# The light at the end of the tunnel!



## Christopher (Oct 5, 2006)

Wow, so my world has been totally rocked! After years of being totally exhausted and depressed I finally talked to my doctor about it. I just figured it was due to my schedule and my lifestyle but it was getting worse every year.

I went in and expected a nice and neat happy pill to get me on my way. What I got was a smart doctor who likes to explore options before drugs. I explained to him that I'm simply wiped out all the time now and that it's getting worse every year. I have a psycho schedule and my diet and exercise sucked but I was just toast. I didn't feel like the stereo typical depressed guy and that I still functioned, I was just wiped out.

I sent me to a sleep doctor. I went in and had a sleep study done a couple of weeks ago and on Tuesday I got to talk to the Doc about the results. Diagnosis: SLEEP APNEA!

I (and sadly my wife also) knew that I snore like a mother fucker and always have. In fact my snoring was legendary at my house even when I was a tiny child. It turns out that I actually stop breathing! I start out the night with moderate apnea. I quit breathing and wake myself up for a split second every 3.75 minutes in the first hour of sleep and as the night progresses I stop more and more often. By the end of the night I'm basically not sleeping at all! This is kicking my ass. 

My blood pressure, my heart rate, and of course my exhaustion and depression are all effected. Studies are showing that apnea and weight gain have also common ties. Almost every health (mental and phyical) problem I've had in the last ten years can be tied to the apnea.

My sleep doc and I are working on some options right now to get it under control and I'm pretty excited. I started right away on a C-PAP machine. Basically it's a Darth Vader in a box that forces air down your throat keeping your airway open all night long. I look like a fuckin' scuba diver and sound like Darth but it kicks massive ass. 

I've only worn it a couple nights and the first night I didn't get much sleep getting used to it but I'm already feeling amazing. The doctor said I should feel a little bit better each day than the last for about 3-4 months while I get caught up on sleep and the structures of my airway heal.

Judging by my symptoms and what I've been told from my family it looks like I may have always had this. Each year it got a little worse as I got older and the long term effects worsened. The last ten years have been the worst. I could sleep 24 hours a day and still wake up feeling as tired as when I went to bed. Now I know why. I wasn't actually getting any productive sleep!

I've suffered from insomnia and that too could be related!

You can't imagine how crazy I'm excited to see what the future holds now. It's like I'm sleeping for the first time. I just had to share.


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## Leon (Oct 5, 2006)

my dad used to be a very heavy guy, and that, coupled with old football neck muscles that he didn't use anymore, caused his sleep apnea. he got the same machine, and through high school it was kinda nice hearing this gentle whirring noise, instead of some asshole lumberjack in the next room trying to build a freak'n house 

good news though


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## noodles (Oct 5, 2006)

You sound like Darth? That owns.


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## Oguz286 (Oct 5, 2006)

Wow that's excellent news, sleep is VERY important. I once killed a moquito after it bugged me for 2 sleepless weeks, and when i killed it, i felt GREAT. You haven't slept for ages, so i can understand how excited you are! Good luck with it


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## Christopher (Oct 5, 2006)

noodles said:


> You sound like Darth? That owns.



Yeah, I thought that was kinda metal. The really bad cheesy Darth related sex lines have been flying around the house all week.

"Impressive."


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## metalfiend666 (Oct 5, 2006)

I've seen programs on sleep apnea so I can appreciate how much you must have been suffering, it's nasty. Glad you finally got it diagnosed and you're getting treated now.


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## Drew (Oct 5, 2006)

Good news, dude - I'm a HUGE proponent of treating the ailment (lack of sleep) rather than the symptoms (feeling down). 

I'm not the soundest sleeper myself,b ut I don't think it's snoring related. Then again, I really wouldn't know, as I'd be asleep, would i?


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## Leon (Oct 5, 2006)

Drew said:


> Good news, dude - I'm a HUGE proponent of treating the ailment (lack of sleep) rather than the symptoms (feeling down).





Drew said:


> I'm not the soundest sleeper myself,b ut I don't think it's snoring related. Then again, I really wouldn't know, as I'd be asleep, would i?


good call. Hey Chris, does Drew ever wake you up at night with any snoring?


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## Christopher (Oct 5, 2006)

Thanks for the support guys. The plan right now is to treat it with the C-PAP for 3-4 months and then look into other options. The doc thinks it has to do with my narrow nasal passage at the top of my nose. So, one option is to get a nose job, seriously.


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## Drew (Oct 5, 2006)

Christopher said:


> Thanks for the support guys. The plan right now is to treat it with the C-PAP for 3-4 months and then look into other options. The doc thinks it has to do with my narrow nasal passage at the top of my nose. So, one option is to get a nose job, seriously.



 You could talk to Ashlee Simpson, for support!


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## Christopher (Oct 5, 2006)

Drew said:


> You could talk to Ashlee Simpson, for support!


