Poll - How active are you in your treatment?

After dealing with a DME that outrageously overcharged me for equipment and "forgot" to stop billing me after the rental period for my CPAP was over, I decided that to continue to give them my business would constitue supporting their poor, almost criminal, business practices. Therefore I quit buying from them and now purchase my equipment from CPAP.com and request re-imbursment through my insurance myself. I pay less in the end even though my insurance only reimbuses me 50% as opposed to 80% through the DME. I won't patronize a restaurant that overbills and gives lousy service, why should I patronize a DME who does so?

Well, I didn't vote because i'm in-between a newbie and a veteran, I have been on cpap since September 2007 so i'm not really sure if i'm still considered a newbie or not.

I do and have always taken control of my own therapy. thanks to this forum! I've said it before and i'll say it again, I was ready to quit before I found this forum and the helpful and knowledgable people on it! "Thank You" ...

I have learned to adjust/tweak my own pressures and that has helped me so much and using "Janes Skinner's" Encore Pro Analyzer is a huge help, it's much easier to underastand than the encore pro by itself.

I had a study done at home, I never went to the lab, they hooked me up to about 6 wires and then he had me come into the office and pick up a machine that I used, a Remstar(Pro) that he titrated me with , that didn't work so I went back and picked up an (auto) to finish the last couple weeks to complete the month, it was a nightmare. I never recieved a call from them for a follow up or even to see how I was doing on my therapy, I get a yearly news letter saying I need to replace my mask & parts and that's it!

I had nasal surgery Nov. 20, 2007 so I didn't wear my mask much during that time but other than that I have been 100% compliant minus (2 days) that I just went to sleep without the mask, that was because my nose is still sore and tender since the surgery, the nasal pillows push my nose up and it gets very sore.

There are sooooooooo many nights I want to not (mask-up) but I think of all the cons, so I put it on!!!

So, what am I considered, a newbie or a veteran???????

SleepyNoMore

SleepyNoMore wrote:Well, I didn't vote because i'm in-between a newbie and a veteran, I have been on cpap since September 2007 so i'm not really sure if i'm still considered a newbie or not.

I do and have always taken control of my own therapy. thanks to this forum! I've said it before and i'll say it again, I was ready to quit before I found this forum and the helpful and knowledgable people on it! "Thank You" ...

I have learned to adjust/tweak my own pressures and that has helped me so much and using "Janes Skinner's" Encore Pro Analyzer is a huge help, it's much easier to underastand than the encore pro by itself.

I had a study done at home, I never went to the lab, they hooked me up to about 6 wires and then he had me come into the office and pick up a machine that I used, a Remstar(Pro) that he titrated me with , that didn't work so I went back and picked up an (auto) to finish the last couple weeks to complete the month, it was a nightmare. I never recieved a call from them for a follow up or even to see how I was doing on my therapy, I get a yearly news letter saying I need to replace my mask & parts and that's it!

I had nasal surgery Nov. 20, 2007 so I didn't wear my mask much during that time but other than that I have been 100% compliant minus (2 days) that I just went to sleep without the mask, that was because my nose is still sore and tender since the surgery, the nasal pillows push my nose up and it gets very sore.

There are sooooooooo many nights I want to not (mask-up) but I think of all the cons, so I put it on!!!

So, what am I considered, a newbie or a veteran???????

SleepyNoMore

I would say you are a veteran! I think we do rightfully consider people like Rested Gal, Snoredog (RIP), Wulfman others that I have missed truly as veterans. But many like you are comfortable reading and interpretating their data. I never really defined that - but it is interesting those that I would consider veterans are not comfortable with the term. What do you think?

SleepyNoMore wrote:So, what am I considered, a newbie or a veteran???????

SleepyNoMore

Yeah! One or the other.... (or in-between) (compared to others in the "time" sense, I still consider myself a newbie)
I don't think it matters how long we do this.....that we don't pause at that moment we're putting on our masks and wish we didn't HAVE to.

