Sleep Apnea Therapy positive and negative effects on health
I recently took a sleep apnea test and was diagnosed with OSA. I remember study report stating I had 85 events per hour. Now that I have my ResMed 11 I am noticing good changes and bad changes or strange changes maybe bad not quite the word. My life is different I feel different not able to quite describe it but it is mainly I think excessive changes very overwhelming, I feel like my body for decade or more had to deal with me choking in my sleep and I tossed and turned, and woke up in the night at least 2 or 3 times like clock work to go urinate all that has stopped in 1 week i do not getup at night, no more bathroom trips, no more tossing or turning or staying in bed until 830 am snoozing the alarm from still being exhausted from restless sleep and i think the fight or flight mode my body was having has stopped for most part my air dashboard states 0.5 events per hour score 99. I could not handle the N20 face mask it felt suffocating i could not handle the warming climate hose either here in texas it is hot i took that off and put my Eson 2 nasal mask simple but effective with humidity at level 1. Mask wise sometimes my mouth will open at night and I wake up make adjustment but i am training myself to keep mouth closed practice makes perfect it is slowly happening less frequently. I might wear basic chin strap if it continues. I feel strange now because I wake up 6 am rested, I am not craving coffee when i awake and carbs and caffeine to stay awake, i am not falling asleep after lunch anymore or having mid day crashes i feel so unlike myself everyone tells me this is healthy but all the changes at once seem over whelming how does one cope? How does one who for decade or more adapt to so many changes will this feeling of being on star trek episode or twilight zone go away. I am trying to focus that all this is good that everything that was once before happening during my sleep was bad and all these new changes are good for my health but mentally I feel angst. thank you in advance take care god bless. #sleepapneatherapy
Thank you for not passing judgment that is exactly what I decided to do talk to my brother who has been living with OSA for 10 years he told me sleep apnea treatment is a therapy and that if it took me over 10 years to get sick it will take me time also to heal and adjust like you mentioned go easy on yourself and this roller coaster of changes like your relative who was colorblind now see colors i am seeing the colors and those cravings, those daytime crashes are now energy and testosterone and better metabolism all the silent diseases i had are dissipating and i feel grateful for sleep therapy the doctors the assistants and this forum you are wonderful thanks again for listening.Checking in, the angst is not as bad, the cravings for food are gone, I have to remind myself to eat which I suppose this is what normal life is like no cravings, no mid afternoon crashes after eating, I do not feel sleepy in the afternoon anymore and I have to find things to do because my energy levels are much higher so I am gardening and exercising and reading books, to keep me busy, i have switched to a nasal mask that wraps around my head and the nostrils receive air which is less suffocating, I have been in communication with sleep doctors and my brother and friend from work who also has OSA un-diagnosed and I helped him get his machine and all setup so it felt good to help others go threw the process that I just went threw. I am concentrating on my health, less cravings, more energy, and more sleep I am talking 8 hours a night no waking up to go to rest room hardly any choking events ! I am happy my biggest obstacle now is wrapping that mask around my face every night and doing my best to get comfortable with it because I am in this for the long haul and that can me daunting to think years of this sleep apnea therapy ahead of me but I am confident the resmed is working so that helps me cope with my long term therapy I have ahead. thank you for thinking of me this forum is wonderful. take care 
What a great update,
! Your progress really brightens my day. I am glad you are opening up to people and embracing your new circumstances. Helping others always does the heart good. I hope things continue to go well for you, but know that we are always here if you need us. Best of all wishes. - Lori (Team Member)
Hi
. That sounds like a reasonable reaction to me. Even though the changes are positive, it's a shock to your system. It will take time to adjust. I have a relative who is colorblind. When he first put on those special glasses that allowed him to see color, he was thrilled, but overwhelmed. He'd been colorblind all of his life, almost 60 years at that point. It was all too much. He could wear them for only a few minutes that first time. Later, he was able to wear them longer (although, honestly, he is happy with his own hues). Go easy on yourself. Really, it's a whole new way of living. I can image your anxiety is probably hard for others to understand. If it continues to cause you anxiety, you might want to think about talking it out with a therapist, someone who won't pass judgement or try to tell you that you should feel differently than you do. Having someone you trust to vent to might be just what you need to get through this period of adjustment. Please know we are always here for you as well. There are plenty of people in this community who understand what you are going through. Gentle hugs. - Lori (Team Member)