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## usagi (Oct 5, 2006)

Sleep Apnea is a killer I'm glad you're getting treated. My brother in law has it and I remember one of the first times we visited and spent the night. We were sleeping in the basement. I woke up and heard a noise. I thought why are they moving their furniture around in the middle of the night. It was that loud.


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## Jason (Oct 6, 2006)

My bro in law has this..and I think my sister too. GLad to see your feeling better that is amazing chris.


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## Christopher (Oct 6, 2006)

Thanks guys! I have already noticed a difference. Last night was night 2. I got less sleep (in hours) trying to get used to being Darth but overall the sleep was WAY WAY more productive. I didn't feel like I needed the heart paddles to get out of bed. CLEAR!


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## All_¥our_Bass (Oct 10, 2006)

"The force, is strong with this one."


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## Leon (Oct 10, 2006)

so how's this going? still noticing improvements?


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## Christopher (Oct 10, 2006)

Oh yeah, this the treatment is kicking major ass! This weekend I slept 10 hours Friday night, 10 hours Saturday night, and 8 hours the last two nights, without interuption. Just like my doctor said, I've felt better than the day before each and every day. I'm getting used to the C-PAP now too.

This really is the single most positive life altering event I've experienced. It's like someone turned a light on in the room and I'm seeing how dim things were for the first time. I've energy in spades and I'm already losing weight. I haven't had any symptoms of depression since I started treatment and I'm finding that everything I normally do I'm doing more efficient and better without any more effort.

My friends and family have noticed a change in me also. My wife can't remember me smiling this much. I'm much more like I was when I was younger. I can't recommend enough to anyone who thinks they might be suffering to look into treatment.

Thanks for asking Leon!


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## Leon (Oct 10, 2006)

that's awesome! my dad really started becoming a more lively character when he got on his C-PAP machine as well.


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## Christopher (Oct 10, 2006)

As an added bonus the wife has been getting more and more sleep each night not having to listen to my foghorn!


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## Popsyche (Oct 10, 2006)

Well, well fellow Pillow Pilot! Gettin' used to the 'face jock' eh?  

I've used a CPAP for at least 10 years now. Here's a little secret thing I found out about it. Do you get raging hangovers if you go to bed...tipsy? Boy will this help that! Apnea is WAY worse when you have alcohol in your system, as I'm sure your wife can attest. You will snore more, and have more frequent episodes of the heart stopping. That is what an apnea is, you stop breathing, your heart stops, and HOPEFULLY, your brain wakes you up enough to get it all going again. John Candy's didn't, and he died in the Mexican desert from Sleep Apnea.

Anyway, that CPAP will blow that bad alcohol right out of your bloodstream! 

If you have any questions, just PM me!


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## Sentient (Oct 11, 2006)

Christopher said:


> This really is the single most positive life altering event I've experienced. It's like someone turned a light on in the room and I'm seeing how dim things were for the first time. I've energy in spades and I'm already losing weight. I haven't had any symptoms of depression since I started treatment and I'm finding that everything I normally do I'm doing more efficient and better without any more effort.
> 
> My friends and family have noticed a change in me also. My wife can't remember me smiling this much. I'm much more like I was when I was younger. I can't recommend enough to anyone who thinks they might be suffering to look into treatment.


 Dude, that's just great beyond words. I love to see a post like that. 

I have a good friend that had surgery on his uvula, in an effort to help with his snoring & breathing at night. If I'm not mistaken, I think he said that his insurance wouldn't cover it and he paid for it all out of pocket. I really felt for him, because after it was all said & done, I don't think it really helped him as much as he had hoped.

I wasn't familiar with the cpap until seeing this thread. I can only imagine how uncomfortable that must be as you're trying to become accustomed to it. But obviously the benefits far outweigh the bit of discomfort in getting used to it. 

It's kinda hard not to chuckle at the thoughts of waking up at night, or in the morning, and trying to put the moves on the wife while speaking like Darth Vader....

"Wife... Join the dark side of the bed and feel the power of the force."


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## Christopher (Oct 11, 2006)

Popsyche said:


> Well, well fellow Pillow Pilot! Gettin' used to the 'face jock' eh?
> 
> I've used a CPAP for at least 10 years now. Here's a little secret thing I found out about it. Do you get raging hangovers if you go to bed...tipsy? Boy will this help that! Apnea is WAY worse when you have alcohol in your system, as I'm sure your wife can attest. You will snore more, and have more frequent episodes of the heart stopping. That is what an apnea is, you stop breathing, your heart stops, and HOPEFULLY, your brain wakes you up enough to get it all going again. John Candy's didn't, and he died in the Mexican desert from Sleep Apnea.
> 
> ...