There are lots of people who have been on this therapy for many years......but only found out how little they actually knew about their therapy......at the point they arrived here.
I think part of the answer is in the word "acceptance". Another part is feeling/believing/knowing that everything is "working" for you (it helps to have a data-capable machine and software).

Getting past the first year is a GOOD progress marker. (they go faster after that)

Den

I'm a newbie (Since July 2008)

Made a change (after extensive reading of this board) and told doc when I saw him...and showed him data (from software) for period after making that tweak of pressure.

My doc is available/approachable....

My DME has proven so far ill-informed, non-responsive/unavailable. If I had a problem, he has proven useless to me. Any general info I might have asked I can find leads to from reading here and elsewhere online.

So, I don't feel the need to tweak secretly; I am glad my doc is open to my active involvement and questions.

I would be still as active if my doc was NOT onboard.

J

SleepyNoMore wrote: I would say you are a veteran! I think we do rightfully consider people like Rested Gal, Snoredog (RIP), Wulfman others that I have missed truly as veterans. But many like you are comfortable reading and interpretating their data. I never really defined that - but it is interesting those that I would consider veterans are not comfortable with the term. What do you think?

Fredman,

I definately agree with you!
Once all of the extreme Veteran's (as mentioned above) in your first post to me, they jumped right in and helped me from day 1 as a newbie, I took off like a 747 ... and i'm still going full force, thank's to all of them, they are awesome, if it wasn't for them, I would of sold my cpap machine and mask within the first month of therapy.

SleepyNoMore

I am a veteran in the sense that I have been on CPAP for about 5 years. I am a newbi in the sense that I just recently replaced my old CPAP with a M series Auto A with data and am still how to relate all this data to obtain useful therapy. The only thing I know so far is that I probably have never gotten effective therapy all those previous years and never realized it until now. So now I am very proactive in my therapy and week by week getting my numbers in check, and sleeping longer each night. I am very dissappointed in the total lack of education and follow up the medical community gave me, giving me the impression the whole time that this CPAP was a "wear it and forget it" type of treatment. Boy was I duped.
I will NOT seek medical advice on this again, and will rely only on myself to set my CPAP and monitor my own health treatments.

bucko wrote:I am a veteran in the sense that I have been on CPAP for about 5 years. I am a newbi in the sense that I just recently replaced my old CPAP with a M series Auto A with data and am still how to relate all this data to obtain useful therapy. The only thing I know so far is that I probably have never gotten effective therapy all those previous years and never realized it until now. So now I am very proactive in my therapy and week by week getting my numbers in check, and sleeping longer each night. I am very dissappointed in the total lack of education and follow up the medical community gave me, giving me the impression the whole time that this CPAP was a "wear it and forget it" type of treatment. Boy was I duped.
I will NOT seek medical advice on this again, and will rely only on myself to set my CPAP and monitor my own health treatments.

Bucko,

You GO Boy,

You have got it to goin on !

Keep up the good work and attitude...

SleepyNoMore

I put myself in the veteran catagory.
I found cpaptalk, 2 days before I got my first machine.
I read, listened, learned, tried, failed and succeeded.
I made it happen for me.

I know the pain of the fatigue,
I know the relief of therapy,
I strap it on everynight, no hesitation.

Wulfman wrote:

SleepyNoMore wrote:So, what am I considered, a newbie or a veteran???????

SleepyNoMore

Yeah! One or the other.... (or in-between) (compared to others in the "time" sense, I still consider myself a newbie)
I don't think it matters how long we do this.....that we don't pause at that moment we're putting on our masks and wish we didn't HAVE to.

There are lots of people who have been on this therapy for many years......but only found out how little they actually knew about their therapy......at the point they arrived here.
I think part of the answer is in the word "acceptance". Another part is feeling/believing/knowing that everything is "working" for you (it helps to have a data-capable machine and software).

Getting past the first year is a GOOD progress marker. (they go faster after that)

Den

LOL Den!

