Hosehead Life

Archive for April, 2010

Well traveling with a CPAP was a whole lot easier than I expected.

To keep things simple, I checked my main bag in, though since a CPAP doesn’t count against your carry-on limit, I didn’t have to.  However, I flew out of Jamestown on a pretty small plane, so wanted to keep it simple.  Going through security was easy.  I just pulled it out and put it in its own bin and while I was repacking my laptop checked it, and I was through.

The way back was just as easy through the Phoenix airport and Minneapolis airport.  I had been told having a copy of your prescription was recommended, but I doubted this and didn’t bring one.  No, indeed it wasn’t needed at all.

So my best advice for other CPAP travelers – treat it just like a laptop and you will be fine.

I came down with a cold over the weekend and discovered a cold and a CPAP don’t go well together for me.  Having just a nasal mask didn’t work out at all and I ended up taking the mask off pretty quickly in the night.

I also received a call that my data had been reviewed and the Dr. was bumping the pressure from 7cmH2O to 8cmH2O.  I suspected this would be the case, so wasn’t surprised.

I went into the local accessories store and had them increase the pressure on the machine.  I also checked out a demo full face mask to try that before my 30 day period is up on my nasal mask.  I will see how that works in general and specifically with a cold.

It would help if the cold will just go away, since having one has skewed my stats in general much less testing out a different mask.

I got some information back on a discussion the other day that I thought I would share with everyone.  I was providing some information on my diagnosis, what numbers meant, etc to a friend who is a professor at my Alma mater Jamestown College.  Dr. Dana Wallace, Ph.D., was kind enough to send back some information in return.  (I had given her some stats on my REM sleep from my sleep study and said I knew it there was more in depth information, but didn’t have that at hand.)

Here is what she sent back:

Of special interest is the decreased REM sleep.  Below I’ve attached some information on the power of sleep

• Sleep Keeps Us Safe
  • Predators sleep more than prey
• Sleep Restores Our Bodies
  • Growth hormone (GH) (this is watch helps you grow as a kid, build muscle mass, and helps your immune system)
  • Compromise between amount of energy collected and expended
    • More energy spent = more sleep
  • Sleep Helps Us Remember
    • Active role in consolidation of memories
  • Benefits of NREM Sleep
    • Restorative function of sleep
  • Benefits of REM Sleep
    • Increases after learning has taken place
    • Role in brain development
    • REM rebound (basically means elevated mood once you start catching up on REM sleep)

You also will probably notice less muscle aches and joints pain as that is a common complaint with less Stage 4 non-REM sleep.   You also probably saw losses in your concentration, motivation levels, and perception abilities prior to treatment.  I would say that the biggest health risks would boil down to the decreased immune system functioning.  The minute you start messing with immune balance that increases heart disease risk factors.

Well I dropped my data card off on Friday and am waiting to hear back on it.  Seeing as yesterday was the 4th business day they had it I called up.  They hadn’t heard from the doctor yet, so I checked into that.

Called the Sleep Doctors office in Fargo, they hadn’t received any data for review, but I was able to give the gal on the phone some base numbers.  (I reviewed a copy of my stats and had a few numbers to provide.  They would also be contacting the Jamestown office to get the full report.  My numbers haven’t been as good as when I first started, but my AHI (the key number) is less than half of what it was during my sleep study.

The gal from the sleep clinic said that an AHI of 8.8 (normal person should be under 5) and still snoring slightly was of concern, though is good I am doing much better.  What the doctor will probably do is review the reports and then order the pressure be bumped up a little.  I also have my follow up visit with the doctor in a month.  I have to have a follow up visit within 60 days anyways for my insurance to cover the machine.

Soooo now waiting to hear back from someone as to what the plan is, but treatment is still going fairly well.  Haven’t taken an evening nap since starting CPAP treatment and dream a lot more, which to me indicates hitting REM sleep far more than I used to.