The Chit Chat Chit Chat Thread

[seahawk7]

Ok question here, what is this gasping you speak of.
A couple of times a month, I wake up choking, gasping for air, yet almost hyperventilating.
I have always just assumed I had aspirated some saliva and was choking on it.
Is your experience similar to this? Or am I really just choking on spit that "went down the wrong way"?

The only way to really know is to have a sleep study done. Oh wait, were you teasing?

 

[seahawk7]

Apnea is when the air passage closes off when you relax the muscles in your throat when you fall asleep. It closes off and you stop breathing. Eventually your body (hopefully) reacts to it and wakes you up as you are gasping for air. As you can imagine this is bad for a number of critical body parts, primarily ones brain, deprived of oxygen and the heart trying desperately to pump more oxygen to those organs. It can be fatal if not caught in time and corrected. I registered, in my sleep study, that this happened to me over 60 times an hour. I didn't always wake up completely but, it did create a situation where I was never falling into a deep sleep, so I was always tired and sleepy.

What you are talking about is a natural thing caused by drainage of the sinuses, but, that can be dangerous as well, if the amount of secretion is sufficient to make it difficult to clear out ones air passage. In fact, I knew someone that died from just that. He was unable to clear his passages out and could not catch his breath, but, one usually knows if it is bad enough to be concerned. What you are describing is something that is an occasional thing that usually happens when lying on your back and only annoying but seldom anything to be concerned with.

If you are worried get a sleep study. There are to kinds of apnea: obstructive, what he describe, and central, more rare. Sleep apnea specifically can cause right heart failure. A sleep study is worth it if you are worried. I see them done all the time.

 

[seahawk7]

That sure sounds very similar to what I've experienced. Can't say for sure, though. You should probably run it past your doc.

As a Respiratory Therapist, I agree. I do know a lot on this topic and @donaldtoo is right.

 

[seahawk7]

If you're familiar with my posting history, you know I seldom go to bed before 2:30/3:00, occasionally as late as 3:30. Once in a while I fall straight to sleep; but not usually.

More often than not, I am up at 6:30 to get the boys up for work. We leave at 7:15, and I am home by 7:40. Usually back in bed by 8:00, back to sleep by 9:00. Up again by 11:30-noon.

I try not to nap any more than once or twice/week, and never for more than 40 minutes.

Clearly I will have to start going to bed a little earlier once I start back to work in early February. It won't take more than a few days to re-set my sleep schedule, so I have no need to start now. In a pinch, a swig of cough medicine or a Gravol tablet (Dramamine to you) will knock me right out.

I've been a night owl my whole life. At 47, that's not going to change too drastically.

I work graveyard and we are always told that because we work graveyard we are going to die from cancer and heart disease. What they don't know is I naturally stay up until three since I was little. Some people are more nocturnal so I don't think that means we are more inclined to get sick if this our natural state.

 

[seahawk7]

Wow. The second half of this 49ers/Chargers game has been a hoot. Goin' to OT!

Yea both games tonight we're a lot of fun to watch. Both very exciting.

 

[JenniferS]

The only way to really know is to have a sleep study done. Oh wait, were you teasing?

Nope, not teasing.
I doubt I have apnea. I don't sleep on my back very often - in the rare instance that I do, I am paralysed for a minute or so before I can roll over. And I am one of those few people in the world who truly does not snore.
I mumble and talk in my sleep; switch from my left side to my ride side, and back again 30 times/night; and twitch a bit; but no siree, I do not snore.
I do, however, wake up coughing and choking, presumably on saliva, a couple of times per month.

 

[JenniferS]

Yea both games tonight we're a lot of fun to watch. Both very exciting.

I thought football was an all day Sunday thing? And one game Monday and Thursday night?
Today be Saturday, yes?

 

[seahawk7]

I thought football was an all day Sunday thing? And one game Monday and Thursday night?
Today be Saturday, yes?

Yea Thursday night football on Saturday. Go figure, but that's what they call it. It happens once a season.

 

[seahawk7]

Nope, not teasing.
I doubt I have apnea. I don't sleep on my back very often - in the rare instance that I do, I am paralysed for a minute or so before I can roll over. And I am one of those few people in the world who truly does not snore.
I mumble and talk in my sleep; switch from my left side to my ride side, and back again 30 times/night; and twitch a bit; but no siree, I do not snore.
I do, however, wake up coughing and choking, presumably on saliva, a couple of times per month.

