DH had his first appt for sleep apnea

[Bella_mezzo]

Just had to share b/c I''ve been nagging him for YEARS to do this

So excited!!!!

He has to go in for a sleep test next week and they think his is quite severe (so not surprised) so if it looks really bad in the sleep test they fit him into a CPAP that day, if not then he''ll go back in June to get the CPAP.

I am willing to bet $ that they will fit him that night.

Also, the Dr said he has to lose weight and get his cholesterol under control.

So glad someone official told him this!

So, here goes our summer of fitness.

We got into a CSA so should have lots of veggies to eat and I think I am going to drop one of my classes for the summer for work conflicts and to make sure we have time to work out (and to try and reduce my stress level since we are TTC). I figure if I am on track that will help him and vice versa.

So excited that he''s taking this step forward!!! (and that I am making time for me, and to buckle down and lose the 15

lbs I''ve gained since our wedding.

 

[elrohwen]

Good luck to your DH!

I thought my DH had sleep apnea for a while and he finally got a sleep test. Apparently it''s totally normal to have a certain number of apnea moments every night and he wasn''t above the threshold, so he''s ok. Even though he''s still loud, I sleep better knowing that he''s ok.

I hope you''re able to sleep better once your DH gets control of his apnea! Hopefully it''s not that bad. What symptoms does he have?

 

[lilyfoot]

Hi Bella

I''m so glad to hear your husband is going in for this test. Sleep apnea is very serious, especially if his is severe, as the doctor''s think.

I think the most important part of making these changes is being realistic; try to make lifestyle changes, not just weekly/monthly changes, KWIM? Good luck!

 

[PumpkinPie]

good luck to your husband! I''m glad he''s finally taking some action

 

[marcy]

Glad he is getting tested so if he has it they can help him. Wish him good luck from me.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Thanks everyone, you are all so sweet!!!!

Elrohwen-He pretty much every sympton of apnea and his family is like a walking family tree for the long-term effects of apnea, inlcuding congestive heart failure.

The biggest symptoms are his horrific snoring, but far more scary than that is that he stops breathing for long periods--often over a minute--and/or starts choking. This happens dozens of times a night at least, sometimes a lot more.

He has a really short neck/body type that is predisposed, and is over wieght, and has a family history of apnea (though noone seeks treatment) so I think it would have been hard for him to avoid developing apena, but it can definitely be managed much better than it is currently.

So, CPAP here we come

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 5/4/2010 11:10:11 AM
Author: Bella_mezzo
Thanks everyone, you are all so sweet!!!!

Elrohwen-He pretty much every sympton of apnea and his family is like a walking family tree for the long-term effects of apnea, inlcuding congestive heart failure.

The biggest symptoms are his horrific snoring, but far more scary than that is that he stops breathing for long periods--often over a minute--and/or starts choking. This happens dozens of times a night at least, sometimes a lot more.

He has a really short neck/body type that is predisposed, and is over wieght, and has a family history of apnea (though noone seeks treatment) so I think it would have been hard for him to avoid developing apena, but it can definitely be managed much better than it is currently.

So, CPAP here we come

That''s so great that he''s willing to manage it! So many people just try to ignore it.

DH will stop breathing and have apnea moments - he usually stops breathing for 10-15 seconds max and he''ll do it up to 12 times in a row. That didn''t seem good to me, but according to the sleep study that was basically the only time he did it all night, so it wasn''t a big deal. It still wakes me up and I make him roll over until he stops

He is also the opposite of the standard apnea body type. Hearing that your DH stops breathing for a full minute makes me catch my breath a bit! Even 10 seconds can be scary when you''re awake listening to it, so I would freak out at that.

I''ve heard that a lot of people have success with a mouth guard type thing. It''s only for people with a specific facial structure - I think it''s when your lower jaw is too small, or in the wrong position or something. The doctor DH saw was able to tell instantly if he was a candidate for it, so maybe it''s something your DH could try. It''s so much less intrusive than a CPAP, and it works really well for certain people.

Good luck on his sleep test!

 

[stepcutnut]

Date: 5/5/2010 6:47:56 PM
Author: elrohwen

Date: 5/4/2010 11:10:11 AM

Author: Bella_mezzo

Thanks everyone, you are all so sweet!!!!


Elrohwen-He pretty much every sympton of apnea and his family is like a walking family tree for the long-term effects of apnea, inlcuding congestive heart failure.


