British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association

Day 47: About 7- 8 hours snooze and mask time. Wow! A lie in! Woo hoo!!! Didn't feel as snoozy as yesterday. That's got to be a good thing. Done the "twice weekly strip down and clean mask" duty today. Left parts to dry on a towel. Youngest son asked me what it was. I told him it was Mummy's "anti snoring mask"..Phew!
Day 48: YUK! What a messy night I've had! Nothing saucy either! Hubby had a very early start (5 am). He's on the sofa. I wake up in the middle of the night, not sure what the time is, I'm in a panic, thinking he's late for work, take mask off which felt it was full of dribble (EEEWWWW), find my mobile which gets used as an alarm clock. The time was half 3 ish!!! ARRRGGHHHH!!!! Drag myself back to bed, forget mask. Get up at 5 thanks to alarm, hubby already awake, wait for him to got o work before sneaking back to bed for 2 hours (no mask on again)....
Total snooze time 7 and half hours , mask time about 4 hours... NOT GOOD!!!!
Feel very snoozy during the day, but struggle to snooze at night. find myself putting Radio 4 on to bore (sorry, I mean relax) me to sleep....

Tracey WELL DONE for persevering. You are getting SOME time with your mask on ... now just to increase it gradually. Do check with your clinic to see if this is the ideal mask type for you or if you might be more comfy with another design.

And no, using the radio to help you to fall asleep, is NOT a cop-out. In the past I've used classicfm to the same purpose, realising that if the tune has changed, I've obviously been asleep!! Keep going love!

The mask is fine, Alsacienne, but it can be a pain in the rear end if I lay on my side! I've noticed that when I forget to put it on, it's usually when hubby decides to share the bed and a cuddle...

Day 49: Wow! Seven weeks since the hospital appointment! Off work today, hubby complaining of aches and pains. End up helping him.. Forgot to mention that yesterday, I woke up from another dream. Can't remember much detail, just that I was talking to my mother and my youngest was playing out in the garden(it might have been hers), anyway, the strangest thing was my youngest wasn't a boy but a girl...
Hubby and myself have started to discuss buying a car for me. We have seen one, just waiting to save up the money.(Great, the house is a wreck and he decides to buy a car!) but I started a mini argument in saying that I should have sent my licence back. He tells me not to be stupid, all that money getting me through lessons and tests wasted. He suggests that I fall asleep because I'm BORED! (No dear, just flaming cream crackered!) He ends up ranting how his "darling" sister shouldn't be on the road. I finish the topic by saying I'm willing to wait.
Come home to an awful smell in the house. hubby had been given some meat by his boss as a "Thank you" for crawling out of bed at an early hour yesterday. But the meat was OFF! It smelt funny when hubby unwrapped it, so I'm not happy with him for causing the stink....
Received an e-mail from work. A colleague has died from an illness. Two others are arranging a collection for some flowers.
AAARRGGHH! Done it again! Had 6 and a half hours snooze time, zero mask. Remember cuddling up to hubby in bed. Woke up thinking I had mask on , but took it during the night... I'm going to have to decorate the bedroom with the following slogan; "No mask, no car"!!!!

Day 50: About 5 hours snooze time, about 4 hours wearing the "face hugger". I crawled out of work 45 mins late, expected hubby to tell me to get an "effing" cab, but he didn't. Phew! don't know what time I woke up, but I thought it was to time to get up, hence removal of mask. Darn light mornings! Hubby informed me yesterday that he witnessed me stripping mask off face the night before at 5 ish. Since I can't remember whether or not I stuck mask on, I'll have to wait and see what the data card has picked up. He also told me that I let rip with the infamous side effect of CPAP. The force was so great, it made his stomach wobble!!!! And, I had slapped him in the face one night. Didn't mean to, I was asleep.... I had got used to having the bed on my own Still wake up feeling tired, think it's because of my late shifts, light mornings and the confused weather! Cloudy+warm +sunny spells+regular rain showers= sticky!!!!

Sorry for the long delay folks. Whenever I've tried to sit down and post, someone interrupts!!! I couldn't even manage to save any blooping drafts.... GGGRRRRR!!!

