Looking for first-hand accounts of sleep apnea from people who live with it (or did)

BrightCandle said:

It varies by department. Certain ones provide Resmed devices, while others hand out Philips machines. It all comes down to which of those companies is backing them financially. Usually, they give out the least expensive device they can get away with.
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That tracks, cheers mate đź‘Ť
 
Well, the results came back from my private WatchPAT test through Intus.....

Turns out I've got severe obstructive sleep apnea!

I've forwarded the results to my GP to find out if this might move things along faster, but it looks like a machine is definitely going to be necessary!
 
deluge said:

My BMI was 40.0 throughout this whole story. It began when I answered a question on a survey at a Dr's office: "do you snore? Yes". I was given a dataloging PulseOx meter to take home. My O2 was frequently dropping to 80%.

The following year I finally went through with the sleep study. The at-home type. A wearable datalogger in a chest rig, along with pads, wires and such. That's what confirmed the apnea.

I was given an APAP, which is somewhat like a CPAP but it auto adjusts. It's 5G connected so my Dr can look over my results. I've now been using it for roughly 1.5 years.

Wearing that definitely required some adjustment at first. But since my sleep got so much better, I kept at it, and the improved sleep is still with me today.

My BMI is now around 29, and every so often I've forgotten to put the mask on and still slept pretty good. So I'm curious what the Dr will say about the data he's seeing when we have our next follow-up.

A few years before any of this I also had all the nasal surgeries done, though not as part of the apnea diagnosis, and they made no difference to the apnea. Septoplasty, Turbinate Reduction, etc. They were done only because one nostril was about 90% obstructed. A huge waste of time and effort, they perhaps improved the airflow in that nostril by 10%.

The health risks tied to bad sleep are significant, from heart disease to dementia, all are being linked to it. Going after ways to mitigate the effects of apnea is definitely worthwhile!
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My situation is quite close to that one... I've had 2 surgeries (a recent Septoplasty plus Nasal Valve Repair, and earlier a Turbinate Reduction, Sinusplasty and nasal swell body reduction).

I'd like to believe there was a benefit, but since my condition is UARS rather than OSA, I'm now trying to adapt to an APAP (strangely, I located and purchased 2 machines through the grey market/Amazon). I understand why people have a hard time with a CPAP and with compliance.... I'm able to nap while using the machine, but not yet sleep through the night... THAT SAID, when I have the machine on while using the computer or watching TV, my stress response flips from "Stressed/Engaged" to "Restored" (according to my OURA ring).

YMMV!
 
endlrls said:

My situation is quite close to that one... I've had 2 surgeries (a recent Septoplasty plus Nasal Valve Repair, and earlier a Turbinate Reduction, Sinusplasty and nasal swell body reduction).

I'd like to believe there was a benefit, but since my condition is UARS rather than OSA, I'm now trying to adapt to an APAP (strangely, I located and purchased 2 machines through the grey market/Amazon). I understand why people have a hard time with a CPAP and with compliance.... I'm able to nap while using the machine, but not yet sleep through the night... THAT SAID, when I have the machine on while using the computer or watching TV, my stress response flips from "Stressed/Engaged" to "Restored" (according to my OURA ring).

YMMV!
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I know people who dealt with this, and a handful who quit using the machine within just a few days; strangely, adapting to it was pretty easy for me, which caught me off guard.

It's fascinating that the Oura ring is already reflecting health improvements like that!

I never asked for an APAP specifically — my medical plan wouldn't pay for the sleep lab, so instead of a CPAP they gave me an APAP, since I wouldn't have to spend a few nights in the lab to dial in the settings.

Because I've lost so much weight since starting with the machine (65lbs), I'm relieved I ended up with the automatic model; having to go to a sleep lab every time my health gets better just for adjustments would be awful! (From what I understand, this device detects shifts in my breathing patterns and adjusts automatically).
 
OK, so from what I've been told, the test MIGHT let me skip the roughly 2-3 month wait to actually get tested, BUT getting a machine could still take as long as 12 months (or thereabouts!).

Since this seems to be affecting my life pretty significantly, I'm thinking about simply purchasing a machine myself.

My plan is to get the same model that the NHS would [apparently] give me, so that when they finally do get around to me, the spares they provide will work with it.

I believe I've settled on the Resmed Airsense 11??
 
endlrls said:

My situation is quite close to that one... I've had 2 surgeries (a recent Septoplasty plus Nasal Valve Repair, and earlier a Turbinate Reduction, Sinusplasty and nasal swell body reduction).

I'd like to believe there was a benefit, but since my condition is UARS rather than OSA, I'm now trying to adapt to an APAP (strangely, I located and purchased 2 machines through the grey market/Amazon). I understand why people have a hard time with a CPAP and with compliance.... I'm able to nap while using the machine, but not yet sleep through the night... THAT SAID, when I have the machine on while using the computer or watching TV, my stress response flips from "Stressed/Engaged" to "Restored" (according to my OURA ring).

YMMV!
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Slightly off-topic, but what's your take on the Oura ring, buddy? I've been thinking about getting one, though I'm hesitant to drop a few hundred ÂŁÂŁ unless they're genuinely worth it!
 
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