On Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Apnea isn’t the end of the world provided you get fitted with a mask and cpap machine that work for you.  Yep, you’re getting the picture - I have it, too, as do various relatives.  It can run in families, so you may want to start talking to your various family members about it and see if they need checking as well.

Apnea can cause a person to gain weight, but the good news is that with proper treatment of apnea, some of it will likely fall off naturally over time, but also, losing weight through diet and exercise will be much easier than it would be without cpap machine.  Hormone levels & insulin levels readjust as a person recovers from sleep deprivation and loses weight, so pay attention to that and discuss with your doctor to adjust meds levels accordingly.  Same with pressure settings on the cpap machine. Get titrated on the cpap machine every 30 or 40 pounds of gain or loss.

I was diagnosed seven years ago, and life with the mask is way way way better than life without.  My other various relatives say the same thing.  Plus the respective spouses tend to sleep better because we apneaics are no longer snoring the house to pieces!

Adjusting to life with cpap and mask may be challenging - it is for some.  Just know that it gets easier.  I had a lot of problems adjusting.  I have chemical sensitivities, and it took a while to find a mask I didn’t react to.  Plus I’m noise sensitive, so the machine actually kept me awake.  But I adjusted.  Don’t give up.

Read up about apnea.  Compliance is easier when you understand.

If you do any travelling, make sure you get a machine that’s portable enough.  It’s a pain in the butt to lug around anyway, but you must.  If your apnea is that severe, then you can’t be without cpap machine for overnight.  I can, but my apnea is mild, and only for one night. 

Life is far better on this side of the mask than it ever was before.  Seriously better.

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