Grateful to Be Here

I fell asleep at the light by my job and woke to horns honking! I had been so sleepy for months, so my doctor said I needed a sleep study. My diagnosis was obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with central sleep disorder. That was 2004!

Can't go without my CPAP

My kids and boyfriend used to joke with me about my snoring at the time, so I started using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. It was a miraculous relief to sleep through the night and feel normal all day. I’ve also found that I can’t do without it! So even for my 20-minute afternoon naps, I use it with my phone alarm set.

Balancing CPAP therapy and a cold

I read an article on this site that said a doctor told the author to stop using her CPAP therapy when she gets a cold. I would like to say when I get one of those colds where I’m all blocked up I use a neti pot before bed as well as Mucinex. I clean my unit daily as well as change my mask every couple of days while I'm sick. Due to heart issues, I can’t sleep without my CPAP.

I just wanted readers to know how important it is to talk with your doctor first but practicing good self-prevention with products like the neti pot helps with drainage. I hope this is helpful for others. My 40-year-old son now uses one due to the same issues. I’m still waiting for my daughter to go for a sleep study.

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