Posted on 10/24/2007 12:11:25 PM PDT by crazyshrink
Cutting back on alcohol also reduces sleep apnea.
I’ve heard that the “normal marital bed life” comes from the silence of a partner not snoring anymore and gasping for breath.
As for the big hose, well, it’s really not that bad. It sure beats the alternative. I thought I was dying in 2005...I spent so much time having every conceivable test done to me.
I had no energy, and every time I went to bed I woke up worse than I was before. I suffered a TIA and was seeing a neurologist. I was to the point where I was going to need a cane to walk at the age of 26/27. I had no strength. Very scary.
I remember my lowest point was sitting in my living room with the blinds down during the day, trying desperately not to go to sleep, even though my body said I had to.
I was faced with a horrible choice between delirium by staying awake or a further downward spiral by going to sleep. It was like having a battery that wouldn’t charge but was drained more and more.
It was something that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. I gladly choose the hose, especially since I was waking up 50 times an hour. Sometimes I wouldn’t breathe for a minute or more.
Not to pry, but would you care to comment on the success of the procedure?
Again, per my MD, when I had the study done, those most “prone” to SA are those overweight (especially those that carry weight around their neck)..etc...it’s not that there arent those that are thin that have it, only they are in the minority afflicted...
Well my case is rather borderline and I can control it other ways.
biology takes over again...
I had the procedure and I wish I’d been informed that it was 25-33% effective beforehand, it would have saved me some recuperation.
Although, there was that one time I almost choked on my uvula, so maybe it was at least partially effective. My wife seems to think it was.
The modern units are much less intrusive - my mom has had a CPAP for years.
My husband had 111 episodes of stopping breathing in the first two hours of his test, and they woke him up and put him on a CPAP machine. Took him a week or so to get used to it, and now cannot sleep without it. Funny thing is, I need the noise to sleep how too!
Better yet, try saying it after you had it done, which I did a year ago. ;~))
By way of disclosure, I am not obese or even overweight but I had apnea since my 20s after a very bad throat infection and eventual tonsillectomy (now that really hurt like hell). I tried the CPAP machine and could not sleep at all with it. The uvulopalatopharyngoplasty was not nearly as bad as having my tonsils removed, and it has helped me get a better night's rest. I think I probably still do have some apnea, but not nearly as bad as before, and no, I will not go to get another 'sleep study' to find out how much better. If this is they way it is, then so be it.
My husband had this surgery. It fixed the snoring, no question, but it was DREADFUL for him, very painful and he would never advise anyone else to have the procedure.
It is not the lack of sleep which kills. It is the stress it puts on the heart — because when a person stops breathing, their oxygen level drops. True, when their breathing stops, they do wake up — its an involuntary reaction — they wake up so that they can take a breath.
Then, the heart has to work overtime to get the oxygen level back up. This could happen 50 times a night. Eventually, the heart wears out.
That’s my understanding. I have sleep apnea, and I wear a mask at night. Sleep like a baby. Also I’ve never abducted by aliens in my sleep. I’m sure they take one look at me, and saw “let’s go down the street.”
On the subject of avoiding abduction by aliens, a messy bedroom doesn’t hurt!
A big hose is key to marital bliss
I already had that procedure, it hurts like you cannot imagine
the CPAP machine was going to cost me $500 AFTER insurance!
So, until I lose the weight I gained, I am sleeping on the recliner
My husband had this procedure in the early 90’s and he was thin. He would stop breathing several times during the night. He never got a decent night’s sleep. His procedure was done with a laser—had it done twice! He has a high pain tolerance but he said this was the worst thing he has ever gone through. But it cured his sleep apnea!
I have sleep apnea. Stopped breathing 81 times in 7 hours in my sleep test. Sleep apnea also causes obesity. It was explained to me that when you stop breathing, your blood sugars get revved up to “wake up” your heart and system. Anyway, I try with the mask and hose. Scares my cats. I actually wake up with the mask in my hand after I have ripped it off. There has to be a better, more natural way.
That is why a sleep study is needed (one reason) as the nerve problem is not helped at all by CPAP or this operation. I think it is the far lesser cause of the two.
I don’t think a person has to be overweight to have sleep apnea. You’re one example.
Glad your surgery went well. Did you ever check into sinus problems like polyps etc?
Ya. The ENT Doc scoped through my nose every which way from Sunday. It was kind of cool watching it on video --- buggers, up close and personal. ;~))
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