Anyway, since it's been a while , I'll give a brief run down...
Watched a work collegue run with the olympic torch via the web,
Had hubby's nephew to stay one night, NEVER AGAIN!!! He stayed up all night and tried to "wake" my youngest by punching him in the face and claiming that he fell out of bed....ands my youngest had his extra tuition class in the morning!
I had 3 midnight finishes at work, started to feel like a zombie after having 5 and a half hours sleep those nights....
Having mixed fortunes with the mask: I either forget to put it on, whip it off in the middle of the night (thinking it's to get up), feeling suffocated with it on or having the blooming thing leak and make raspberry noises! Only yesterday morning, I wake up thinking it's gone wrong. Turns out the dog has pulled the power cable out of the machine......

Started to panic as to whether or not I had booked the day off for my appointment and then wondering where I had put the appoinment card.....
Hubby has gone on his "faddy diet plan" phases. And dragged me onto it...

Day65(?): Not long to go before check up. found appointment card-PHEW! Went back towork after 5 day break. Crawled out at twenty to midnight. (SUPPOSED to have finished at 11!!) Ended up with 5 hours sleep, had 4 hours with mask. Thought it was time to get up, but had woken up an hour early....AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!!

Don't you just hate it when that happens, you dare not go back to sleep or you will never wake up in time.

It would be tempting to "forget" to get up Sleep2Snore, but I have a darn alarm clock and hubby who gets the right "Robert Sole" if I woke up late.

Day 66: Suffering from a cold-in July??? Had 6 hours snooze time, but remember taking mask off due to feeling of runny nose. Didn't want to swim in snot.Been outside at work...In the pouring rain. No wonder I'm not well..
Day 67: 9 hour work shift, 6 hours sleep, had about 2 hours mask time thanks to snotty nose.......
Day 68: 8 hours sleep and mask time! Wow! It must be a Sunday! Short 6 hour shift at work...
Day 69: About 6 hours sleep, think same time with the "face hugger". Nose stopped running but starting to get a sore throat.
Day 70: 7 hours snooze and mask time. noticed my voice is very croaky due to sore throat. Spent all evening trying to get a drink as it was extremely hot!
Day 71:6 hours snooze time, not sure how long with mask. I woke up to find it on the floor but I cannot remember taking it off!! Popped into work for a brief training course. Had a snotty manager ask me to run a customer's order to them. I refused because I wasn't in uniform as it was my day off! Blooming cheek! Then spent the rest of the day with hubby and youngest son in hubb's work van. Love the "breeze" I was getting as we travelled along. It's my hospital appointment tomorrow. I'm worried what will be found on the data card.

Day 72: Judgement day! Also known as follow up appointment at the hospital...
C rappy night, thanks to cold. Went to bed at half past midnight after updating this thread, but woke up twice with desperate need to blow my nose. This cold is really getting to me as I remember putting the mask back on after each nose blowing, but I can't remember if I woke up with it on my face...OOOOHHHH DEAR!!

Anyway, hospital check up.... Data card was down loaded, I have managed an average of 4 hours mask time, had approx 93% compliance, had a reminder about informing the DVLA. I explained to the very nice lady that I wasn't too sure about notifying DVLA as I had the impression I wasn't "Apnoeic" but was treated like a guinea pig and besides I haven't got a car!!!!! She even told me what my AHI's were:
"Oximeter: 4.4"
"Embletta: 1.1"
"CPAP: 1.2"
"Epworth score down to 8, previous score 18!!"
Leakages were ok....
I asked if I can have a copy of the data print out, but I wasn't allowed. I wanted to show my hubby as to say "See? I told you !" But there may be a letter sent to my GP...
I have been given a different box: Still a Remstar Pro, but it's a C-Flex+! and the pressure has been increased from 4 to 8....OOOOHHHH! I had better tie down the sheets then!!!!!
In all, my progress was very pleasing as I had been told that some patients don't even TRY with the mask. I was sent home with a follow up for next year. Haven't told hubby yet. He thinks the CPAP was going back!!!!!!

