Over the last two years I have gained about 25 pounds. I'm not sure yet if this has caused the sleep apnea or if the sleep apnea has caused the weight gain. I have an appointment in August to go to a sleep clinic and I hope I'll be alive to go to it. I routinely fall asleep while on the road and at traffic stops.
I am quite literally exhausted. There is nothing that I look forward to anymore. It is a miracle that I can still function at work although my productivity and drive has been very much diminished. Due to my job and a new baby, I very rarely get more than 5 hours of sleep, but it feels like I haven't slept at all. I usually wake up just as tired as when I went to bed, and I find myself snapping at my family for stupid things, or biting my tongue constantly so that I don't start fights.
I used to be a fun loving easy going guy and I hate what I have become. Sometimes it feels like I'm not even the same person anymore.
My wife says that she is constantly prodding and pushing me to get me to start breathing again. She hears me stop and then a long while later gasp and choke although I don't often wake up from it. I also snore very heavy. All my life I've been a "jittery" guy but my legs bounce around while I'm sitting constantly. My wife reaches across to stop me bouncing which of course irritates me and sets me off in a moody tailspin. I've read about some leg syndrome that causes the jitters but it seems almost comical. Is this an actual disease?
Anyways, excuse the rambling... this is about as focused as I get.
Can the machine help? Or am I doomed to be a miserable bastard for the rest of my life?? I'm not enjoying lif emuch right now.
Welcome to Apnea Board, asleep.
A couple of years ago, I could have written the exact same post, word for word, right down to leg bouncing and the "new baby" bit.
The good news is that after many failed attempts, I was finally able to find a combination of a CPAP machine and interface that provides reasonably effective therapy for me. And the odds are somewhat better for you, since CPAP technology has improved significantly since I was originally diagnosed with OSA in 1993.
There is a specific form of sleep disordered breathing known as "restless leg syndrome", or RLS for short. Don't worry too much about whether or not you have it, you'll find out for sure after your sleep study.
I'm starting to get my life back. I've even managed to lose some weight, which allows me to get by with a slightly lower CPAP pressure.
Good luck with your sleep study, and let us know how it goes!
Carl