I went to see the sleep specialist last Thursday, to review the results of the sleep study I had done last March.
To briefly provide the background, I had asked my doctor to request a sleep study because in my effort to train myself to sleep on my back (since I can't stay on either side for longer than two hours at a time), I was waking up "gurgling and snorting" with a sense that my tongue was rolling to the back of my throat, cutting off my breathing. Obvioulsy, I was concerned about sleep apnea and wanted it investigated before I underwent the hip replacement surgery.
Well, imagine how helpful the report was when it concluded that "learning to sleep off supine would be helpful."
Anyway, the sleep specialist is a very nice lady and she immediately understood my concern -- once she discovered what caused the study to be requested. So, she took my history and agreed that something needed to be done to reduce my daytime sleepiness (I scored 17/24 -- it should be about 6).
She took the time to explain the results of my test, indicating that my apnea score is no higher than it should be for someone my age -- except when I sleep on my back when it kind of jumps to a problematic level. But overall, I scored as someone who does not "have apnea." (The threshold is 3 -- I scored 2.8). I do clearly snore "a lot, and loudly," as she put it.
She also explained that it's difficult to say whether my daytime sleepiness stems from my snoring or is a result of the poor sleep that is a hallmark of fibromyalgia (here we go again!).
However, there are a few options available to me, each of which would help with the snoring (she did not address the fibro issues).
One option is to use a wedge cushion, which would elevate my upper body while I'm sleeping.
Apparently, that should prevent the snoring. (This solution intrigues me, because even when I sleep on our recliner sofa -- which keeps me in an elevated position -- I still snore, often waking up from the snorting!)
Another option is to use a dental device which holds the lower jaw outward, preventing snoring. It's a costly, custom-made piece and it can't be "tried before you buy."
I'm not a gambler so I'm not likely to go that route unless I know it will work.
Yet another option is to try the CPAP machine (that's what someone with apnea uses) and if it makes a difference in how I feel during the day, we would know that reducing my snoring helps, and then I could either stay with the CPAP or I could go with the dental device.
She assured me that, in my case, because my apnea score is so low, if the CPAP works, so too will the dental device.
Testing the CPAP machine is the option she recommended I go with but it means another night at the sleep lab so they can measure the pressure I need. Then they would prescribe a machine for me and I would make an appointment with a supplier (choosing one that allows one month trials, without obligation to buy). After using the machine for a month, I would again see the specialist to discuss the findings and decide how to proceed.
Her recommendation is that, if I am better rested at the end of the trial month, I opt for the dental device rather than the "torture of the CPAP machine." (If the trial month makes no difference in my daytime sleepiness level, then her conclusion would be that the problem stems from fibromyalgia alone -- I reminded her of the hip issue which adds another layer to my quality of sleep, or lack thereof.)
So, I am booked to again spend the night at the sleep lab at the end of June and I will see the sleep specialist at the end of July.
Who knows, perhaps my summer will be a very restful one. With getting the steroid injection on June 9th (and hopefully enjoying twelve weeks of bliss again), and having snoring control for the month of July, I just might be an almost normal person this summer.
I can dream, can't I?
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