Saturday, November 6, 2010

Second Sleep Study

I just got back from my second sleep study, and it was an awful experience.  I tried to go into it thinking positive thoughts.  They tried a mask on me and I sat for 5 minutes with it.  I immediately didn't like it but thought I'd go ahead and try.  I don't know how long I was asleep before I woke up feeling like I was having a panic attack.  I felt like I was suffocating, not because there wasn't enough air, but because there was too much.  I hyperventilated and even started to cry a bit.  The nurse came in several times to readjust because it was leaking.  I could not get comfortable at all and the strap on the back of my head was pulled so tight, it was very painful to my neck & shoulder muscles.  I slept even worse than I did for my first sleep study.

I did get the results from my first sleep study.  I had 2 obstructive apneas, 8 central apneas and 188 hypopneas.  Because of the hypopneas, my score was 31.  I'm so disappointed to hear this.  So, I'm a shallow breather.  I really wish they'd stop pushing this.  There is no way I can use that at home.  I guess I'm going to have to talk to my doctor and see if we can just wait on it because with it, I'm not getting any sleep.  I would think shallow breathing during sleep is better than no sleep at all.

1 comment:

  1. I can imagine how awful that was! I'm sorry. :(
    Similar story: After my first surgery this year, they moved me into my room and put me on an oxygen cannula. I was mostly out of it from the anesthesia, but I immediately felt claustrophobic from the cannula in my nostrils, blowing oxygen in so hard that I felt like I was drowning! I tried to handle it, but I finally lost it. I started pulling it out, and the nurse got pissed, but I finally slurred out that I couldn't stand it and wouldn't wear it. She was not happy. I HATED how panicked that thing made me feel. I can imagine what you were feeling with the mask. I wonder how much it could've been made better by turning down the flow--because after my 2nd surgery, they had the same procedure. Cannula in nose as you go back into your room after surgery. I had one, and did not even notice it was in, until the next morning! And then after I noticed it, I kept it in, and had no problem with it- no feeling like I was drowning, no high rate of air flow. Turns out it was set much lower than the first time. That made a huuuge difference for me.

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