I have Apnoea. Obstructive sleep apnoea. I don't snore. I don't gasp for breath while sleeping. I had no symptoms.
It was discovered while I was trying to get to the bottom of a health issue. The Respiratory consultant I'd paid to see suggested a sleep test to rule Apnoea in or out. I paid for the sleep study and did it in january last year, and it didn't appear to show anything to serious. I discussed it with the Respirtatory chap and agreed that I'd talk to an Apnoea specialist consultant to see whether I could try a CPAP to definitely rule it in or out.
I saw her in November, and her view was different to that of the Respiratory chap. She looked in detail at the study, and diagnosed that I had Postional Sleep Apnoea. She recommended a CPAP, but said that I might be able to resolve the symptoms with a device which stopped me sleeping on my back. She suggested a couple of htin
I did it to rule it out and I only paid for the sleep test because I wanted to rule it out as the cause of my underlying issue.
I did the sleep test last July,. The Respiratory consultant wasn't too concerned, the results showed only mild apnoea. We agreed I'd see a specialist Apnoea consultant to explore trying a CPAP machine to see if it helped. The request got mislaid, and I didn't see the Apnoea consultant until November.
She recommended a CPAP because my "mild apnoea" was misleading. On my back, I have "moderate" apnoea, and I spend at leasy 50% of the night sleeping on my back.
She explained to me what Apnoea really is, and how it is such a dangerous condition. It contributes to many deaths a year. It was so much more serious than I thought.
The alternative was to try something to prevent me sleeping on my back.
I did this, and it did help.
After 3 months, my brain fog was clearing, and I was managing my symptoms quite well.
One night, I had a complete fail using the device that keeps me off my back. The effect of that was a dreadful, necessary, reminder that I was only managing the symptoms.
Eventually, I concluded that I'd have to go down the CPAP route.
Around this time, my brother and I visited our parents together. I'd mentioned to him a few years ago that I thought he had apnoea, but this was before I really understood what apnoea was and how dangerous it was.
This time, after the first night when his snoring and breathing sounded worse than I remembered, I had my O2 ring and I convinced him to try it. He agreed, mainly to shut me up.
The next morning, I loaded the results of his sleep, and we just looked at each other. The results were..... shocking. He contacted his GP when we got home, to try and get a sleep test booked. The GP wasn't keen, suggesting that he try nasal steroids first.
I mentioned to my brother that Hope2Sleep did sleep studies, and the cost was much less than I paid for mine. He decided he'd get one done through them, and then he could use that to get his GP to refer him to the sleep clinic.
Having made the decision to get a CPAP, I just wanted to get it sorted, and I arranged to go to Hull to get a machine, and to try on some masks so I could get one fitted for me. Masks aren't cheap, and I couldn't afford to buy a few to try.
I bought a machine, my brother picked up the equipment to do the sleep study, and that was that.
I started on CPAP therapy 9 nights ago, and it was definitely the right decision.
For my brother, the sleep study refecled what the O2 ring suggested was going on, and he started on CPAP therapy last night.
It's literally saving his life.
