BIPAP - The first night!

Randy's face mask - if only I could get you a real life picture ; )

After some doctor confusion and a whole lotta appointments, Randy has FINALLY got his new breathing machine to help with his sleep apnea! His two sleep studies showed that not only was his airway restricted, but that sometimes he actually stops TRYING to breathe! A standard machine is called a CPAP, but Randy's machine is a BIPAP. It not only holds his airways open with a constant stream of air (this is what stops him from snoring), it also detects when he isn't breathing and will stimulate him to breathe. Without the machine he would stop breathing once in a while, no rise of the chest in an attempt to breathe, and then suddenly there would be a snore-gasp for air, sometimes as much as 30 seconds later!

Randy's fancy machine with heated humidifier!

It's about a foot long

If Randy would let me, I would totally post before and after sound clips but he would totally kill me. So it will have to suffice to say that a little air hissing is a HUGE improvement on the old snore symphony that was his nightly routine.

It's only night number 2, so we will have to wait and see if he feels any more energized during the day from getting a good nights sleep (and maybe me too)!