Fredman says i'm considered a veteran and you say what I thought I was, in-between a newbie and a veteran, hee-hee-he, but that is kind of how I feel about it and then on the other hand I feel like a pro (in a sense) to my own therapy now, I won't throw alot of advice out to people as I fear I might give them the wrong advice and I would feel terrible if it weren't the right advice so i'm still just basically hangin and reading, hangin & readin...

SNMore

SleepyNoMore wrote:Fredman says i'm considered a veteran and you say what I thought I was, in-between a newbie and a veteran, hee-hee-he, but that is kind of how I feel about it and then on the other hand I feel like a pro (in a sense) to my own therapy now, I won't throw alot of advice out to people as I fear I might give them the wrong advice and I would feel terrible if it weren't the right advice so i'm still just basically hangin and reading, hangin & readin...

SNMore

There have been few days that have gone by over the years that I haven't learned something "new" by reading things on here. So, I guess I'm a "veteran hangin' & readin' newbie", too..... How's that for a definition?

You're doin' just fine!

Den

Wulfman wrote:

SleepyNoMore wrote:Fredman says i'm considered a veteran and you say what I thought I was, in-between a newbie and a veteran, hee-hee-he, but that is kind of how I feel about it and then on the other hand I feel like a pro (in a sense) to my own therapy now, I won't throw alot of advice out to people as I fear I might give them the wrong advice and I would feel terrible if it weren't the right advice so i'm still just basically hangin and reading, hangin & readin...

SNMore

There have been few days that have gone by over the years that I haven't learned something "new" by reading things on here. So, I guess I'm a "veteran hangin' & readin' newbie", too..... How's that for a definition? You're doin' just fine!

Den

It's purrrrr-fect-O Den, however, you are a veteran in my blue eyes, ha-ha, I've learned alot from you to believe it or not, seriously, you we're there for me from day one and I am so thankful so i'll personally say "Thanks Den", your awesome and funny to I might add!! when I first stated here on the forum, my avatar was "Stevie Knicks", do you remember me now??? I constantly change my avatar.

SleepyNoMore

SleepyNoMore wrote:It's purrrrr-fect-O Den, however, you are a veteran in my blue eyes, ha-ha, I've learned alot from you to believe it or not, seriously, you we're there for me from day one and I am so thankful so i'll personally say "Thanks Den", your awesome and funny to I might add!! when I first stated here on the forum, my avatar was "Stevie Knicks", do you remember me now??? I constantly change my avatar.

SleepyNoMore

Oh, yeah.....I remember that avatar......and you and "Bobbie" (Wabmorgan) had this "thing" going on at the Southfork Ranch..

BTW.....my eyes are blue, too.....

Den

DEN, DEN, DEN...

We DID NOT! We are jst friends and that's it!

I have been married for 29 years and it will be 30 years this March , 2009 and happily married I might add, I couldn't have found a more purrr-fect mate than the one I have, he's awesome. We have 3 daughter's and 7 grandchildren and (we are very Blessed)!

Half of this forum flirts- in round about ways but NEVER would I cheat or even think about cheating on my husband and Never did Bobby/Wabmorgan suggest we do anything of the sort, like I said, we are just good friends!

So there ya have it you silly guy...... That's my story and i'm sticking to it because it's the truth.

SleepyNoMore

SleepyNoMore wrote:DEN, DEN, DEN...

We DID NOT! We are jst friends and that's it!

I have been married for 29 years and it will be 30 years this March , 2009 and happily married I might add, I couldn't have found a more purrr-fect mate than the one I have, he's awesome. We have 3 daughter's and 7 grandchildren and (we are very Blessed)!

Half of this forum flirts- in round about ways but NEVER would I cheat or even think about cheating on my husband and Never did Bobby/Wabmorgan suggest we do anything of the sort, like I said, we are just good friends!

So there ya have it you silly guy...... That's my story and i'm sticking to it because it's the truth.

SleepyNoMore

NO, NO, NO!!!

I never thought about anything like that for a second. (I just never said what I thought the "thing" was....just "banter".)
But, yeah, I know what you mean about spouses. I got me a good-un the second time around. Twenty-one years together.....we're like "soul mates".

Best wishes,

Den