at night. Even using the highest setting on the steam...
So my fishing buddy is getting the results of my sleep test and will be making me a mouth piece soon. I'm sure it will be MUCH easier to travel with.
Take Care, Captain

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[FooBang]

And how in the world are you s'posed to sleep with that contraption on your face? My doctor keeps recommending it to me, but I refuse each time. I figure if I have a sleep problem now, it'll be worse with a garden hose strapped to my head.. :D

[Big Skyz]

Foo I didn't have any trouble sleeping with it on my face. At first it freaked me out a little and then I just realized it was no different than wearing a mask while snorkling or scuba diving. Once I got my mind around that little fact, I went right to sleep.

Captain I would really like to know what you think of that mouth piece once you get to using it.

[Arty]

Sleep study was $2,200 in Raleigh nc last month. I know this because I had not met my deductible and got the entire bill.

Turns out. I DON'T have it. Just can't sleep worth a shit

[Thumper]

Cappy, I think those things have already been invented. Since I don't sleep, I see a lot of those 3:00 am infomercials and they always have one of those mouthpiece thingies advertised. I'm sure it's a cheap piece of crap, but the principle is the same.

Same here B/S ... last night I told the technician there was no way I'd be able to sleep with that thing strapped to my head. When he woke me up this morning, he said I slept like a baby once he set me up. They had three different contraptions there. It looked like two of them were like an oxygen mask that fit over your mouth and nose ... the one he strapped on me last night has two rubber ball looking thingies that kind of sit up against each nostril. The only shortcoming I see is, what do you do if you have a cold or stuffy nose and have to breathe through your mouth? I can see where it would be a bit more comfortable though. I may take a pic of it and post it later. He sent me home with the "mask", but I have to meet with the doctor so he can set me up with the machine. They don't let the technician hand those out.

[Thumper]

Similar and same principle I guess ... but mine's a bit different. Now, this is simply the one the technician hooked me up with and I guess it's possible the doctor may have a different idea. I guess I'll find out when I go back in for the final evaluation. At any rate, here's the one they hooked me up with last night.

http://www.respiratory-supply.com/Optilife_Side.jpg

[Niner]

I went in for a sleep study many, many, many years ago, and they diagnosed me with OSA. They sent me home with a machine, but for the life of me I just could not sleep with it on. I ended up taking it back, and using several pillows to elevate my upper torso.

Fast forward to about 6-8 years ago. I just was NOT getting good sleep. Constantly tired, etc, etc. I went back in for another study.....at a different place. Still had the OSA, but the machine I got was different, and I was able to tolerate it. After a few years, they sent me another machine to replace that one. Thankfully, the insurance paid for almost all of this.

I use the thing religiously now....even when I am taking a nap. The only problem I have is that it sometimes "spits" at me. I cured that by running the hose over the top of the headboard. Mine has the "full mask".

I used to get funny looks from the TSA dufes at the airports, and they'd run all kinds of bomb tests on it...but nowadays they just run it through the scanner.
It ALWAYS gets carried on, and never ever ever checked as baggage.

Jim, you will be SURPRISED at how much better you'll feel after you start using it!!! :sleeping: :sleeping :sleeping

[Buckrub]

Our deer camp sounds like a Darth Vader Convention with these things............

[BarryBobPosthole]

[QUOTE



Edit: I position my hose over my headboard, so the hose is never in my way.

And no it sure as hell is not sexy to look at in bed!![/QUOTE]

I do the same thing! Only mine is sexy.
BKB

[BarryBobPosthole]

:slomo

[Thumper]

Well, I sleep in the master bedroom but have to hang mine over the headboard in the guest bedroom! Top THAT! :swordfight