brain cells | COPD and Other Stuff

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is serious. A recent Swiss study shows that even a short break in using the CPAP is harmful:

“Within 14 days, they had significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure, and deterioration in vascular function. The results suggest that even a short break in CPAP therapy has a negative effect on the cardiovascular system … OSA patients need to continuously use CPAP….” …according to US News and World Report. Presumably, that goes for those of us on the BIPAP machine too.

Then there is …

Lack of treatment can lead to mental confusion, dementia and Alzheimer’s.

A physician could have answered the questions that ensued.

New Medicare rules say the patient must be on the machine 4 hours a night for the entire CPAP or BIPAP rental period – no matter what – or lose the machine.

As a patient with RLS, I take meds for – Mirapex that no longer works – that is worrisome. The fact is sometimes I cannot stay in bed where the only relief from RLS is to stand up and/or walk.

When I asked about the 4-hour Medicare rule when a person has other medical conditions, I was told I had to make the choice – the BIPAP or RLS. – Not a choice at all for me and many patients like me.

A plus here is that the last session was so bad that I spent the entire night standing up using my laptop at the kitchen counter and came to the conclusion I think a food allergy may play a part in my RLS problem. I will talk to my doctor about it.

Harrison has a superb respiratory department team – professional people, open and transparent. Patients need to be educated and Harrison is stepping up with professionals educating us….but we need more physician involvement to answer the tough medical questions for pulmonary support group patients. In Kitsap County, it is past time for physician pulmonary education now.

COPD and Sleep Apnea is a huge medical dilemma where ignorance might well be bliss for the patient…but not in the long term. What happens when we do not get oxygen to our organs?

For starters, we lose brain cells without the oxygen to sustain them. Our lessor organs begin to fail because the larger organs grab the available oxygen first.

Incontinence is only one of many issues that can occur from lack of oxygen to organs…

No doubt, most of my brain cells are long gone so I have one less thing to think about. My point here is to suggest you not to lose yours if it can be avoided. Patient education is key to having the best quality of life possible with any medical condition and we NEED lung support group physician involvement.

http://pugetsoundblogs.com/copd-and-other-stuff/2011/08/13/do-lung-doctors-in-kitsap-county-neglect-support-group-patient-education/

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute have more about sleep apnea treatments.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/SleepApnea/SleepApnea_Treatments.html

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/sleep/articles/2011/08/12/sleep-apnea-makes-quick-return-when-treatment-stops

Better Breather’s meeting Wednesday… http://www.harrisonmedical.org/home/calendar/4897

If anyone needs a ride, let me know…the car is super clean.

Thanks for reading… Sharon O’Hara

We all cheer for the GREAT MEDICAL CARE already in Kitsap County…and for more Pulmonary Physician support group education.

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Good Sleep Health and Sleep Apnea

Speaker: Jess Lackey of Pacific Pulmonary Inc.

Wednesday, 20 July 2011

1:00pm – 3:00pm

Rose Room – Harrison Silverdale

1800 NW Myhre Road – Silverdale, WA 98383

Better Breathers Support Group

“Our Better Breathers support group encompasses community members and their caregivers who live with chronic respiratory disease and lung disease. Better Breathers is designed to provide support, education, networking, and tools to improve the daily lives of those living with these health conditions.

We welcome any community member with asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, sarcoidosis, asbestosis, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis and the many more lung diseases affecting our population, pediatric or adult.

Please email or call if you will need assistance with parking at the meeting.”

Contact: Pamela O’Flynn – 360-744-6687 – respiratorycare@harrisonmedical.org

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My sleep apnea story in short form: Some ten years ago the Sleep Study and bi-pap machine enabled me to get back into a bed after a few years of sleeping in a chair…I could not breathe lying down so had to sleep in a recliner chair…comfortable though it was, it was not a bed.

During this last year after an at home study I discovered my saturation numbers hit the basement while sleeping – bottoming out into the low 70’s. 100 is normal and nobody knew it…who knows how long that went on?

One of the questions I will be asking tomorrow: Why don’t the c-pap or bi-pap machines monitor the patient’s blood/oxygen level during sleep to alert the doctor there is a problem. Hint: After a length of time without oxygen, brain cells die. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001435.htm

During sleep how low can the blood/oxygen levels go and for how long before brain cells die? Personally, I want to hug and cherish my brain cells from a distance and keep them going as long as possible.

A sharp Harrison Medical Center ER doc caught a problem and had me put on a concentrator that gathers oxygen from the room and bleeds it into my bi-pap – leading to better sleep. Except when the RLS bounces me right out of bed to move my legs and walk around.

Ignoring Sleep Apnea can lead to serious stuff – we need to be aware.

Tomorrow is the opportunity to ask the questions and have fun at the same time.

Refreshments!

See you Wednesday! If anyone needs a ride, let me know.

Following are photos of my concentrator connected to the bi-pap and connected to the facemask that goes over my nose and blows air into my airway.

Some folks say the c-pap and bi-pap is too noisy. I call it the sweet song of life.

Thanks for reading… Sharon O’Hara