Skip to main content

Constant Positive Pressure



I'm a snorer. I'm not sure if that is a word... I snore like no other. It's an art form. I tell the scouts on campouts that it's my bear-defense mechanism. I ask - did you get eaten by a bear last night? No? You're welcome.

Due to a series of events, and after much advice, I decided to get it checked out. I went to an ENT who recommended having a sleep study. This was an interesting experience - and, while I don't recommend trying to sleep while glued to a bunch of wires, it was very helpful.

It seems I have obstructive sleep apnea. The ENT indicated that that might be the case due to some unusual mouth/throat configuration. It turns out that anything over 25 obstructive events per hour is cause for concern. I had over 140 per hour for the three hours I was being observed. The sleep tech dude came in and said - let's get you on a CPAP machine. After that, none.

So I now have this lovely "nose hose" that helps my breathing when I am asleep. I tried it out for the first time last night. There are a variety of masks to choose from - the kind I'm using look like this:

It's essentially a couple of soft, silicone cones with the ends cut off that fit into my nostrils about 1/8" or so. There's a head strap to keep the thing affixed, and which helps keep pressure on the device and thus creates a good seal. The idea is to keep the air pressure in my throat to keep it open. I looked at other options, but this one seemed the least troublesome.

It is going to be a while getting used to it, but based on the machine and it's sensors, I slept well last night with few apnea incidents. I'm hopeful this will help with some of the energy/sleepiness issues I have been having.

I'm also battling a bit of a cold, so I am looking forward to seeing how all of this plays out long-term. I will try to give y'all updates. :) ('cause I'm sure you want them...)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Other Art

I'm not sure we appreciate photography as much as we do other art forms. Part of this comes from the reality that surrounds and permeates a photograph - it's very, very real, and the photographer strives for clarity and crispness in the representations. Perhaps this is why black and white images continue to be relevant - they strip away extraneous information (color) and leave us with something that is at once familiar and also non-existent - for nothing exists in black and white. Nothing. I also think that pictures are becoming too common-place... Everyone has a camera in their pocket, and while that's a very democratic thing (everyone can express themselves in a picture easily and readily, and can find an audience for these images, which are casually taken and casually viewed, and perhaps just as casually forgotten) I think that we embrace that casual attitude, and it spills over to all aspects of the media, making it impotent. So I read this article this morning: h...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lucky!

So Tomorrow is Amie's birthday. The 12 th is Andy's. The 14 th is Alex's. And the 26 th is mom's. Happy birthday everyone. I recently found that a member of our ward has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer has a survivability rate of less than 5% and you never, ever kick it, even if you live. Once diagnosed, people are expected to live about six months. My wife and I were talking about this wonderful woman. There are very few (too few) people in this world who shine. Literally. This sister shines with a light that is perceptible and discernible . The world will literally be a darker place without her in it. Life is short, folks. Too short for hard feelings, too short for pain and misunderstanding. I love you all so much. Sorry this one is such a downer... I don't mean to be lugubrious on your birthdays... I consider myself lucky to be your brother. You have and continue to bless me and my family in many ways, for which I will be eternally gra...
4 comments
Read more

Excommunication

My heart is heavy this morning. I read that Kate Kelly and others are being brought up on Church disciplinary action. For those who are unfamiliar with the process/proceedings of LDS Church discipline, it can be a bit mystifying. There are several levels of censure that the Church may impose. These range from a simple removal of some privileges for a short period of time to the most severe action - excommunication. When one is excommunicated, the person's membership in the Church is terminated. It is a very extreme measure, and for the faithful it can be a very difficult thing to consider. What people don't understand - what is nearly impossible for someone outside the proceedings to understand - is the amount of love felt. It's discipline. It's intended to be harsh (at times). And it's intended to be unpleasant. But it is done with love and care for the person. Since excommunication is such an extreme measure, it is really only very rarely applied. There are ...
18 comments
Read more