CPAP update

[mamagotcha]

I can say that the CPAP has been improving things, but it's not a miraculous recovery, more slow and steady (fine with me!). I haven't taken Provigil since I started using it (oh, wait... I took one the day after the birth).

I'm also in a odd part of my cycle, so I've got headaches and backaches and you-name-it-aches, so I know I'm feeling crappy from that. It's hard to estimate how much crap is that, and how much from fitful sleep. Another week, that should hopefully be sorted out and I can get a clearer picture.

But I'm tolerating the mask, and the machine isn't that noisy. The biggest pain is that the mask slips and streams of air go shooting out, mostly by my eyes, which dry them out if I don't wake up and reposition the thing. It's not terrible, just annoying... I had a long recovery from an abraded cornea that was exacerbated when my eyes were dry, and I'd hate to start that cycle again.

So... in general, an improvement, and anticipating more to come.

Comments

[cheesepuppet.livejournal.com]

I know you've talked about how losing weight might help with sleep; do you think it would be significant enough to get you off the CPAP machine? Or is this something you'll always have?

[mamagotcha.livejournal.com]

It's hard to tell... there are a fair number of apnea sufferers who are not overweight. So far, it looks to be a lifelong commitment, but who knows what therapies are down the road...

There's one fairly invasive operation to restructure the palate, which can sometimes make things worse, from what I read. There's a newer, much less problematic procedure that stiffens the palate with little rods that sounds interesting. For now, we'll work with this...

I'm actually hoping that the CPAP will help with the weight thing.

[cheesepuppet.livejournal.com]

Wow, I'd never heard of the surgeries. Those sound interesting, but a little scary too.

It seems to me that the CPAP would have to help with weight. A lot of weight gain, especially women (like me) who carry it in the middle of their bodies, is stress-related, and sleeplessness due to apnea has to be a HUGE stresser on the body.