I'm scared they'll tell me I can't have surgery because I can't wear a CPAP. I tried, I mean I really tried but the panic attacks weren't worth it in the end so I returned the machine today because insurance wasn't going to pay since I couldn't wear it the required time every night. I'm the type of person who can't have anything near my face when I'm sleeping, I even have to fold my pillow so it's not touching the side of my face at all or I go into a full blown panic attack. I tried sleeping pills, anxiety pills, both types combined but it never helped. If I fell asleep I would sleep maybe 30 minutes then wake up panicked and ripping the mask off my face (I was using the nasal pillows). It was to the point that even thinking about wearing it sent me into panic. I will probably see my surgeon later this month or early next month so until then I'm not sure what's going to happen. I'm sad and feel like a failure right now.

I get very claustrophobic with masks over my face, happens every time I have had surgery. I literally gag. I go to the nasal canula and I can manage that. Do they have them available for your cpap?