Sweet! Finding another 'pilot on here makes my whole day. I haven't done much alcohol experimenting yet, but it's only been a week. I can honestly say that I haven't had enough to drink to even get tipsy in ages. Unfortunatley the only time I really get to drink is at gigs and I get paranoid about driving and drinkin' and cops and wrecks and all that crap so I'm a pretty light drinker.

I'm running the full face mask! It turns out that I have a very narrow sinus something or other and for the most part I'm a 97% mouth breather day or night. They tried the little over the nose thing and I just about died.

Thanks for offer but so far it's been very clear sailing with the C-PAP. It's funny, when I tell people about it they just can't imagine how uncomfortable it is and how I could sleep with it on but if they only knew how valuable the sleep is. I'd go through a whole lot more uncomfortable to get the benefits!



Sentient said:


> Dude, that's just great beyond words. I love to see a post like that.
> 
> I have a good friend that had surgery on his uvula, in an effort to help with his snoring & breathing at night. If I'm not mistaken, I think he said that his insurance wouldn't cover it and he paid for it all out of pocket. I really felt for him, because after it was all said & done, I don't think it really helped him as much as he had hoped.
> 
> ...



My doc was telling me that a high percentage of people that go in for the snoring surgery ends up with sleep apnea because the surgery weakens the muscles that allow the airway to stay open.

The wife has been amazing so far. It really is an adjustment for her too. The snoring was bad but she'd gotten used to it. Now I have this whole thing on my face and tubing and if I lay funny and the mask leaks it hisses. She said the hardest part was the first couple of nights. I'd wake up and get pissed off at the mask and curse at and spend a few minutes messing with the velcro straps and then pass out again. I don't remember any of it but it sounds like me!


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## Popsyche (Oct 11, 2006)

Christopher said:


> I'm a pretty light drinker.



In the immortal words from Animal House,"I suggest you start drinking heavily!"




Christopher said:


> The wife has been amazing so far. It really is an adjustment for her too. The snoring was bad but she'd gotten used to it. Now I have this whole thing on my face and tubing and if I lay funny and the mask leaks it hisses. She said the hardest part was the first couple of nights. I'd wake up and get pissed off at the mask and curse at and spend a few minutes messing with the Velcro straps and then pass out again. I don't remember any of it but it sounds like me!



Getting used to the 'headgear' (Velcro thingee) is annoying. I make mine pretty tight and make sure that the hose is directed straight up to the headboard. This facilitates easy rolling over without that damn air leak from the hose being caught under you. The mask I have now will actually squeal really loudly if it leaks, which wakes me up, and defeats the whole idea of the thing! 

What model and make machine do you have? My first one sounded like a 747 taking off every night, which was still better than the godawful cacophony of my snoring! I stayed at a friends house once, and his wife said that I actually had the windows in their old apartment rattling along!    I wore out my welcome there very fast!

Getting used to the contraption is small worry when compared to the results. It really is amazing how much difference it makes. And besides, the white noise of the air rushing is calming!


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## Christopher (Oct 12, 2006)

Mine's a CFlex Remstar. It's really quiet. Another day and I feel better! This is just crazy.


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## Jason (Nov 3, 2006)

So how you making out Chris??


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## Christopher (Nov 3, 2006)

Hey man, long time no see. I'm doing fucking excellent. In fact, I feel so good that I almost feel guilty sometimes.

I just experienced the weirdest thing last week. I got my first cold. Now at 34 years old that may sound strange but I did. I used to get sick every single time a bug would circulate and most often I'd get it twice. The symptoms were always so bad and they always led to sinus, ear, or throat infections. Every time I'd get a the flu or a cold I'd be flat out sick for a week or two.

A couple of weeks ago my son brought home the local cold / flu bug from school. Both my daughters got it and there were plenty of coughs and sniffles to go around. I knew I'd get, I always get it.

I got it. Only instead of being horribly sick and ending up on drugs just to cope I got some minor symptoms and they went away in a few days. I've never realized how simple a common cold is.

This got me thinking about my health as a life long trend. I'd never had such an easy cold or flu bug. I've always gotten terribly ill. I think the doctor may have been right. I think I've always had this. Every day I feel better and better and it's like internal systems are going online each day.

Only days after treatment I discovered that I'd had a headache for as long as I could remember. I didn't realize I had one until it was gone. That was weird.

Everything is different. Sights, sounds, tastes, tactile experiences, hell pretty much everything is better than it was a few weeks ago. It's really a strange situation. I played a Halloween party last weekend at a local bar. It's the first gig I've done since I started feeling better. I played MUCH better than I ever had. Even my bends were in noticably better tune.

I thought it was just me but everyone in the band noticed it and several people made comments to us about how much better we sounded.

My memory is improved, my concentration, obviously my energy level has skyrocketed, and my appettite is way down. My doc tells me that studies are showing that the two hormones that make you feel hungry or full get reversed when you have apnea, they don't know why it just does.

