Well there is a new development in my health saga. This January (2001) I started seeing a chiropractor and she sent me to a doctor who does a lot of work with rehab patients. Immediately she suspected I had sleep apnea. I tried to tell her I did not have apnea but she wanted me to be tested and set up the appointment.

I went for the sleep study and it was miserable. I had to take two sleeping pills to sleep and didn't sleep a lot. You have to get wired up to all kinds of contraptions and it is amazing anyone could ever sleep in that shape. Before I was to go back and see the doctor they called and told me I did have obstructive sleep apnea. I cried!!!! What more can be wrong with one person???? Why can it not be something simple that can be helped and make me feel better?

My brother has apnea and the cpap is so uncomfortable he cannot use it. He had surgery which was very painful and he hemmoraged and had to be rushed back to the hospitaly and now he is as bad or worse than ever. So I am not paticulary optimistic about this diagnosis being a help. I guess I should be glad they recognized the problem.

I had to go back for a second sleep study and it was worse than the first. The cpap is a torture machine!!! The first one was a smaller version that only covers the nose and it was so uncomfortable I only slept a few minutes because I was so exhausted. The technician (she was a precious Christian and so sweet)then tried a full mask and with a sleeping pill I slept the rest of the night but I was so exhausted the next two days from the sleep study it was a struggle to exist. They called this week from the sleep clinic and said the doctor has recommended the cpap so I will have to try it for a month before the insurance will allow me to see an ear nose and throat doctor to see if there is a surgical rememdy. It would be marvelous if the cpap would really help. I am going to try it. I would have thought earlier I would no way consider surgery but if there is some way I might get relief from this fatigue I am going to definitely check it out.

The doctor the chiropracor sent me to is marvelous. She is so nice and it is so easy to talk to her. She wants me to try physical therapy and I went to day to be evaluated. It will take a few days to see if the insurance will approve it. They also gave me a tens unit to try. The therapist said the normal tens unit irritates fms but this is a very expensive one that might help but on the other hand the insurance may not cover such a costly one.

The therapist was so nice and seemed to know so much about fms, I was amazed. Why are so many doctors so ignorant of fms when there are so many people who suffer with it? She told me my left hip is tilted forward and that is probably at fault for a lot of my pain. She said it is common in women who have children and who have had a hysterectomy or abdominal surgery.

I have been very depressed since the apnea diagnosis but maybe it will turn out to be a blessing. I have heard of several people who have gotten relief with either the cpap mask or the surgery. There is a surgeon locally who is supposed to be very good.

I go back to the neurologist April 12th and will find out more about the apnea then. Hopefully, the insurance will approve the therapy and maybe that will be some benefit.

Page 3, Apnea.The continuing saga.

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