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Are you talking about a C-PAP/Bi-PAP for sleep apnea? Or one of those ambient noise makers?

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Been a C-PAP user for a dozen years or more.

On my 3rd machine now.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to ever get clear of needing it.

I can remember as a teenager (at ideal weight) being a horrible scorer and suffering from sleep apnea then, but not knowing any better.

The benefits of the C-PAP may be here to stay for the next 46 years of my life. ????

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I was just recently diagnosed, after complaining to my PCP for 2 years how exhausted I was (got the "lose weight, exercise more, blah blah")

I have had my machine for a week now and I am gradually starting to have a little more energy. I definitely wake up much clearer-headed. I mentioned to the tech who set up my machine that I was having WLS later this year and maybe I wouldn't need it afterward, and she said that it's possible but she has a number of patients who still need it after large weight loss, but at lower flow rates.

In my sleep study, my oxygen level was dropping down to 70 each time I stopped breathing (normal is in the 90's). The pulmonologist said that can cause a lot of damage to your heart over time, leading to a heart attack.

yeah, it's kind of a pain but it's very worth it to me.

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You will get used to it. Some people can get off it completely if they lose enough weight, some are stuck with it for life. My girlfriend hates my Bi-PAP. sleep apnea is a silent killer though, definitely get it checked out if they think you have it. Each apnea event is a lot of stress on your heart.

In my case, the first few weeks on it were ROUGH. I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. I had a co-worker that also had this, and he was able to give me tips. I think I was prescribed the Bi-PAP when I weight nearly 380lbs. I got my weight down to 265ish at one point, and they cut my settings in half as I needed need as much. They think I could get off the machine completely if I get back down to a normal weight, and I'm hoping that is true.

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I didn't know what a good night's sleep was until I started sleeping with my Bi-Pap. I can't sleep well without it.

Post-surgery I had to get a new machine (mine was several years old) that automatically adjusts the pressure and it's great.

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You need the machine because with sleep apnea, you stop breathing multiple times a night, sometimes up to minutes at a time. The cpap machine will make sure whatever is obstructing your breathing stays open to make sure you can breathe. If you have a bipap machine, which is for central or central/obstructive mixed, makes you breathe when your brain decides not to breathe. So basically, the machine is helping keep you alive.

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I am sorry that you have also this bad news. At least by using your cpap you are taking a step in the right direction to managing your health. Without good sleep it's hard to find the energy to take the steps we need to in order to get healthy.

When I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea 2 years ago by doc said she was amazed I was even functioning.

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I was diagnosed as well. Moderate to severe. I went in was put on CPAP and still had episodes. The last two hours they switched me to BIPAP which hurt my stomach like I was swallowing air. I'm also allergic to latex, silicone, and many types of plastics so after 5 hours my skin blistered. post-255839-1434857522792_thumb.jpg

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There are things you can buy like mask liners for those allergic to the typical plastics used on the masks. I don't know any details, but I remember seeing posts about allergic reactions and remedies on a sleep apnea forum years ago.

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      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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      1. Selina333

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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