What is Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea (alternatively sleep apnoea) is a common sleep disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. These episodes, called apneas, last 10 seconds o...
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I'm a 16 year old girl who has always been heavy as well as a wild sleeper. When I started to become very ill, a mirad of tests were/are being done. Blood tests, blood cultures, MRIs, a spinal tap, and a sleep study. The sleep study revealed that I had both central and obstrutive sleep apnea. Because I am heavy, my doctor will not even try an operation. One of my greatest fears of all time is sleeping with something on my head. The sleep study was like the test from hell because of everything attached from my head. Although I know that a CPAP machine may help some of my symptoms, I'm completly terrified of sleeping with a mask over my face. My doctor isn't even listening to my fears. I mean I am so terrified of my head being trapped during my sleep, I won't even wear a cap sleeping when I'm out camping. I'm so scared of the idea of sleeping with a mask on my face for the rest of my life.
Posted on 09/21/09, 12:09 am |
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Ah hon...I am so sorry. Do you ever wear headbands? I have a sleep mask that does not touch anything on my face but the "nose pillows" that are like oxygen but a but larger. It's made by AEIOMed and is called the Headrest. Go to their website and look it up....see what you think. CPAP has made me feel SO much better. I'm off a ton of meds. I'm a therapist (counselor) full time and if you want to talk, get hold of me. I work with young women your age a lot...and I can ask them what they think for you as well. What is "very ill"? Please don't give up on CPAP.....I live in Lafayette, IN (home of Purdue Univ) and a 21 y.o. student died a couple of weeks ago from sleep apnea. This is serious, and there has to be an answer for you. 
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To bed I won't wear head bands, hair ties, anything. I think my only exeption has been pantyhose on my head when I get my hair braided at the rennisance festival but I usually freakout and tear it off sometime during the night. I don't even like having blankets over my head. The oxygen nose thingings are absolutely the worst part of having the sleep study done. I ripped it out at least once during my sleep study. (it was just for testing not acutal oxygen)
Back in April, I started feeling really tired all the time and was running a low grade fever. Over the summer added symptoms have been headaches, dizzyness, ringing in the ears, depth perception problems as well as a weak immune system which has allowed me to catch every bug that has been going around school. I have missed over half the school year so far because of this. I want to get better so badly that I will use the CPAP if I have to but it really scares me and everyone thinks I'm just overreacting
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You're not overreacting. If you're scared, you're scared. I have a thyroid disorder called "Hashimoto's Thyroiditis"...it sounds a lot like your symptoms. They have to run special blood tests to diagnose it because most of the time your thyroid tests will come back normal. As far as CPAP goes.....Did you check out the Headrest mask? It really is the easiest one for me to wear...I can even read and watch TV with it on. I didn't like them at first either, but I feel so much better in the morning after wearing it that I got over the claustophobia part in two days. I don't like stuff on my head either...that's why I like this "mask"...it really isn't a mask. And...one of the things you might talk to your doctor about is taking a light sleep med for the first week to help you get used to it. I'm not a pill person....I don't believe in taking meds to "fix" problems. Pills are for clinical use only...but...this is a clinical problem right now and that might help you get over the fear. I'll be here for you.
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