WOW TRACEY!

WELL DONE !!!

Your results are excellent and you have made substantial progress, despite it being an uphill struggle at times. Please persevere and try not to worry!! Your CPAP AHI scores are better than mine at present! Again congratulations and well done!!

Hubby not too impressed with the prospect of sleeping with "Nellie the Elephant". Well, he shouldn't have moaned about about my snoring. I'm trying to keep myself ALIVE with the mask. Now, what was the number of the DVLA form I need to fill in........

Day 73: About 7 hours snoozing, not sure about mask time because when I woke up, it was on the floor!!! Also found out that my "new" machine wasn't set to "8", it's set to "11"! You can imagine the surprise I got when put the mask on AFTER turning CPAP on. The mask was nearly blown off my face! Must remember to put mask on, then machine!!! Still suffering from cold, think I've got a chest infection...... Struggling on at work with it...
Day 74: 7 hours sleep, 7 hours with facehugger. Last day of "Saturday school" before a 4 week break. (Great, lie-in on Saturdays!!!!) 8 hour shift, VERY busy! Crawled out half an hour late, but I do get paid for it....Hubby suggested that I don't wear face hugger until I've seen my GP regarding my (possible) chest infection as he thinks that the iar will force the infection lower down into my lungs. Any advice regarding this issue will be EXTREMLEY helpful! Found the form I need, think I'll ask GP to help me fill it in......

Your hubby isn't exactly sympathetic to your medical condition .... not caused by anything you did, and manageable but NOT curable!

WEAR YOUR MASK. And do it every night. CPAP didn't cause your chest infection. And you still need to breathe even when you've got one.

A chest infection usually results in a lot of coughing which is the body's natural reflex to getting the germs and stuff OUT of your lungs!

Your doc will probably prescribe antibiotics if your chest infection is bacteriological. Maybe even a short course of steroids. An expectorant in the form of a cough syrup may help get the nasties 'up' more easily ... but these do not mean that you should take your mask off. You know that you need to use your machine every time you sleep and you've been very good at persevering even though it's been a struggle so far. Keep going!!!!

Oh, and yes, mask on, then power up!!! That's the way to do it!!!

Tell you something, Alascienne, with this current chest infection, I don't feel "wheezy". Must be CPAP "opening"up my airways. But I do a brilliant impression of a smoker's early morning cough!!!!!
I think my toliet is going yellow thanks to the colouring in the soluble Vitamin C tablets I have taking........I'm sure tartrazine was banned in the 80's!!!!!!

Day 75: 7 hours snoozing, 5 and half with mask, hubby in bed....Not bad. I'm on another learning curve thanks to new machine. Great 8 hour shift at work. Very little change for the tills, so I had to hand out 5ps to customers, was very busy and there was a thunderstorm and I was on "drive-Thru" order and money taking duty. I think a customer laughed when I jumped thanks to a flash of lightning. I nearly asked for a mop and bucket. I got let out on time......WOOHOO!!!!
Day76: 5hours sleep and mask time, no hubby in bed. Still coughing up c rap. Been told by the husband that I should make an apointment for the GP. I stand more chance of winning the National Lottery WITHOUT a ticket than getting an appointment. With my doctor's, you have to ring up at 8 am, but the trouble being, the line is permanently engaged for 5+minutes. WHEN you DO get through, all the appointments for the day have gone! You ask if you can book one for later in the week."OOH no," says the snotty receptionist on the phone"You got to ring in on the day you want to see the doctor." So you are forced to spend countless minutes, if not hours, racking up your phone bill so you can see the doctor!!! There are some unfavourable customers reviews on the NHS website regarding the receptionists' attitude !!!!
Got another 8 hour at work then hopefully attend a "training staff meeting", going to be hour late for it, but what can I do....I'm not a manager....
Just looking forward to 2 days off.... I can spend those days getting hot and flustered over something long, hard and steamy.......THE IRONING!!!!!

WOW!!!! I don't believe it! I've manged to get a doctors appointment.... For tomorrow!!!!!!