Some of those symptoms might be worth getting checked out.

 

[MinnieM123]

You are so diplomatic. Even when you disagree with someone, he/she comes away feeling validated.
The U.N. could learn a thing or two from you.

That was very kind of you to say that. But I think that the world is already enough out of focus, without the UN taking diplomacy lessons from me! Let's not make a bad situation worse here!!

Aside of the above reality, I do attempt to try and keep an open mind about things. If someone shares an opposing viewpoint, I appreciate the fact that they chose to take the time to express their opinion. I hope I never get to the point where I stop respecting others' thoughts, and become a "know it all" and delusional, thinking only I could be correct.

 

[MinnieM123]

I know I've tried to describe my father on here many times. It's hard to explain, but, he really is in amazing shape for 81, and very much in control of his faculties. Again, not to say we weren't concerned, and yes, things like what he was up to today, often times end in tragedy.
This is a man that was raised on a farm and has been self-sufficient and an incredibly hard worker all his life. Mom, too. He has had no joint replacements of any kind, and is completely ambulatory. He doesn't even walk like an old man. He is a prostate cancer survivor. Luckily, they caught it early, when it was still encapsulated, so all he needed was the surgery to have it removed. People who meet my folks often comment on how there is no way they are "that old". They don't even really act or talk like old people. One of the many things my pop does is voluntary tax work for the elderly. Funny thing is, he is way more often times than not, older than those he helps.
Even he admits he's starting to slow down a bit, but, Lord knows, we mostly don't see it. He's just go, go, GO!
Anyway, all that bein' said, our radar is, and has been, up.
It can be such a catch 22 sometimes. You want them to be active and healthy, but, you also think how much less you'd worry about them if they just sat in a chair and watched TV all day...
A bit of an exaggeration, but, you know what I mean.

I really like your dad a lot, and I haven't even met him! I'd say that you have also emulated many of your father's good traits, yourself, there kiddo!

 

[MinnieM123]

When my DD was born and my DS was 5 we made a new Santa rule after the first year of having two kids. My DH and I finally were in bed after a major wrap fest, hard to do with the baby is only a month old. We got maybe 2 hours sleep when at 6 in the morning my DS so excited came to tell us Santa had come. The rule drummed into his little head for years to come was 8am.

Heck, you had it easy! My poor parents had to put up with me making noise around 3:00 AM downstairs , and would drag me up to bed and tell me not to wake them up again for a few more hours!

 

[MinnieM123]

This made me think of Tomorrowland...

I just love happy retro pictures like this!

 

[MinnieM123]

If you are worried get a sleep study. There are to kinds of apnea: obstructive, what he describe, and central, more rare. Sleep apnea specifically can cause right heart failure. A sleep study is worth it if you are worried. I see them done all the time.

At one point, years ago, I worked as a secretary for an ENT surgeon. Sleep studies were very commonly done, and many people were helped after the results were diagnosed. Some of these poor souls could hardly sleep at all and were walking zombies during the day. CPAP machines helped a good many of them finally get some quality sleep, just like Goofyernmost. Not everyone needs CPAP, of course, but they have other treatments as well.

 

[Goofyernmost]

If you are worried get a sleep study. There are to kinds of apnea: obstructive, what he describe, and central, more rare. Sleep apnea specifically can cause right heart failure. A sleep study is worth it if you are worried. I see them done all the time.

