Frankly, it's going better than expected. I'm exceeding the nightly minimum usage requirement (which means Medicare will pay for a portion of the cost). I'm getting up in the middle of the night less than I was - but part of that may be because you have to disconnect yourself from the apparatus if you need to go get a drink or go to the bathroom, and then reattach your umbilical cord and re-adjust everything when you come back to bed. Too much trouble.
And my spouse is delighted. After she got over the anxious moment caused by absolute silence from my side of the bed the first night, she is exulting in the joy of a snore-free environment. I still deny that I snored.
But "leakage" continues to be a problem. I started out using a nasal "pillow" mask, which piped the constant stream of air up your nose. Okay, unless you open your mouth, in which case all the air blows out and you sound like the little steam engine that could. And guess what? Almost everyone opens their mouth at some point when they sleep.
The supposed solution to that is to add a chin strap to hold your mouth closed. I say supposed, because when you wake in the morning and all your mouth parts are cemented together in one dry, moisture-less clump, you know that the chin strap did not work. At some point you opened your mouth and the constant air flow turned your mouth, tongue and cheeks into the Gobi Desert! Plus, as I pointed out, the escaping air often makes a ppppbbbbttt!!! sound, which is as annoying as snoring.
So, I have switched to a full face mask, one that covers both the nose and mouth, so unless air escapes out of your ears, the problem is solved. Now, instead of wearing what looks like the Spiderman mask to bed, I get to wear a large plastic bowl on my face. Here's a picture of me in my jammies and CPAP mask, all ready for bed.
I'll keep you posted.
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1 comment:
CPAP is the most effective nonsurgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. It is the first treatment choice and the most widely used.
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