Reply #5: CPAP User for 9 Years [View All]

[REP]

I'm a young woman, too (well, not as young as when I started using it). I was initially told I coldn't have sleep apnea because I was "too young, too thin and too female." Turns out not only do I have it, I have the most severe apnea seen in that unit.

I have mixed apnea, which is both obstructive (my tiny airways collapse) and central (my brain "forgets" to breathe). My CPAP unit helps immensely; I went from an O2 sat of 68% to 99% and I can almost always sleep through the night. When I can't, I usually only awaken once or twice with the "ohmygodIcan'tbreathe!" ... and sometimes that's because a cat has turned off the CPAP to get my attention!

It's not a 100% cure; most people report that while they feel A LOT better, they never feel completely untired and I have to say I'm one of them. It also won't undo any damage that may have happened if the apnea went untreated for a while (mine was to the point I was blacking out randomly and hallucinating and there is some damage to my short term memory - most people don't get that bad). The good news is that a CPAP is pretty easy to get used to (took me 1 night) and that the difference it makes is huge and wonderful. Plus your bed partner can now have a blow-up girlfriend - you!