I'm not overly concerned about it yet. I recently started using a medication that is notorious for causing dry mouth. I'm thinking that is what is waking me up because the first thing I have to do when I do wake up is get my cheeks (face) and lips to unstick and quickly get some water so I can swallow again. It is supposed to be a short term thing so I am hopeful that once I stop that med. things will return to normal. Then all I will have to deal with is the old mans dilemma of having to get up to go to the bathroom.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I know I've tried to describe my father on here many times. It's hard to explain, but, he really is in amazing shape for 81, and very much in control of his faculties. Again, not to say we weren't concerned, and yes, things like what he was up to today, often times end in tragedy.
This is a man that was raised on a farm and has been self-sufficient and an incredibly hard worker all his life. Mom, too. He has had no joint replacements of any kind, and is completely ambulatory. He doesn't even walk like an old man. He is a prostate cancer survivor. Luckily, they caught it early, when it was still encapsulated, so all he needed was the surgery to have it removed. People who meet my folks often comment on how there is no way they are "that old". They don't even really act or talk like old people. One of the many things my pop does is voluntary tax work for the elderly. Funny thing is, he is way more often times than not, older than those he helps.
Even he admits he's starting to slow down a bit, but, Lord knows, we mostly don't see it. He's just go, go, GO!
Anyway, all that bein' said, our radar is, and has been, up.
It can be such a catch 22 sometimes. You want them to be active and healthy, but, you also think how much less you'd worry about them if they just sat in a chair and watched TV all day...
A bit of an exaggeration, but, you know what I mean.

I agree with that and although I am not ancient, I can tell the difference at (almost) 67 years old. I do force myself to stay active. In spite of having had a knee injury a few years ago (when ironically I fell down some stairs), I still walk without a limp and am able to do just about everything I used to do. I draw the line at going up on any roof though. I don't have that much to prove to myself. I'm still upright and taking nourishment and that is good enough for me. And to throw yet another cliche in there... I'm still on the upper side of the lawn.

 

[FutureCEO]

I was watching It's a Wonderful Life and only caught the ending so I was confuse what was going on.

 

[Wrangler-Rick]

You have figured it out. They changed the dining plan because the guests said it was too much food, over simplification. Guests wanted control over tipping on dining plan, yeah right because we didn't like it being included with the dining plan? Changed FP to MME because guests wanted a fully planned vacation. Over the last year we have all heard Disney speak to the media how well MME has gone over and the feedback is positive. I'd like them to survey the guest in the 3 hour standby lane for Toy or the Frozen Gals. It is all about controlling and manipulating the statistics. We are never likely to hear from Disney our WiFi was obsolete when launched and our app can't handle the guest capacity that we have. It is easier to manipulate the results and tell the guests how happy everyone else is. No way are those Corporates going to say we messed up after pushing that much funding into this program.

You hit the nail on the head!!! Or as my Dad used to say, "Liars figure, and figures lie".

 

[Wrangler-Rick]

I've only cleaned gutters a few times and it has been a while now. DH, moves the ladder around. It does take longer generally about 20 minutes. My Dad told my DH one day to get up on the roof, he wanted him to do something.....DH, my even tempered husband looked at him and said NO!

We have an old farm house, so we have a flat roof porch on the front and a 2nd story walkout from the master bedroom onto a flat roof in the back of the house. I can take a step ladder on those flat roofs to get at the gutters on the second story. Then I just have to use the long extension ladders to hit the other 2 sides from the ground. Our house still has a cistern in the basement and the downspout plumbing is still in place (but disconnected). We could make the cistern fully functionable in about 10 minutes - it even has an electric pump in place to pump water out of it. The only bad thing about that is that there is only one downspout that runs from the entire 2nd story roof. If that gets clogged, the gutters overflow...

 

[Gabe1]

At one point, years ago, I worked as a secretary for an ENT surgeon. Sleep studies were very commonly done, and many people were helped after the results were diagnosed. Some of these poor souls could hardly sleep at all and were walking zombies during the day. CPAP machines helped a good many of them finally get some quality sleep, just like Goofyernmost. Not everyone needs CPAP, of course, but they have other treatments as well.

One of my DH engineers had to be let go. He was found on a regular basis asleep and was warned. After released he came back a short time later and asked to be reconsidered. He was a very overweight man and after being released went to see a Doc. He had Apnea which had lots to do with his weight and gave him a CPAP. He was allowed to return, they re-worked his status as a medical leave and dropped over time half his body weight and no longer needed the CPAP after about 2 years.

And there is others like my Mom, we are a family of allergies. Sometimes it is just postnasal and that natural self defense mechanism not to let anything down our 'ole wind pipes. Doc told her to sleep with head elevated. That was difficult so I reworked her bed similarly to what I did to my kids cribs and beds when small. I raised the head of the bed 8 inches with bed risers. That way she is still laying flat but her head is elevated. I use to put those huge telephone books of yesteryear under my kids bed and cribs when they had a nasty cold.