Going To Sleep Lab

[#1Cavtrooper]

On December 18, 2012 I took a device home from my local outpatient clinic. This device is the Va's "home sleep study." Well today I find out that I have severe sleep apnea. I was told that I had "22 episodes" in the 320 minutes of study. I am told that I had shallow breathing 75 times and that I quit breathing 53 times...... Whew.. no wonder I am tired all the time. I was scheduled for the sleep lab in Houston for June 12, 2013 (that was the soonest appt they could get me). So I call the sleep lab and ask her to call me when they have an opening. Alas! Fifteen minutes later she calls back to see if I could be there tomorrow night (1/26/2013). They tell me that only approximately 1 out of every 200 people will be scheduled for Houston after the outpatient home study (only the ones that are severe) for they have the apap machines in Lufkin. I am told that they will calibrate the machine there and I will leave with it. Is there any straightforward advice that I need to know and what to expect. Thanks.... Too many posts on the subject to sort through.....

[Notorious Kelly]

Glad to hear it Trooper.

I used the 'ramp up' feature on my CPAP only for a couple nights then was comfortable using it full pressure.

Don't be discouraged if it doesn't work great every time; it takes some getting used to.

Nose-only CPAP users may find it helpful to get a chin strap that holds your mouth closed, which can avoid the cottonmouth.

My first unit didn't include a humidifier so I recommend asking for that if it isn't included in all of them now.

All the best!