I have no clue what I'm doing

[MssDarla]

Thank you so very much

hmm I guess it will have to be at a hospital,, I wonder if they have sleep labs other then a hospital

I'll do some searching

[OkyDoky]

My sleep lab was in a clinic building with rooms set up like a nice hotel room. It was very quiet and I had no problem sleeping. Not everyone has that experience but other than having to wake up early in the morning to leave mine wasn't bad.

[ChicagoGranny]

Then I want a list of what I would like on a machine.

No, don't do that. It's too complicated and confusing.

Just get a list from forum members of two or three models that are acceptable. These models will have all the features you need.

[ChicagoGranny]

Thank you so very much

hmm I guess it will have to be at a hospital,, I wonder if they have sleep labs other then a hospital

I'll do some searching

A sleep lab in a hospital is not like what you are probably imagining. It's not on a floor with doctors and nurses running up and down the hall all night. It's off to itself in a quiet area without all the necessary equipment and activity for people who are hospitalized.

My sleep lab was in a clinic building with rooms set up like a nice hotel room.

Gramps first sleep study was in a section of a luxury hotel. The bed and room were beautiful, and there was a TV with 500 cable channels. My sleep study was in a high-rise office building. The clinic rented a section of one floor. Everything was set up like a nice hotel.

[bmanley]

First thing I wonder about if you stopped using your first machine right after you got it who did the monitoring of use for medicare? I say this because if you don't follow medicare guidelines for use they will take the machine back.
One thing is for sure you need to learn which machines are okay and which ones to stay away from. Seems like many DME's want to give you the cheapest machine so they make more profit. They need to give you a machine that has full data so your doctor as well as yourself can see what is going on during it's use. Without that you would be like me right now, hard to tell what is going on with out more data. Hope you can get together with a DME that cares enough about your treatment to help you get the most out of your machine

[MssDarla]

After doing the home sleep study, Tonight I go for the 2nd one at a sleep center. They said its like a hotel room, So I feel better but I am still uncomfortable but I will get thru it,, I hope I can sleep but I do take meds for sleep and pain,

To answer some questions because I haven't been on here for a little while,, I had my last one like 10 yrs ago I dont even remember if I was on medicare back then, I do remember making monthly payments for the machine then I owned it, This all started because I asked if medicare pays for supplies and dr could not find my last test results maybe cause she changed drs to work with, I dont know,

But I am doing this because I want a better machine and mask, I had stopped using the machine because I could not get used to it, But after having very high BP and massive morning headaches and the worst night sweat ever,, changing either my night gown or sheets or both in the middle of the night I decided to look it up and then found this group and have been using my machine and no more night sweats, I was at the point that I dreaded going to sleep, I have fibro so you know going without sleep or bad sleep what it will do,, So now I want a better fitting mask,and machine, I never know there were options ,, The nurses set my machine and sent me home,, I never knew anything about it,, I was told just dont change the settings,, duh dumb me for letting that go,

anyways I do the sleep study tonight and hoping I will have some say in the machine, I want one that's auto and with data, I want to keep an eye on things,,

Who decides what machine and mask you get? I used a full face but I want to try the one that doesn't have a band across the forehead. But who do I tell? if its my dr I am not worried she will work with me, if Medicare allows it


any advice on what kind of machine? I am making noted to have ready for talking to whom ever asked me or in charge of ordering it, My doctor already told me the name of the company I will be using,

or at least features that would be good to have,, hoping to use this machine for yrs, even if I have to use a cc to buy it

Thanks to all of you who has helped me
Darla

[MssDarla]

First thing I wonder about if you stopped using your first machine right after you got it who did the monitoring of use for medicare? I say this because if you don't follow medicare guidelines for use they will take the machine back.
One thing is for sure you need to learn which machines are okay and which ones to stay away from. Seems like many DME's want to give you the cheapest machine so they make more profit. They need to give you a machine that has full data so your doctor as well as yourself can see what is going on during it's use. Without that you would be like me right now, hard to tell what is going on with out more data. Hope you can get together with a DME that cares enough about your treatment to help you get the most out of your machine

No one ever asked me anything afterwards,, I received a call once asking if I needed a new mask thingy lol but that was it nothing never.. I made the monthly payments then I owned it

[ChicagoGranny]

Who decides what machine and mask you get?

You do! Refuse to accept delivery until you are sure you are getting exactly what you want. Be prepared to walkout of the DME office unless they provide what you want. No need for drama - just tell them it is unacceptable and you will contact them again later.

Get a copy of your new CPAP prescription. Post here what it says. Then some knowledgeable people will recommend a couple models of machines to fit the prescription.

Start looking at full face masks here - https://www.cpap.com/cpap-masks/full-face-cpap-mask.php Look at the designs and read a few of the reviews. Ask specific questions in this thread.

[MssDarla]

my throat feel so thick all the time

What is causing that? Is it related to Hashimoto's?

It's a good idea for anyone with obstructive sleep apnea to have a consultation with an ENT. The ENT will do an exam of your airway - turbinates, septum, tonsils, adenoids, tongue, soft palate, vocal cords,... He may also do some allergy testing depending on your symptoms.

Sometimes they can do something which will help with apnea and make CPAP therapy easier.

I found this interesting because my daughter who is 40 went to ent because of sinus issues and found her adenoids were enlarged,, She had Leukemia, who would think it would take an enT to find it? but she has just finished her 5 rounds of chemo now, but she went from CLL to Lymphoma real fast, so is clear now, anyway just wanted to tell you

[ChicagoGranny]

but she has just finished her 5 rounds of chemo now, but she went from CLL to Lymphoma real fast, so is clear now,

So glad to hear that!

