I was diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea in 1995. My symptoms were morning headaches, weakness in the legs, irritability, inability to concentrate, dozing off anytime I sat down, and of course I was overweight at 250 pounds. Before I had a chance to commit suicide at the thought of being strapped all night to a vacuum cleaner running in reverse, I saw the movie Apollo 13 on the way home from the diagnosis. If those astronauts could lug around their portable air conditioner units in those claustrophobic space suits, I figured I could man-up and handle a CPAP unit. 16 years later I still wear it every night and I feel great, walk 3 miles a day for exercise, and I am about to marry for the 3rd time. I use earplugs to eliminate any whirring sounds, as does my partner. It took 4 tries to find the right face gear. My medical supply house regularly calls me to replace the wear-and-tear items. I realized as my symptoms went away that the face mask is not as claustrophobic as a coffin. I am 68 years old and now weigh 200 pounds. CPAP and I are a team because I know I would be dead without it. That's no longer an option since I have 3 grandkids I enjoy spending time with. View Thread