mamagotcha (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mamagotcha) wrote2008-03-22 12:43 am
mamagotcha) wrote2008-03-22 12:43 am
Well, that explains a lot
I got a phone call earlier this week from a nurse at my doctor's office about scheduling time to fit a mask. Whaa? (Confusion partly because, um, WHAT mask? and partly because it was like 7:45 in the ayem). Turns out my doc had told her to arrange a fitting, but something or other had to be approved by a cardiopulmonologist first so maybe she should've called me in a couple of days and... I gently interrupted and upon query, she confirmed that she had my sleep study in front of her. So what exactly does it say, I ask. Oh, she says. You haven't talked to your doctor yet? No, I haven't, I tell her, trying hard not to sound as annoyed as I felt. Oh, she says. Let me talk to him and I'll call you back.
A few days later, she calls back to say that (long boring explanation deleted) and she won't be able to fit me until sometime next week. Oh, I say. So can I see this sleep study report? Sure, she says, and pops it into the mail.
So, even though I haven't heard peep from my doctor, and even though I'm not going to actually be able to get a machine for a while yet, I have a copy of my sleep study.
Turns out I've got apnea.
Here's a few of the numbers:
Total sleep time: (They had me come in at 7pm, scheduled to leave at 6am, and wanted me to get ready for bed right away. Um, did you guys read my chart? I usually sleep after 11pm. Who the hey signed me up for a 7 o'clock bedtime? The wires and crap were incredibly irritating, the room was cold and the bed had only one thin cotton weave blanket, the tech was cranky... ) I got a grand total of 4 hours, 9 minutes of sleep.
Sleep efficiency (time spent in bed compared to time asleep): 59% (normal is greater than 85%)
Sleep onset latency (how long it takes to fall asleep): 39 minutes (normal is 15)
REM latency: 319 minutes (normal is 90)
Time spent in Stage I sleep: 67% (normal is 5%)
Stage II: 24% (normal is 55%)
Stage III/IV (the most restful part of sleep): 0% (normal is 20%)
REM: 9% (normal is 20%)
Oxygen sats bottomed at 82%, with 7 minutes less than 90% (normal is over 94%)
My overall AHI (Apnea/Hypopnea Index): 43.5 (this is the average number of apnea events per hour... it went up to 86 if I was on my back, down to 32 on my left side)
(normal is under 10, mild is 10-15, moderate is 15-30, and severe is greater than 30)
Damn. This is both good and bad news... good because this totally explains my exhaustion problems. It turns out that apnea is also associated with depression, irregular periods, headaches, even difficulty with weight loss (I had no idea; I've been rassling with all of those for the last year). But it's bad news because it means I'm looking at a CPAP machine and mask, which I know is going to drive me crazy. Also, apnea is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation... not sure if I've got anything along those lines winding up, but we definitely wanna nip 'em in the bud if possible.
Well, I'll keep you posted. I'm finding a ton of information out there... it's a little overwhelming. But just knowing that it's not some character defect is somewhat heartening... there really is a problem, and it's not just a little one. I'm not making it up. And there's treatment.
Maybe the fog will lift. That would be nice.
A few days later, she calls back to say that (long boring explanation deleted) and she won't be able to fit me until sometime next week. Oh, I say. So can I see this sleep study report? Sure, she says, and pops it into the mail.
So, even though I haven't heard peep from my doctor, and even though I'm not going to actually be able to get a machine for a while yet, I have a copy of my sleep study.
Turns out I've got apnea.
Here's a few of the numbers:
Total sleep time: (They had me come in at 7pm, scheduled to leave at 6am, and wanted me to get ready for bed right away. Um, did you guys read my chart? I usually sleep after 11pm. Who the hey signed me up for a 7 o'clock bedtime? The wires and crap were incredibly irritating, the room was cold and the bed had only one thin cotton weave blanket, the tech was cranky... ) I got a grand total of 4 hours, 9 minutes of sleep.
Sleep efficiency (time spent in bed compared to time asleep): 59% (normal is greater than 85%)
Sleep onset latency (how long it takes to fall asleep): 39 minutes (normal is 15)
REM latency: 319 minutes (normal is 90)
Time spent in Stage I sleep: 67% (normal is 5%)
Stage II: 24% (normal is 55%)
Stage III/IV (the most restful part of sleep): 0% (normal is 20%)
REM: 9% (normal is 20%)
Oxygen sats bottomed at 82%, with 7 minutes less than 90% (normal is over 94%)
My overall AHI (Apnea/Hypopnea Index): 43.5 (this is the average number of apnea events per hour... it went up to 86 if I was on my back, down to 32 on my left side)
(normal is under 10, mild is 10-15, moderate is 15-30, and severe is greater than 30)
Damn. This is both good and bad news... good because this totally explains my exhaustion problems. It turns out that apnea is also associated with depression, irregular periods, headaches, even difficulty with weight loss (I had no idea; I've been rassling with all of those for the last year). But it's bad news because it means I'm looking at a CPAP machine and mask, which I know is going to drive me crazy. Also, apnea is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation... not sure if I've got anything along those lines winding up, but we definitely wanna nip 'em in the bud if possible.
Well, I'll keep you posted. I'm finding a ton of information out there... it's a little overwhelming. But just knowing that it's not some character defect is somewhat heartening... there really is a problem, and it's not just a little one. I'm not making it up. And there's treatment.
Maybe the fog will lift. That would be nice.