A Love-Hate Relationship With My CPAP

This title speaks volumes. Love-hate with an inanimate object? Oh yes, actually. It’s alive - plug it in, turn it on, and it comes to life!

If there is any type of opening in my CPAP facemask, you can hear the air sizzling out. I used to dislike the sound, it seemed repulsive. It wasn’t comforting; it meant that there was a problem. Now it tells me that I am getting ready to breathe in relaxation and life.

Living with 2 chronic conditions

You see, I have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). With OSA, I quit breathing periodically when I’m sleeping. My CPAP will push the air into my lungs. For those with OSA, if it's left untreated, OSA can affect the heart.

I also have COPD which is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This is where there is an obstruction of my airway.

I need oxygen and my CPAP each night

I am on 2 liters of oxygen a night and during the day as necessary. The oxygen comes through my oxygen concentrator with vinyl tubing. The end of my oxygen tubing is plugged into my CPAP machine. From there is a connection where the hose comes out. The end of that hose is a full-face mask.

There is also a reservoir for distilled water. Breathing in that moisture makes such a difference so that my nose doesn’t dry out. It helps my mouth as well. Every night, or even during the day if needed, I put that mask on.

Wearing the mask is not always easy

Sometimes I struggle with it. It feels like I drool in the corners of my mouth, so I keep wanting to wipe them. At this point, taking the mask off for a short time is the best option.

I didn’t have this problem when I had my own teeth in my mouth. Dry mouth was and still is, overwhelming and it ruined my teeth. Eventually, I had to have all of my teeth pulled.

When I settle down and the drool is no longer an issue, I put the mask back on. I take a deep breath and feel myself relax. If I think about how I feel in my relaxed state, before long I will often fall into a restful sleep.

Mask seal matters

If I don’t have a good seal with the mask, it will likely wake me up. My husband has woken me when I didn’t wake up and the air is seeping from my mask. Imagine sleeping through that.

I’ve gotten pretty good at fixing the mask in my sleep. I also know how to take it apart in my sleep and put it back together. That isn’t always a good thing and not always put together correctly, yet while asleep, maybe not too bad. It is silly when I look at the mask.

Rested and refreshed in the morning

When I sleep with my CPAP, I usually wake rested and refreshed. When I fall asleep without it, I wake frequently and may jump and twitch in my sleep. I often have a headache and my eyes may hurt when I wake up.

I change the cushion in my mask every month and clean my mask daily with wipes that I purchased for this. My granddaughter gave me a Sani Bot machine to clean my equipment. What a wonderful gift! I had tried the So Clean which is advertised and recommended. It was great but gave a smell of bleach that I couldn’t tolerate.

There is such a difference wearing a CPAP, that as long as it’s needed, I will wear one.

Do you have a love-hate relationship with your CPAP machine? What do you love? What do you hate? Tell us more in the comments below!