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Desperate for Some Sleep

Posted by sleeplessintn on December 03, 2002 at 10:33:31:

I was diagnosed with OSA in 1996, and began using a CPAP. I used it successfully for several years, and then began to have problems with the headgear coming apart. I stopped using it regularly, and would only use it when I became very run down and tired.

In 2000, I was diagnosed with ovarian leiomyosarcoma. I had three surgeries that resulted in a complete hysterectomy -- and instant menopause, which has brought along a host of sleep-related problems including hot flashes, etc. Additionally, I gained weight throughout these past two years due to the surgeries and inactivity.

Now I am to the point where I am desperate for some relief. My CPAP is all to pieces: I have to literally hold the mask on my face, I am sure the titration is no longer correct for my increased weight, and, worst of all, I now have lung metastases from the cancer that cause me to have spells of breathlessness. I wake up in a panic, feeling like there's not enough air in the world for a good deep breath.

All of this together is causing tremendous problems for me during the day. I have a job, a spouse, six children, and a home that require me to be "up and at 'em" from 5:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. most days. I have been reprimanded by my boss for dozing at the desk (I'm an internet programmer), and I am now the subject of office ridicule and isolation, as well as the brunt of many jokes. The worst part is that I don't always realize that I have been sleeping, and I have no way to monitor it for myself.

I am really beginning to feel desperate for some relief. I am trying to get a referral from my regular doctor tomorrow to go to a pulmonary specialist for the lung mets and the sleep problems. Is this the best solution? What type of doctor should I see to get the fastest relief, and will I have to do another sleep study? I have heard that there is new equipment that uses a mouthpiece instead of a face mask. Has anyone used this?

Thanks for any advice or comfort that anyone can give me.

Sleepless in TN



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