What if they didn't diagnose Sleep Apnea?

I have to wonder about this. If the sleep test back in 1999 came backs negative for Sleep Apnea (or another sleep disorder that could explain my symptoms), I would have been in a very bad way. The symptoms would have persisted, and no remedy would have been available!

A diagnosis means relief is possible. We have to learn to view it as a good thing! At least what you have can be explained and treated. Even if CPAP doesn't work for you, there are other remedies once that is ruled out.

Preaching to the choir, here.
I was given a FAKE sleep tast in 1991, compliments of my HMO.
The real sleep study was given in 2010.
Consider the effects of NINETEEN YEARS of untreated apnea.
I hate HMOs--HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE.
They exist for PROFIT, not medical care.

I would be dead in my sleep by now that's for sure .. Took me a year to get a new sleep Dr. After the first would not treat me even after the sleep study and wouldn't give me a script and all of this after the study clearly showed Complex Apnea ... All of this because he was an ignorant pos..and would not treat me because I was and still am on Methadone for PAIN management from a brain tumor .. He told me he would not give treatment to anyone on this medication.. It hurt on many levels and set me back so much time looking for another Dr. Being diagnosed and treated correctly has been a life saver, Hell and stressful but I truly believe it is saving my life...

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 10:08 am

I was given a FAKE sleep tast in 1991, compliments of my HMO.
The real sleep study was given in 2010.

Could be you didn't have sleep apnea in 1991. Between 1991 and 2010, among other things, you aged nine years. And even if you felt lousy in 1991 and much better after you started treatment, that still doesn't prove much. I don't have a HMO, but many are good. Kaiser for example. Like anything else, some HMOs are great; some aren't.

Thank goodness I was finally diagnosed. I am sure I have had sleep apnea for at lease 15 years. 15 years ago would be me in my 30's, with untreated sleep apnea. During that time I have had to have 3 surgeries that I believe were all related to this. This year I finally told my doctor that I was having trouble sleeping. He handed me an at home sleep test. This year I had blood pressure that was high enough that it needed to be treated with medicine. He had me come back in after CPAP therapy and it had come down. CPAP has been life changing.

Lucyhere wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 10:29 am

Between 1991 and 2010, among other things, you aged nine years.

That would be a cool trick. How do I get some of that?

ImRealPleezApproveMe wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 10:41 am

Lucyhere wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 10:29 am

Between 1991 and 2010, among other things, you aged nine years.

That would be a cool trick. How do I get some of that?

Hook me up to!

BTS wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 10:42 am

ImRealPleezApproveMe wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 10:41 am

Lucyhere wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 10:29 am

Between 1991 and 2010, among other things, you aged nine years.

That would be a cool trick. How do I get some of that?

Hook me up to!

Ummm... yeah.

Are you sure you are getting enough sleep Lucy?

LSAT wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 10:50 am

Are you sure you are getting enough sleep Lucy?

NO! Waiting patiently to hear more from Jan.

I HAD ALL THE SYMPTOMS for the entire NINETEEN (19) years, and before that.
Falling asleep during the day--any old time, microsleeps while DRIVING,
morning headaches, multiple arousals, nightmares, HBP, heart palpitations,
problems concentrating, depression.--All of which were greatly relieved
or stopped entirely with cpap use--ONLY!
The fake sleep study: they hooked me up to was an EEG, with heavily drugged sleep.
For two hours! No other sensors . . . IMO, not a sleep study at all!
If I had CENTRAL apnea, they might have killed me.
No way did they test my BREATHING!
PS, Lucy; your math is peculiar in that cpap made me feel easily
THIRTY YEARS YOUNGER.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 10:56 am

PS, Lucy; your math problem is odd in that cpap made me feel easily
THIRTY YEARS YOUNGER.

Not a math problem ... just didn't add the 'teen" after nine. More like a typo.

Wish I felt 30 years younger. I don't and never have felt much different. Yes, therapy is optimized.

ImRealPleezApproveMe wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 10:41 am

Lucyhere wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 10:29 am

Between 1991 and 2010, among other things, you aged nine years.

That would be a cool trick. How do I get some of that?

It's a little known side effect of APAP therapy.

TASmart wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 11:22 am

ImRealPleezApproveMe wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 10:41 am

Lucyhere wrote: ↑

Fri May 04, 2018 10:29 am

Between 1991 and 2010, among other things, you aged nine years.

That would be a cool trick. How do I get some of that?

It's a little known side effect of APAP therapy.

it's the new resmed time machine!!

My little time machine . . . Hmmmm . . .
Optimized therapy can have different tangible effects on different people.
Thanks to this forum, I was able to "get there" fairly quickly.
So many of my apnea symptoms had been so impactful that small improvements
had immediate and impressive results. I had truly been MISERABLE for years,
and was well aware of the benefits. In an odd way, I am grateful for it,
as the feedback made non-compliance unthinkable, even with minor problems.
Remember, most masks do NOT fit my weird little face, and it took over 20 tries
to get the right mask for me.