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AFIB and iWatch
Diagnosed with AFIB over a year ago. Now headed for Ablation after CPAP, weight loss, exercise and alcohol free hasn’t stopped or curtailed the problem. Hopeful about the upcoming Ablation. Procedure will be done by top Electrophysiologist at UAB St Vincents in Birmingham, AL. 20 years experience so I feel comfortable with him. A side note on my CPAP therapy my initial interruptions at titration study produced 11 interruptions per hour. After 130 straight days of treatment, they’ve moved up to averaging 13. I’ve tolerated my Resmed C30i nasal mask well. Feel more rested but not the Superman feeling fellow CPAPers have talked about. Not sure what to do about that. I’ve reach out to my therapist to see if the air needs turning down to help me with sometimes difficulty with exhalation . I know I’m going to be fine, but ready to feel better soon.
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About your CPAP non-therapy (it's obviously NOT working for you), please join the good folks, all volunteers and quite knowledgeable, over at apneaboard.com and place your case before them. They'll help you to dial in your therapy and there's no reason you should not soon see an overnight AHI (apnea/hypopnea index) of 0.0 to < 5.0. Less than five events each hour is deemed to be 'treated' by both the underwriters in the business and by the corresponding medicine. You're clearly nowhere near 'treated'.
I don't see in your post anything about a smart watch. What would you like to say or to know? (I use a Samsung Galaxy watch [in Canada where it is authorised to perform such measurements] which reads blood pressure, blood O2 saturation, sleep, ECG, etc, but the latest Apple watch is catching up with a couple of those).
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3 Reactions@gloaming Thank you for your advice. I do wear the iWatch 10. SPO is always 96%+ and often 99%. All other numbers in positive ranges. My “Sleep Score” - Resmed App - is always 96 +. Good seal, 1-2 mask off events, 7.5 hrs avg sleep time, etc. I do have concerns of a little cough since using therapy that occurs once or twice per hour, producing a very small amount of clear mucous. My therapist said it was common for new therapy and would subside, but hasn’t. (Seeking referral now to different therapist that is aligned with UAB medicine. I’ll start checking in to the sleep/cpap group for more guidance as well.
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1 Reaction@4aces4me
Please share about your UAB visit for sleep apnea. I just had my second study, in person last week, follow-up this coming Monday. AHI score was 9-10 they did half the night with custom dental appliance And 1/2 with full face CPAP. First was 2022, at home and there was zero follow-up etc during COVID. I’m in-between UAB and Vanderbilt. I do travel to Austin TX @ TCA for my a fib treatment (s).
@qwackertoo You're seeing Natale or one of his understudies?
@qwackertoo My sleep studies were both done in Jasper AL at Dr Jan Westerman’s Sleep Center. It was an ordeal and I have low confidence in them. Working on getting in to see the sleep doctors at St Vincent’s UAB. Which is located adjacent to bat Vincent’s UAB Hospital. If I understand your study was at UAB Hospital.
@gloaming Dr Natale himself. Twice. 2 ablations 7 weeks apart.
@4aces4me my first was the at home under Dr. Roy in Huntsville. Sketchy as heck operation and phone call with “results” they seemed less than professional and suddenly they shutdown last year so this was my second go at it one week ago Friday at Huntsville Hospital sleep lab in Madison. Much more professional operation. I’m just not overly confident in Huntsville Hospital, thus seeking reviews and others experiences at UAB And Vanderbilt.
@4aces4me my recent new patient sleep doctor appointment took 4+ months wait, then 2 weeks for sleep study, now 2+ more weeks for follow-up review. Upcoming new patient Endodontist appointment for my Hashimoto thyroid in November was almost 6 months wait.
@qwackertoo Your Huntsville experience sounds a lot like mine in Jasper. I have friends that swear by the sleep therapist at UAB and the facilities as well. It seems that UAB Medicine gets stronger by the day.