Be careful about filling out those sleepiness questionnaires

[sleepy1235]

When you are filling out those sleepiness questionnaires, you might consider the consequences of your answers.

Reflect upon the possible consequences.

[Julie]

The consequences of ignoring them are... strokes, cardiac arrest, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, etc. etc. Even getting your driver's license pulled for noncompliance is piddling in comparison.

[BlackSpinner]

When you are filling out those sleepiness questionnaires, you might consider the consequences of your answers.

Reflect upon the possible consequences.

You mean getting treated and getting your life back, getting healthy and intelligent again?

[RicaLynn]

When you are filling out those sleepiness questionnaires, you might consider the consequences of your answers.

Reflect upon the possible consequences.

You mean getting treated and getting your life back, getting healthy and intelligent again?

That would require that you were possessed of intelligence to begin with...

[mgaggie]

You mean getting treated and getting your life back, getting healthy and intelligent again?

That would require that you were possessed of intelligence to begin with...[/quote]

Oh RicaLynn, I laughed so hard soda came out my nose!

[RicaLynn]

Sorry, my snark o meter is pegged tonight...

[Paralel]

If one answers it honestly then only improvement in ones health can be the outcome.

[palerider]

Sorry, my snark o meter is pegged tonight...

I'm sure someone's going to accuse Ricalynn of hanging out around me too much.

she was so sweet when she started. I know I'm gonna get blamed for this by the "palerider malevolent society".... *sigh*

[RicaLynn]

Sorry, my snark o meter is pegged tonight...

I'm sure someone's going to accuse Ricalynn of hanging out around me too much.

she was so sweet when she started. I know I'm gonna get blamed for this by the "palerider malevolent society".... *sigh*

Oh, pr. My corruption occurred long before my appearance on this forum. I've just perfected the appearance of a wolf in sheep's clothing

[palerider]

Sorry, my snark o meter is pegged tonight...

I'm sure someone's going to accuse Ricalynn of hanging out around me too much.

she was so sweet when she started. I know I'm gonna get blamed for this by the "palerider malevolent society".... *sigh*

Oh, pr. My corruption occurred long before my appearance on this forum. I've just perfected the appearance of a wolf in sheep's clothing

AHA! it's Den's fault, not mine!!! *wiping brow*

afterthought: "that's the longest nosed sheep costume I've ever seen!"

[zoocrewphoto]

I used to keep quiet about things and not tell my doctor. Like sleep apnea for over 10 years. Had she ever asked, I would have answered honestly. But I was totally wrong in what I thought sleep apnea was, so I didn't take it seriously. When I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, I struggled to take my medication every day. I hate taking pills, and I find it easy to forget them. I wouldn't tell her.

I finally realized that the only one I was affecting was me, and not in a good way. If I don't fess up, then I don't get the help I need, and my health suffers. So, I stopped trying to hide things. When I switched doctors, I reported everything I was diagnosed with as well as what else was bothering me. And I told her that I had not told the previous doctor, so I was untreated for it.

It's a lot easier to fix something if you acknowledge it.

[chunkyfrog]

I hope sleepy was being sarcastic. Avoiding an honest diagnosis can be deadly;
and with apnea-impaired drivers, can even kill innocent strangers--think a busload of children.

[49er]

Once again, on this board, an excellent point someone makes gets blown out of proportion.

Wanting treatment and making sure answers you provide doctors don't get you into trouble long term are not mutually exclusive goals. For example, I am very cautious about disclosing my past psych med history because in the past, it has caused doctors to be biased in the way they handle my situation as everything is seen through the mental health lens. No, I am not making that up and there is actually a link to a study that unfortunately, I can't find that shows that physicians are biased towards people with mental health histories. Anyway, in this case, being honest can cause a person to get subpar treatment.

Regarding the sleep questionnaire, I assumed sleepy1235 is talking about the one that asks if you have ever fallen asleep while driving. And of course, ideally, you should be honest about that for obvious reasons.

But what if it was only one time and you realized from that experience that you shouldn't drive unless you feel 100% alert and haven't. In that case, since mentioning that can cause your license to be pulled which has its own hassles, is it really necessary to be forthcoming particularly since the rest of your answers can get you an accurate diagnosis? I know many people would say you should always be honest but again, there is reality.

Of course, the trickier situation is the person who is in complete denial and it is only through divine intervention that they haven't caused an accident on the road. Of course, their license should be pulled.

But what if that fear is preventing them from seeking treatment? Then what?

49er

[49er]

I hope sleepy was being sarcastic. Avoiding an honest diagnosis can be deadly;
and with apnea-impaired drivers, can even kill innocent strangers--think a busload of children.

Here is another scenario for you to consider CF. Everyone thinks you should always be totally honest with your doctor.

What about the person with sleep apnea who keeps being misdiagnosed with psych issues because they have a psych med history which I think everyone would agree happens frequently? They are just as much in danger of killing a busload of children. In this case, honesty did not pay off.

[zoocrewphoto]

When I filled out my sleep questionnaire, it had several questions that would show that I have DSPS (severe night owl). It would also show that I work an evening shift. I knew this could bias the doctor as I had no interest in changing my sleep schedule.

So, I answered the questions honestly, but I added comments. For example, with the work schedule, I added the comment that this schedule was requested by me to fit my sleep schedule and not the other way around. I also wrote at the top of one page that I am here to treat my sleep apnea, not my DSPS.

The doctor did ask a few questions - confirmed that I have DSPS. He then told me that as long as it is working for me, he had no issues with it. Later when I wasn't getting a full 8 hours a night, he suggested longer sleep, but said it was up to me which end to add it to.

I know there were some other questions where I put sometimes, rare, or certain circumstances as they were not a common issue, but it wouldn't be correct to say no. For example, heartburn. I have never felt any pain or burning in my chest, but I do get bad burning sensations in my throat, which I refer to as heartburn. So, when I answer a question like that, I clarify it.