After 28 months, I finally did it!
 

3 August 2013 goes down in history, at least my history...

I've had a Viking Mega Quilter for 28 months and haven't used it. Today I did use it: wound bobbins, threaded the machine and sewed. It was a blast! This part of the journey has come to be reality.

DH and I put up the frame a year ago and I've prepared the canvas leaders. The next stage was learning how to use the machine in a basic manner. My first day went smoothly and I will practice some FMQ without the frame in order to get comfortable with the machine.

DH was wondering if I would ever use the set up, but I hadn't been feeling up to trying anything as I had so little energy. I was too tired to take on anything else. Tackling a new area when I wasn't thinking straight was just more than I wanted on my platter.

If you have sleep apnea, make sure your settings are current with your physical condition.

Somehow, I let that slip. After retitration in the sleep lab, I am improving physically and mentally each day. Even if I don't get the desired full eight hours of sleep, the quality of the sleep I do get is much better. With this consistency, I am alert, happy, working and socializing without falling asleep throughout the day.

Again, keep on top of things if you have sleep apnea, as well as other health conditions. Hopefully my lesson will help others to be more aware of subtle changes which happen so gradually that you are unaware that they have occured.

Piecefully yours,
Kay

Good luck with your endeavor! Rest well and continue your consistency with health matters. I sometimes have sleep issues, but not apnea. I know how lack of rest can mess with your plans. Have fun with your Viking!

Congratulations on taking the leap to start using your Viking - what fun you will have! Glad you're feeling better.

Really feel for you. I have had sleeping problems for many years but nobody seems to take this seriously. I have learned to cope with just a very few hours a night (sometimes only two) but occasionally I may get nearly four. I can honestly say it's a very long time since I had eight hours!! I am so pleased you now feel more able to tackle your new venture and look forward to hearing how it goes. Good luck.

So glad to hear you are feeling better and using your machine!!!

Glad you are so much better. Those ailments that encroach slowly are deceptive and pretty soon you are way off course. Sounds like you had a wonderful husband supporting you.

Nobody as in your physician??? If this is the case, you definitely need to find a new physician. Sleep apnea is a very serious medical issue that needs resolution immediately. Please request firmly to have a sleep study done, and don't stop making noise until you get one.

Kay, I'm so glad you've started having fun with your new machine!

Isn't it so sad that physicians sometimes do not take our health issues seriously! I believe you are on track with your sleep apnea now, but you need more hours of sleep. Do you have a CPAP machine? They are buggers, but they do help. You cannot continue to exist on just 2 or 4 hours of sleep! Do keep searching until you get relief. Best of luck doing it and let us know here on the board how things are going. Glad you were able to get the quilting machine up and running. Enjoy yourself.

Thank you for your words of encouragement! I am using the Mega Quilter daily and we are becoming "best friends."

My purpose for creating this thread is to share how important it is to be on top of your sleep disorder and the follow up schedule to provide the best of care. The new titration setting for my cpap machine has greatly improved the quality of my life. :-)

Yes, I have a CPAP machine. The machine is so quiet that my DH doesn't even know when it is on. I was so excited after the first night of sleeping with the equipment at the sleep lab in 2009 that I knew this was a positive life changer. My set up with the nasal pillows, regulation length hose, plus humidified air allows me to sleep without any discomfort.

Someone with the mask covering both the nose and mouth would have more of an adjustment to make just getting used to the mask apparatus.

Some labs offer the desensitivation kit to allow the patient to practice using the mask at home. The idea is to make the patient comfortable with the set up and increase the possibility of the patient using the machine. DH has done this route and I have no doubt that he will continue to use his CPAP each night.

Good for you..I hope you continue to learn and enjoy it. Sleep apnea can be a dangerous condition. One needs to get help for it. My son-in-law uses c-pap at night and it has made a world of difference in his life.

Kay, I started out with the Viking Mega Quilter 9" and it was great. Never had to change the tension and I used all sorts of threads. I then added PCQ robotics but I soon got tired of the small throat so moved up to a stretched Juki 18" on the same frame which was a Grace Pro 10' and still with robotics but moved up to the PCQ retrofitted MQR. I have now moved up for the last time to an Innova 26", 12' frame and upgraded the MQR. I'm in 7th heaven but it all started out with the MegaQuilter so enjoy your machine as I found mine to be a dream to use.

My DH and I both have sleep apnea, so I understand when the settings aren't right how tired you can get. Sounds like things are improving, so have fun with your FMQ.

Praying that you continue to improve with your sleep apnea.

I am so happy that things are lining up for you! Pieces to you too.

A special day for me too Kay as my oldest daughter got married!!!!

hugs

Caroline

Good luck to you! I only know of one person who has sleep apnea and he scares me to death. My sister's gentleman friend drives from his house to her's and it's a 45 minute drive. On top of this he imbibes too much alcohol. When they go out she drives thank goodness. But still scary!

Good for you - it pays to be persistent! My Dad had sleep apnea - those cpap machines are worth their weight in gold.