New doctor

Hello everyone it's been a while since I last posted. I explained that I had a bad experience with a doctor I saw in mobile so I finally got a referral closer to home it took about 3 months to get the appointment. I see them on the 8th of september. I got stuck with the brick machine so I'll be looking to buy something on my own later once I see what the new doctor has to say. I could never get my records from the other doctor so I hope they where able to get them. Any advice on what kind of questions to ask? what are things I should look at in order to ask intelligent questions?

Check with his office staff to see if they can request a copy of your records including the sleep study.
Have a talking points list of your concerns and symptoms.
Ask if he will schedule a home sleep study to try and sort out what needs to be done.
Ask if he will write you a scrip for a data capable machine?

BTW, can you post your current equipment? Then it would make sense to get similar but data capable equipment so your humidifier can be used on your new machine.
If you are paying for the new machine, would your budget cover a bi-level or auto cpap machine? That would give you more flexibility in treatment options. (I'm assuming your current 'brick' is a straight cpap)

I agree - you can save yourself a bit of money by getting a machine that uses the same humidifier as your old one. You can also buy the machine from CPAP.com or secondwindcpap.com for much less than the DME would charge. You may also be able to save the price of another sleep study if you get an autoset machine (both Respironics and ResMed make good ones).

Clinte89 wrote:Hello everyone it's been a while since I last posted. I explained that I had a bad experience with a doctor I saw in mobile... I could never get my records from the other doctor so I hope they where able to get them.

This is an excerpt from the Alabama Medical Licensure Commission's regulations (I added the boldface):

"540-X-9-.10 Joint Guidelines of the State Board of Medical Examiners and Medical Licensure Commission For Medical Records Management.
(1) Physicians should maintain legible well documented records reflecting the history, findings, diagnosis and course of treatment in the care of a patient. Medical records should be maintained by the treating physician for such period as may be necessary to treat the patient and for such additional time as may be required for medical-legal purposes.
(2) Access. On the request of a patient, and with the authorization of the patient, a physician should provide a copy or a summary of the medical record to the patient or to another physician, attorney or other person designated by the patient. By state law, a physician is allowed to condition the release of copies of medical records on the payment by the requesting party of the reasonable costs of reproducing the record. Reasonable cost as defined by law may not exceed one dollar ($1.00) per page for the first twenty-five (25) pages, fifty cents ($.50) per page for each page in excess of twenty-five (25) pages, a search fee of five dollars ($5.00) plus the actual cost of mailing the record. In addition, the actual cost of reproducing x-rays or other special records may be included."

Failing to provide those records could cost the physician his license should you or your new doctor file a complaint.

Currently I'm using a Phillips ds 260 with rested mirage Quattro mask. I have a secondary insurance so if I have to do another sleep study it shouldn't be a huge issue just finding out what's going to work best will be a good start and then I'll buy something based on what I need. After seeing what the due charges for things it's insane. I have to call the new doc to make sure I bring everything I need and see if they have my records. Thanks for the advice.

Hello all. Today I had my appointment with the new doctor. I think I have bad luck with them because he was on his cell phone texting half the time. He said I needed to go to the sleep lab with what I'm using now to see if the problem has been fixed with my current gear and if it is then try to see if I have some hypersomience sp? Disorder. I guess they didn't send him my other study that showed how little I slept and still had lots of central apneas. Either way not sure if this guy is going to be worth my time and I don't have the money to keep going to the sleep lab but maybe he can be of help I'm not sure. Any advice?

Looks like you need to keep looking for a Sleep Doctor.

If you can deal with the costs being out of pocket, go to your dentist or primary care doctor and ask them to write you a scrip for a Respironics 560 or 760 cpap machine, patient's choice, because you need one that is data capable. Then go online and get the best price and order what you can afford. The 560 is a single pressure machine with additional features you current doesn't have. The 760 is a bi-level auto machine with lots more features. Your current accessories will work just fine. The 260 would then be a backup machine.

With either of these you can get good treatment but, more importantly, you get full data recording.
With either SleepyHead or Encore, you can monitor your own therapy. No need to mention the interim sleep doctor in the conversation only that the machine you have doesn't record efficacy data and its too late to return it.

The current cost of the 560 seems to be about $500, blower only.
The 760 seems to be about $1,600, blower only.

That would be 'hypersomnolence' (or wanting to sleep too much). Rocket science eh?

Oh I have never heard of it. I have come to a realization that this is my life maybe one day it will get better. Currently no

Get your lawyer to write a note to the doctor re your records... they're yours by law!

If you had lots of centrals, you may need an ASV machine & your insurance may actually pay, since its a different type of machine. Just a thought.

Jen

jencat824 wrote:If you had lots of centrals, you may need an ASV machine & your insurance may actually pay, since its a different type of machine. Just a thought.

Jen

That's certainly true ... But you need a copy of the sleep study to tell.

Well I'm going to have another study done to see if what I'm using is working and if not then I will probably have to do another one to try something different but if what I have works then I guess it might be something else. Just kinda driving me nuts because two years ago it was low t and I'm only 25 so I was on that for a while but it didn't have any lasting positive to it after a while so I had to stop and now they are back to normal and all blood work looks perfect but still exhausted and so I hope they can fix that so I can feel younger again.