[MssDarla]

Did my 2nd sleep study last night, The one with wearing a mask. bare with me cause I am so tired from meds mostly

This is my experience right or wrong it was how I felt about it,,

The room had a bed and recliner, no where to put clothes or any counter space for bathroom supplies except behind toilet, , ! hook which I hung jacket, no fridge like I was told for my water but then again no time to drink it either.

The person was nice but also a big talker not much of a listener,

I tried to explain my fibro but dont thin he had a clue or just more focused on getting a good test..

He pressed very hard about going to sleep now,, its 930. I never go to sleep that early , I turned on tablet to watch movie just to help me relax, With in 15 mins he came in and said I need a quiet room to sleep,, First I don't ever go to sleep in a quiet room, We all know our own habits

Next I have fibro and arthritis in my back,, I felt fell on deaf ears, He proceeded to say sleep on my side for my bad mack,
I felt like dam how did I get this old and not know whats the best way to sleep? every cable he attached was painful from him pressing so hard,, which isn't his fault,

twice because of back pain I sat up in middle of night and here he comes to tell me to lay down, I took off mask to drink something because of dry mouth, He proceeded to put my mask back on to tight,, I know how to put it on and where it will be comfortable without leaks, anyone with fibro knows everything hurts and then expect to sleep, I felt I had no control. I am using a cpap at home and know how to put one on and how tight is best for me,

While I know I am complaining a lot but when your in pain it is what you do,,lol

So while setting up all the cords or cables I had to hear all kinds of stories about other patients. He was a nice guy but talked to much and never heard my concerns.

I never got to even turn of TV,, or watch movie on tablet,, Its how I relax to go to sleep, I felt like a child sent to bed for punishment lol

I only wished he didn't come in every time I sat up just to give my back a t break, I was in pain and let me handle it, dang give me 5 mins.
each time asking if I wanted to go to the bathroom, I told him please if I have to go I promise I will call you, I was getting frustrated having to explain my every move.

I couldn't even remove the mask to drink someone and here he comes running lol. I know how to put it back on, but nope he came over and pull the straps tight, now I'm supposed to sleep with my head squeezed. Every Time I tried to explain anything , He just talked until he talked me out of how I feel, lol

I woke up at 5 and said ok I'm done,, no more sleeping for me,, He said you slept great last night,, Do you feel rested? I just smiled and said yes,, and my husband is here to pick me up so packing up now,

He handed me a paper with a preachers name to watch on You Tube, said to pray with him to heal my health,

Nice man but I am so glad to be done with it

He also told me , which I didn't know,, I need a prescription even to buy my own machine and the mask I used last night is the one I will get,, wow I dont get a choice at all,, and not in machines either, but I think I should have a choice in mask.

Thank gawd its over

[MssDarla]

BTW does anyone feel like I do,, like once you trun 50 or 60,, people talk to you like a child or like they know whats best for you,,, nothing makes me angrier, but they even ignore that lol

[ChicagoGranny]

You say several times he is a "nice man". You are being very generous and kind. He is not a nice man. He is a self-centered, drooling-mouth boor. I despise everything about this man. So sorry you had to suffer with this damned idiot.

[Pugsy]

Sounds like you had the idiot from Hell tech that I had.
"Nice" man was definitely not one of the adjectives I used to describe him. To be honest...too colorful for public venting.
I also got the bold face lie of "it's against a federal law for you to have the software to see your machine's data"...that's exactly what he said. I knew then he was a total idiot and I just needed to survive the night despite this yahoo.

We had a big fight over what mask to use when the first nasal mask caused congestion and I couldn't breathe and thus couldn't sleep. I said "get me a nasal pillow mask" and he says "no, you need a full face mask" and I say "no, I won't be congested if the damn mask isn't sitting on my nose"...finally I said "get me what I want to try or I am out of here". He relented and I got a crappy Optilife that was too big but we got it done. He said at the end of it that I was the first to use nasal pillows for titration and he was surprised it work. Dufus. You gotta let someone try something to see if it works or not.

It's no wonder that the pressure they came up with was wrong.

[MssDarla]

Sounds like you had the idiot from Hell tech that I had.
"Nice" man was definitely not one of the adjectives I used to describe him. To be honest...too colorful for public venting.
I also got the bold face lie of "it's against a federal law for you to have the software to see your machine's data"...that's exactly what he said. I knew then he was a total idiot and I just needed to survive the night despite this yahoo.

We had a big fight over what mask to use when the first nasal mask caused congestion and I couldn't breathe and thus couldn't sleep. I said "get me a nasal pillow mask" and he says "no, you need a full face mask" and I say "no, I won't be congested if the damn mask isn't sitting on my nose"...finally I said "get me what I want to try or I am out of here". He relented and I got a crappy Optilife that was too big but we got it done. He said at the end of it that I was the first to use nasal pillows for titration and he was surprised it work. Dufus. You gotta let someone try something to see if it works or not.

It's no wonder that the pressure they came up with was wrong.

Thanks so much I didn't know if it was just me being a baby, but how strange for them to pick my mask and that's what will be ordered for me,, I don't get a choice? I thought that was so strange since I will be the one using it for year to come? I told him I was interested in the one without the band across my forehead,, f10 I think its called he said no this one it better for you. I get tired of no one hearing me,