Well, That Sucked

I had my sleep study Thursday night. Now, this whole time before it I wasn't worried, because I know that I don't have breathing problems when I sleep on my stomach and side like I normally do. Hell, I was even excited when the technician told me that they just got new Temperpedic beds that day, and I have been dying to try one. Then he dashed all my hopes and dreams: he told me I had to sleep on my back the entire night. I can't sleep on my back, it's mostly a comfort thing. On a normal mattress, my butt is so big that it props up my hips and lower body and it's just not comfortable. Well, that wasn't an issue with the Temperpedic at least--my butt sank into the foam and my back was straight. Well, almost--a few hours into the study, after not being really tired enough to fall asleep anyway, the center of my back right under my lungs starting hurting like a mofo. After that, I kept waking up, then my arms started hurting because they weren't in comfortable positions either. At this point I noticed that I was breathing shallower than normal, but attributed it to discomfort and bad sleep.

So halfway through the study, he came in to put the CPAP mask on me. By now my back was hurting so bad that I couldn't go back to sleep. When he was putting the mask on, he told me that I didn't stop breathing at all, but that I was breathing very shallowly, which is still a form of sleep apnea and that the mask should help. I asked him if it could be due to the pain I was experiencing, and he just kept saying how the mask would help. I sat up for a few minutes to relieve my back, then it still took me awhile to go back to sleep. I finally got about 2 hours of unbroken sleep after that, though, but my back wasn't hurting as bad, either.

If someone is in pain and it happens to be under their ribcage, people usually don't breathe as deeply when they're in pain. I'm still convinced that my shallow breathing was because of my back pain and not because I have sleep apnea. So now I'm going to call my doctor on Tuesday and ask if this means I'll have to get a CPAP machine for the surgery. On the questionnaire I had to fill out in the morning after the study, they asked if I would use the machine at home if I had one, and I honestly said no. I don't sleep on my back, the mask is uncomfortable and I don't feel like I breathe as good with it on as I normally do. I don't have any breathing problems when I normally sleep, so why would I go out of my way to sleep uncomfortably on my back with a stupid machine on? Pffft. If I have to use the machine for surgery, fine, I understand, but my insurance better cover this thing 100% or it's a complete waste of my money for something I'll never use again.