Tuesday, April 10, 2018

CPAP Sleep Apnea Test

For some reason my doctor became concerned I might have sleep apnea. I must have answered a question like, "Are you feeling tired lately". wrong. I said, no I didn't have it but he said sometimes you can have it and not know. He thinks sleep apnea is associated with the A Fib they are going to shock me out of in a few days. Anyway, he ordered a test and yesterday the equipment arrived by courier from the sleep centre in Courtenay.

I know I don't have it and Norma says the same thing. She worked with a guy who did and I display none of the same symptoms. I sleep well, don't or seldom snore, don't wake up in the night gasping for air and wake up refreshed. So I don't have it, I used the equipment anyway.

Well, it probably made it look like I have it! I hardly slept, waking up several times in the night and woke up for the day at about 6:00!

The test consists of a controller that straps to your chest, two tubed that go up your nose and a rubber device that goes on a finger to register blood oxygen content.

It is uncomfortable and has lights that blink all night. The thing on your nose has to be taped to your cheeks and the finger device is tight. It took ne at least an hour to get to sleep and Norma says I was tossing and turning all night as I tried to turn on my side but the wires and hoses would not let me.

I finally took it off at about seven, called the courier this morning and it is on it's way back. They will analyse the recordings and notify my doctor. We have decided no matter what they report, I am going to insist I do not have sleep apnea. Because I don't.

Imagine trying to do a "normal" night's sleep with this!


18 comments:

  1. Croft,as a person who has it and have been using a cpap machine for several years,I don’t think you have apnea either judging by your description.
    At least you have Norma to monitor you anyway....in my case I was waking up gasping and searched out testing.
    Also many of these doctors also sell machines at an inflated rate,so you don’t want to fall into the one night test result that they base it on.
    I had that overnight experience with that horrible little test machine and agree it’s a poor test but knew I had a problem.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jim has sleep apnea but he went to an actual sleep center for his tests. One of the types of equipment they gave him just about put him over the edge, so they found something else to try until he was comfortable enough to sleep. But he had symptoms and you don't.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Seems like a common test nowadays, albeit with a lot of octopus wires running everywhere making it hard to sleep.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was diagnosed about 9 years ago with severe sleep apnea. Based on your description Croft and my experience with it over the years, I am also of the opinion that you do not suffer from it. Norma is your best ‘sleep monitor’, and if she hasn’t threatened you yet with ‘smothering by pillow’, I’m sure you can feel certain you’re good.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I score 2 on the STOPBANG test which is very low risk. On the EPWORTH test I score 4 and anything under 10 is low risk, It was a wasted effort but it will be interesting to see if they say I failed the test. I don't know where doctors come up with this stuff, I never should have been subjected to the test.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I took my test at the hospital overnight. It turned out I have no sleep problems. I just do not like sleeping. So, I don't.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Kathy was Diagnosed in 04 and myself in 07. We were tested at a Sleep Disorder Clinic in Windsor and along with that little box there were about Two Dozen wires connected to sensors all over our bodies but no tubes. It's almost impossible to fall asleep at the clinic.
    We would normally fall asleep instantly as soon as we lay down and only wake to the sound of an alarm. You don't have to snore to have Sleep Apnea but you do stop breathing long enough that your body is not fully recharging its Oxygen Levels. In the morning we felt like we hadn't slept. Most times the person with Sleep Apnea does not know they aren't breathing at night. If the Doctor says you have it, believe it.
    We both use CPAP Machines and feel wonderful in the morning. If we have a nap without our Machines we feel drained. With your RV set up for Solar and a Battery Bank you simply need a Pure Sine Wave Inverter to run a designated plug on your side of the bed so you can get a restful night's sleep while on the road.
    There are also Mouth Appliances if you don't want a CPAP Machine that can be used to reposition your jaw to stop the Apneas but they are not as full proof.
    Be Safe and Enjoy life even if you need a CPAP.

    It's about time.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  16. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete