He also has had for many years:

Congestive heart failure
Severe asthma
Cellulitis of the legs
Sleep apnea
Obesity (well over 300 pounds)

Given all these conditions at once, how has he survived for so long. Since 2002 he had kept telling me his time was “short” until two years ago. He is now 65 years old. He has stopped telling me that because he knows I won’t believe him. Am I wrong in being suspicious about his sicknesses.

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Answer by herblaura
sounds like he has obesity-related problems, but is also a bit of a hypochondriac

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Answer by justlilolme
I am not confident that you can treat your apnea without a c-pap. I would suggest that you discuss it with your doctor. Sleep medicine is constantly changing and improving. There are so many c-pap devices to choice from nowadays that maybe you simply need to find a better mask for you. If you are waking up gasping for breath I would also wonder if your pressure of your c-pap may need to be adjusted which would have to be done in a sleep lab. There are different types of apneas as well as different degrees of severity. Some people can simply sleep in a certain position and not have an apnea.

If your daytime sleepiness is interfering with your daily life, there are medications that can help. Provigil is a drug that makes you feel very alert and rested without the gittery feelings you can get from stimulants. Of course, it is a prescription so you would have to see a Dr about that too. In any case, your really don’t have to just accept the fact that your c-pap isn’t working for you…there are other options out there.

I hope that something I have mentioned may help you…You do have several options without resorting to surgery…

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Any suggestions.

Thanks

Best answer:

Answer by Roberta B
You might think about trying this book called “The Movie Star Diet” by Steve Simmons. It helped me lose thirty pounds in 2 1/2 months when I didn’t think anything would work. My goal to begin with was only 20 lbs! It has a really easy plan to follow and an excellent workout as well.

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Answer by Bellarina
Lose weight, and also cut down on booze and coffee if they are things that you ever drink. If you have sensitive airways, manage dust and allergies. Plus, a saline nasal spray can help if you have sinus problems that are making things worse.
The CPAP machine is not that bad, noisy or uncomfortable. You’ll be surprised how much better you feel after an effective nights sleep. Use it if you really need it.

PS. I just remembered that some people can be helped by specialist dental splints. These are designed to modify the position of your jaw. The aim is to stop the soft structures in your mouth and upper throat (such as soft palate and uvula) from drooping and restricting your breathing. Not everyone finds them comfortable or effective, but it may be worth investigating.

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Answer by D – Cav
I am pretty sure that it cant hurt you but I would ask a professional.

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Answer by monica j
very you shouldnt even take other peoples prescribed medications let alone a cpap machine which i dont know if its used for sleep apnea,but anyway the cpap has different settings for doing its job which is done by trained medical staff(usually a respitory therapist)go see a dr and dont use the cpap,its not safe and may be illegal.seek medical attention before you try to use the cpap or anything else.take care

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Answer by JP
No,you need to go thru a Dr. What makes you think you have sleep apnea?

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So, is there any way I can test If I have sleep apnea without having a sleep study? or any similar sleep disorders?

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Answer by Dochallcom, PhD
Essentially, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a medical diagnosis. In consequence, your analysis for this sleeping disorder would need to be confirmed by a physician.

Due to the critical nature of this malady, professional treatment is necessary as airway blockage can cause you to stop breathing for periods of up to 20 seconds at a time. This can occur as often as every few minutes throughout the entire night.

Under normal conditions, the muscles found at the back of your throat continually hold your airway open so air can get to your lungs. These muscles relax somewhat as you sleep. Yet, if your airway is markedly narrow, these muscles can actually block your airway when they relax.
Typically, symptoms such as mood changes, depression, irritability, sudden waking from sleep, shortness of breath, waking with a dry mouth or sore throat, morning headaches, chronic loud snoring, and possibly memory problems, remain common in OSA.

The following scale is employed to determine likelihood of OSA. Take the test and see where you fall in the probability ranking.

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale

How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the situations described below under normal circumstances (i.e., excluding times of over-exertion and sleep deprivation)?
Use the following scale to choose the most appropriate number for each situation:
0 = Would never doze
1 = Slight chance of dozing
2 = Moderate chance of dozing
3 = High probability of dozing

Situation (rate each on a scale of 0-3)
•sitting and reading
•watching TV
•sitting, inactive, in a public place (i.e., theatre or meeting)
•as a car passenger without a break for an hour
•lying down to rest in the afternoon as circumstances permit
•sitting and talking to someone
•sitting quietly after lunch (without alchohol)
•in a car, driving, but while stopped for a few minutes in traffic

If your points total 10 or more, you are considered borderline sleep-deprived. If 12 or higher, you should seek medical attention immediately.

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#1: how difficult it can be caring for such a child.
#2: the fears a parent may have about the quality of care their child is receiving (yes, I understand that this is a fear every parent has, but parents with special needs children have even more to worry about with medical issues).
#3: this would be my chance to honor his memory in a different way, helping children (like him) who require extra care, attention and patience.

Although I have no degree or formal training, I do have 5 years of hands-on experience with my own child, who required frequent E.R. visits, hospital stays, surgeries, countless appointments with specialists, therapy, etc., and feel that I am qualified, at the very least, to care for special needs children in a daycare or classroom environment, or even their own home.

I’m not sure where to begin my search, or what tests I might have to take to show that I am qualified, so any helpful information that might get me started in my search would be greatly appreciated.

(I live in Chicago, so any local information would be great, also)
By the way, I’ve only recently moved to Chicago, my son passed away in Texas. If I were still living there, I would most definitely have already sought out employment at his former daycare or school. If we were well enough off right now with just my husband’s job, I would volunteer without a doubt, but unfortunately with our economy the way it is right now, most families (like ours) require 2 incomes in order to not just scrape by.

Best answer:

Answer by Riley
i’m not sure how to get a degree, but i’m like 99 percent sure you can’t work with special needs children without a degree. while hands on experience will probably be helpful when you get a job, you said yourself how worried parents are about the quality of care their child is recieving. they will want to be sure you are qualified. i guess look up a school that you could go to (maybe a community college) and take whatever courses are related to what you want to do

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Answer by Matt A
Ask the home care company if they can put a low pressure alarm on it. When you take it off you will loose pressure.

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