What Did You Do Before This Forum?

[Catlizg]

I've had such good luck in treating my apnea in large part due to this forum. I had answers before a problem arose. I'm curious what you more experienced folks did before the forum existed. I know the equipment has improved over the years and knowledge is so much more obtainable via the internet. But, variety of masks, trial and error, torture, how on earth did you do it? And, THANK YOU, for sharing with us.

[jnk]

. . . did before the forum existed. . . .

Witness protection program. Before that, I was on the run.

But seriously.

I've only used PAP for about six years, myself. And I found this forum right away.

But my understanding is that CPAP only really started to become a serious mainstream treatment for OSA in the late 80's and early 90's. And many early adopters had a time of it with huge, heavy, loud machines and lousy masks, from what I hear.

"We've" come a long way.

Here is some enlightening history from ResMed, printed back in 2011, if you are into that sort of thing: http://www.resmed.com/ch/assets/documen ... dica14.pdf

[Sheriff Buford]

Love your Avatar... love monkeys.... I hooked up with this forum very early in my therapy. If it wasn't for this forum, I suspect I would have never made it. I am so grateful, and that's why I stick around. I want to give back, what I received. People normally come here, get what they need and leave. We all lead a busy life!

Sheriff

[BlackSpinner]

I found some yahoo forums that were just awful - it took 48 hours to get something posted. Then I found this forum. But this was before I got my machine. The day after I got it I searched for skin issues and found the answer immediately.

[Bill44133]

I have only been on Cpap for a year now.. Before, I found this forum I was getting terrible therapy, and still feeling awful.

[chunkyfrog]

Lucky me. I found the forum very early.
I know I would not be as successful without it.

[ems]

When I look back to 2011 I realize how much I didn't know and how little I learned from my DME or my doctor! It wasn't until I found this site that some of it began to click for me. Thank you to those who helped (4 people especially who know who they are) and put up with me - ummm - not so nicely when I quit more than once!

I still read here all the time and seem to learn something all the time. There are a handful of posts from certain people that I read all the time - no matter what the subject is. I'm tellin' ya, something I can use always seems to pop out to me. Never fails.

Thanks to all who continue to post as a way of paying it forward! Oh... and thanks to Sludge.

[squid13]

I found this forum before I started therapy and came to the DME with my gun loaded and got what I asked for. With out this forum I would of quit.

[Drowsy Dancer]

I count myself as very, very fortunate to have found this forum on only my third or fourth day of treatment. I'll take some credit for being smart enough to look for it.

I was also very, very lucky that my DME had sent me home three or four days earlier with a fully-data capable machine rather than the brick that I would have dutifully accepted at the time. That was just dumb luck.

I remain very grateful to the collective knowledge here, ranging from practical tips like F4 (or is it F14?) tape to reinforce the weak spots in hoses, to free and fabulous open source software to monitor my treatment, to guidance on picking up a spare machine for a steal on Craigslist (one of the creepiest things I've ever done) to a collective listening ear when I want to vent occasionally to people who have been there and understand the issues.

I'm only here intermittently, but when I am I try to give back (there are only certain things I know about, but I give what I can).

[Musical63]

I was lucky. When the doctors decided to do a sleep test after a tia in 2010, I started researching so that I would know what to expect. One of the first places I found was this forum. Everyone here was so knowledgeable that I was able to know exactly what I should do and how to accomplish it. Dealing with a DME is not easy, but with the help from this forum, I was able to navigate it and not have any serious problems with Lincare.

Thanks to everyone!!!

[LaurieP]

I found this site three days into my treatment and I'm very thankful for the help that first month. I went back and reread what I was going through and I feel so lucky to have found this great website. Great people here and I read almost everyday but don't usually put my two cents in unless I feel the need since there are people here that know more than me.

[M'ohms]

I was lucky to find this forum the same day I found out I had SA. I was able to do my homework, as the forum suggested, before I went to my DME, and when I got there, my RT suggested that I join cpaptalk.com!

[Kiralynx]

I found this Forum in between the diagnostic and titration studies.

I could NOT have been as successful as I have been without it.

I never laid eyes on the sleep doctor who ostensibly diagnosed me.

I was titrated between 10 and 14, and she said I should be on straight CPAP between 6 and 8!

[Pasta]

I tend to research things to death the second I find out about them being in my life. I think I had logged 20 hours of reading and lurking in here between getting my sleep study results and actually receiving my first machine, so I never went through a helpless phase where I didn't know what was going on. I never really needed this place to figure out a serious problem resulting from improper treatment because this place gave me the knowledge to be able to ask my doc the right questions ahead of time and head off any problems. I'm also lucky that my general practitioner is my step mom and one of her friends is my DME. Talk about hooked up haha. My step mom is also fairly new to the sleep apnea world and we're learning together. Some of the info I've found on here I've passed on to her so that she can better serve her patients. She was shocked how many people have apnea, she's testing people like crazy now haha.

[jencat824]

I was on my own for 12 years. I've learned more here in 2 years than in the first 12 of compliant treatment. That is compliant treatment with MOUTH BREATHING! My Dr. didn't even catch that problem - Pugsy helped me find it.

I'm better educated & was able to better help my hubby thru his challenges when he started CPAP shortly after I found the forum & began taking charge of my therapy.

I now feel better after addressing my mouth breathing. I also learned that if I had known I needed a retainer for my moving teeth (moving from my high pressure), I could have saved $4,800.

If you are a newbie & are reading this you are already way ahead of sooooo many other CPAP patients who have only very limited help from their Dr. & DME's.

Jen