The biggest symptoms are his horrific snoring, but far more scary than that is that he stops breathing for long periods--often over a minute--and/or starts choking. This happens dozens of times a night at least, sometimes a lot more.


He has a really short neck/body type that is predisposed, and is over wieght, and has a family history of apnea (though noone seeks treatment) so I think it would have been hard for him to avoid developing apena, but it can definitely be managed much better than it is currently.


So, CPAP here we come

That''s so great that he''s willing to manage it! So many people just try to ignore it.


DH will stop breathing and have apnea moments - he usually stops breathing for 10-15 seconds max and he''ll do it up to 12 times in a row. That didn''t seem good to me, but according to the sleep study that was basically the only time he did it all night, so it wasn''t a big deal. It still wakes me up and I make him roll over until he stops

He is also the opposite of the standard apnea body type. Hearing that your DH stops breathing for a full minute makes me catch my breath a bit! Even 10 seconds can be scary when you''re awake listening to it, so I would freak out at that.


I''ve heard that a lot of people have success with a mouth guard type thing. It''s only for people with a specific facial structure - I think it''s when your lower jaw is too small, or in the wrong position or something. The doctor DH saw was able to tell instantly if he was a candidate for it, so maybe it''s something your DH could try. It''s so much less intrusive than a CPAP, and it works really well for certain people.


Good luck on his sleep test!

I am super glad to hear your hubby is having a sleep test and is ready to have his apnea treated-for his sake and yours! The vast majority of the public cannot tolerate CPAPs long term. If your hubby has any issues tolerating the CPAP, I would definitely recommend finding a Dentist that is Board Certified in Sleep Disorder Dentistry. He can then be evaluated to see if he is a good candidate to wear one of the many Oral Appliances available for treatment of Sleep Apnea. They are very well tolerated both for the patient and the bed partner and have great outcomes-very quickly. There are many many Oral Appliances available for patients with all levels of sleep apnea and they are custom made to fit any jaw/facial structure, and all at a fraction of the cost of a CPAP! Good luck to you both

 

[Bella_mezzo]

thanks for the ttp step cut nut!

I''m hoping he can tolerate the CPAP at least for a while so he can get some good rest, lose some weight, and in general get healthier. Sleep apena is such a self-perpetuating cycle that I think he just needs something frastic to break the cycle...

His overnight sleep test if Thursday so, we''ll see

 

[Bella_mezzo]

So, he had his sleep study and it turns out his apnea is really bad, much worse than the Dr originally thought (and he thought it was bad to begin with) so DH is now getting fast-tracked for a CPAP

I can''t wait for him to actually get some good sleep!!!

 

[PumpkinPie]

wow - I''m sorry to hear that his sleep apnea is worse than expected (especially considering how bad you expected that it was) but I''m glad to hear that he''ll soon have a CPAP - I hope it helps you both sleep better at night!
good job convincing him to go to the dr.!

 

[mary poppins]

Glad to hear he''s getting treatment and a CPAP. Sleep apnea, other than being bad for noise level and lack of sleep, is also associated with a host of serious health problems if untreated. After your DH starts using the CPAP, which takes a little while to get used to, I''m sure you''ll both be sleeping much better. FI''s use of a CPAP has made a world of difference for both of us.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

thanks Maevie-I wish I could say it was me that convinced him to go, but I think it was falling alseep at work and having a colleague notice that pushed him over the edge

Mary Poppins, It''s great to hear from someone who''s gone through it., Several of my friend''s husbands and/or fathers had to get CPAPs and they allfelt like it changed their lives in a positive way, so I am hoping that happens for us too!!!

 

[stepcutnut]

I am glad to hear your hubby took the first step to getting healthy! When you say he has severe apnea, do you mind me asking what his AHI# was?

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Hi Step cut-They didn''t tell him his AHI. I think the Dr. will discuss that when he goes back in...?

What they said to him was that his O2 stats are in the mid 70s at night and spike even lower at times and he stoped breathing for well over a minute multiple times during the test so they kept waking him up

I''m trying not to be too freaked, but his Dr. is super concerned and is trying to move the schedule around in order to get him fitted for a CPAP as soon as possible...

 

[marcy]

Hi Bella, has your husband got his CPAP machine yet? My mom sure started to feel better once she got on one and slept better.