If you are not a registered member of our community, please click here to register...

 Home Message Boards Health Guide Join for Free Testimonials About Us
Search
   
  


PDA

View Full Version : I'am not new to the boards, but new to this one..please help


 

 

 
phoebeann
01-16-2008, 12:13 AM
Hi All, hope alot of you can help me here, i'am scared....my hubby had a failed back surgery a few years ago and is totally disabled..well as of a year and a half now he snores HORRIBLY, and sometimes it sounds really weird, and is very loud that he can be heard all over my 2 story house, i have not slept a whole night thru for this long because he also stops breathing so i stay awake to push on his stomach so he will take a breath, he is so unaware of it, he saw a specialist today and they are going to do a sleep study, to see to what severity his sleep apnea is, exactly what do they do step by step during this study? I'am so scared because im afraid i will fall asleep to long and he will die a sudden death, because the dr. said that is one of the complications of this apnea, what do you think it has done to his heart? please someone...or many respond, im afraid he will die :eek:

Sponsor
 



mkgbrook
01-16-2008, 10:37 AM
I have had severe sleep apnea my whole life. I am 32. I was diagnosed when I was 30. My growth was stunted.. but other than that i have had no long term effects. My son is 5 he has severe sleep apnea. Most likely since birth. He has no adverse effects because I caught all the signs after I was diagnosed and we got him treatment immediately. My heart is strong with only a murmur since birth being an issue. My dysfunctional thyroid has had more impact than my sleep apnea on my heart. My husband has hypopnea and blood O2 saturation loss in his sleep. i got him diagnosed after I was diagnosed.. yes we all sleep on CPAPs and it makes air travel fun.. not to mention the house sound like a Darth Vader convention at night.. but we are all fine.

Sleep apnea rarely kills. Your body automatically reboots and wakes during an apnea event. Only in young children are the beginning to suspect the largest toll. More and more studies are linking SIDS and sleep apnea in children. With crib sleep apnea monitors being available for $60 buck OTC.. there is no excuse not to catch it early. Sleep apnea is genetically dominant and can be passed to your children.. so look into it. However it is not instant death.. just a chronic pain in the.. Uhh.. drag.

As to the study: Easy. My son had his first one at 4. I have had three.. my son 2.. husband 1.. my son is due another.. and I have another six months til i am checked.
So step by step:
1) Go to the sleep lab at 8 PM
2) You are brought up and assigned a sleep lab.. with a microphone and camera and EKG and HR monitor in it.
3) First night is a base line study to see if you have sleep apnea and if so.. how bad.
4) You are hook up with leads all over your head and face, chest, arms, legs, and back. The silicon conduction paste in the hair is the worst. Baby oil helps get it out well initially then soap and shower as usual. You may have to wash your hair if it is long three or four times.
5) Your lights will be turned out around 10 PM and then you sleep while a computer and group of nurses watch you through the camera. If you wake in the night and need to use the bathroom or anything.. the nurses will come to your call and assist you.
6) You wake, clean up, and are told when the titration study is.. the nurses will be able to give you a good idea whether or not you will need to come back. With my family there was no doubt about our issues.
7) If I have a second child they will have their first sleep study at the age of 6 mo. and they will start sleeping on a sleep apnea monitoring pad on day one.

So take a breath and relax. It will be okay. Your husband is going to get the care he needs and will do better before you know it. Good luck. Ask as many questions as you want. I hope this helps.

MG

sleepylady
01-17-2008, 12:00 AM
My husband and I both have sleep apnea and we both wear CPAP's. My hubby is a heart patient. We suspect his sleep apnea has had something to do with his health. His family also has a history of heart problems, he lived on hamburgers and french fries for years, etc. We will never know. I agree, the best thing to do at this point is to get the study done and if he has apnea, get him on a CPAP. Sounds like you need some rest also. Good luck. Please keep in touch.





Site owned and operated by HealthBoards.com (TM)
Copyright and Terms of Use © 1998-2009 HealthBoards.com (TM) All rights reserved.
Do not copy or redistribute in any form!