h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Continuous Positive Air(way) Pressure.
On the Isle of Man CPAP machines are provided free of charge to patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.
Having been diagnosed with OSA I am now undertaking a trial of a CPAP machine. The machine is a Respironics REMstar M series with a Fisher and Paykel mask (I have been given 4 masks to try, a large and a medium full face and nasal). I have been using the full face mask.
The machine is quite small, about the size of 4 paperbacks, one on top of the other. It blows air into the face mask; it works by raising the pressure of air in the mask and therefore in your airway. It makes a noise - the machine, the sound of air coming into the mask, and of air escaping throught the small holes in the mask, but it does not blow air down your throat so you can't feel it actually working.
I'm using a full face mask, I think that the nasal mask is better tolerated, but I usually breath through my mouth when I sleep, and I have a mild cold which is bunging my nose up.
The CPAP machines appear to have a high failure rate, but this is because people can't tolerate them rather than that they don't work. As for me, I can't see the point in sleeping without it and the more I use it the easier it will get.
The mask I use fits well, and the machine is quiet, however, I have problems getting the mask on right. It might take several goes to get it on right, and to adjust it I switch the machine off and take the mask off completely, put the mask on a again and switch the machine back on (though it will come on automatically). I am not sleeping solidly since I had the mask, I'm awake for periods of time, and wake up a number of times and have trouble getting back of to sleep. Often when I wake up I need to re-adjust the mask.
If I get a lot of sleep I do feel a bit better, but so far most nights I do not get enough sleep and so still feel exhausted. I have used it for 2 weeks, and have 3 more weeks in this trial period.
The staff at Nobles Hospital are very nice, very helpful, and will see me quickly when I have problems - they set aside time every morning, so I've been able to be seen the next day. I expected to feel better quicker, so I've been feeling anxious - which is affecting my sleep, of course. However, they've been reassuring.