I've done nothing different exercise or diet wise and I've lost 10 pounds since I started treatment.

The biggest difference is the length of the day. I used to bitch all day long about how I didn't have enough hours in the day to get everything I needed to done. Now I feel like I have twice as much time. I've taken on new clients in the studio, started getting caught up on chores that I've been putting off forever, and studying music and guitar stuff that I never had time for.

Life is scary good.


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## Popsyche (Nov 3, 2006)

I just got a new machine. It's a Puritan Bennett. It is TINY! Almost fits in a brief case.

Good Luck on your road to normality!


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## Christopher (Nov 3, 2006)

Popsyche said:


> I just got a new machine. It's a Puritan Bennett. It is TINY! Almost fits in a brief case.
> 
> Good Luck on your road to normality!



Thanks man. I had no idea what normality was all about. Hell, I didn't even know how sick I was or how long I'd been sick. It's all pretty crazy!


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## NegaTiveXero (Nov 6, 2006)

You, I think I might have this problem. I mean, i always wake up tired, the day seems so short for me. Apparently I snore, not a whole bunch, but I do. I'm always breathing through my mouth. I almost always wake up with a headache and feel worse than I did when I went to sleep. I'm also an insomniac.

How can you get this checked out?


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## Christopher (Nov 6, 2006)

I just talked to my regular doctor and he sent me to a sleep specialist. If there's any way you do have it get it checked out, it's beyond worth it!


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## Popsyche (Nov 6, 2006)

Christopher said:


> I just talked to my regular doctor and he sent me to a sleep specialist. If there's any way you do have it get it checked out, it's beyond worth it!




+1


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## Christopher (Nov 6, 2006)

Popsyche said:


> +1



How's your new machine working out for you?


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## Jason (Nov 6, 2006)

Christopher said:


> Hey man, long time no see. I'm doing fucking excellent. In fact, I feel so good that I almost feel guilty sometimes.
> 
> I just experienced the weirdest thing last week. I got my first cold. Now at 34 years old that may sound strange but I did. I used to get sick every single time a bug would circulate and most often I'd get it twice. The symptoms were always so bad and they always led to sinus, ear, or throat infections. Every time I'd get a the flu or a cold I'd be flat out sick for a week or two.
> 
> ...



 am I the only one who was smiling the entire time i read that? Man chris that is beyond words bro  I don't even know you that well (hell barely at all) and im so happy for ya.


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## Popsyche (Nov 6, 2006)

Christopher said:


> How's your new machine working out for you?



It fuckin' blows (CPAP joke). It's OK. The new type mask will take soem getting used to. How much pressure are you set up for?


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## Christopher (Nov 6, 2006)

Popsyche said:


> It fuckin' blows (CPAP joke). It's OK. The new type mask will take soem getting used to. How much pressure are you set up for?



To be honest, I have absolutely no fuckin' idea. They set me up and I turn it on and go to sleep. I don't ask questions because it's working good.

Thanks Jason, I know that I smiled the whole time I was typing it. I saw my Mom, Dad, and Sis this weekend and they commenting that seeing me now is like turning back the clock 10 years. I be happy as hell.


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## Leon (Nov 7, 2006)

i love hearing about how people treat the illness instead of the symptoms, and coming out much better!


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## metalfiend666 (Nov 7, 2006)

It's cool to hear you're really benefitting from this. I hope it continues to improve dude


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## Christopher (Nov 7, 2006)

Thanks guys! It's whole new world.


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## Jason (Dec 25, 2007)

Ok one year later.. How is life Chris?

I  this because I'm pretty sure my other bro in law has it and was talking to him about it tonight.


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## Christopher (Dec 26, 2007)

Jason said:


> Ok one year later.. How is life Chris?
> 
> I  this because I'm pretty sure my other bro in law has it and was talking to him about it tonight.



Life is way fuckin' better man, thanks for asking. The depression is completely gone, my mood is better (although I may never be the rosy personality some desire), and most of all my mental focus is much improved. My wife also loves the quiet nights without all the snoring.

The only downside I've really seen is that when I get a cold I can't really use my CPAP consistently so I usually wear down even faster. That, and now that I'm not as depressed and sitting around as much my internet time has dropped considerably. I used to just hang out a lot more and now I find myself coming in and doing what I specifically wanted / needed and getting back to the real world faster.

I've considered getting the surgery to correct it but in my specific case, it's pretty extensive and I'm not sure the benefit outweighs the trouble when I'm doing well now.


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## metallatem (Dec 28, 2007)

Fellow apnea sufferer here, I started with the CPAP, then had pretty extensive surgery about 6 months ago. The best thing the surgery did was straighten my deviated septum. Now even when I get a cold or bad allergies, I can still breathe halfway decent through my nose. I would recommend it if you have a deviated septum.


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