Finally bought Encore Viewer

[Riv]

And I've been using it:

It's hard to believe that some doctors could hide vital information from their patients but in the world of sleep apnea, this is what I've experienced. The doctors I've gone to either aren't set up to read a Respironics Bpap auto or told me that all they can read (a lie of course) is the compliance data and despite my written request, all my DME sent back to me when I sent my smart card was compliance data so I figured I had to buy the Encore Viewer and card reader if I wanted to know how my therapy was going, of course its crucial to know what's going on at night while sleeping and using the machine.

In general I'm pleased with the ability of the Viewer to tell me how well I am (or aren't) doing but questions come up being that I'm not as informed about apnea as I need to be, seems like questions always come up regarding apnea results, apnea treatment.

Lately I haven't been sleeping well, I've had the Viewer around two weeks now, at first I was sleeping soundly, last four or five nights I've been finding it hard to fall asleep and been waking up every hour after sleeping for about two-three hours straight and then either getting up for awhile or falling asleep right away and sleeping for another hour and repeating the process. My AHIs have been varying, they had dropped last month according to the Viewer from an average of about 3 to an average of about 2 and some nights were under 2 and even a couple of nights under 1............now they are varying with the last three nights showing 4.0, 1.5, 3.8.

Actually due to my work schedule I'm not a "night" sleeper but I'm a morning sleeper; I usually sleep or try to sleep from around 4-5 AM to after noon. My next question is that I wanted to know if my card might be defective or if my hours (reset time being 12 noon on Respironics) were messing my data up. My Viewer report is showing a missing Feb 25 on the weekly summary chart but the report for Feb 25 is in the daily reports however Feb 26 shows up on the weekly summary report while the daily report for Feb 26 is missing (although I did see it when I first downloaded the data)..........also I'm seeing data indicating that I only used the machine for 00:9 and for 1:57 on two days when I turned off the machine respectively at 12:09 PM and 1:57 PM but I think that these data straighten out after awhile since the daily reports show the full seven or eight hours of use for those days.

I also wanted to know exactly what Average Non Responsive Apnea/Hypopnea Index indicated.........It's usually 0 on my report or very low as my weekly summary was 0.8, also exactly what daily Obstructive Apnea Index, Hypopnea Index, AHI indicated.............Isn't Obstructive Apnea the same as AHI? Numbers are different.

Other things I wanted to know the exact meaning of and what exactly they indicated were Average Flow Limitation Index, Average Vibratory Snore, Average Max Leak, Average Leak, Average Large Leak.

And one question which really puzzles me: What does "Average Time In Apnea Per Day" indicate? I take it that it indicates (or hope it indicates) the total amount of time on average each night that I have episodes and not the average amount of time that EACH apnea episode last for as my average is 2 mins 24 seconds!

Thanks all that answer.

[Riv]

58 people read this post!
58 people!!!!!!!!!!!!

And nobody who read this post knew the answer to even one of my questions?

Hard for me to believe that knowing that a lot of members of cpaptalk know their stuff.

I did email a few members (here and on a similar forum where another 44 people totally ignored my request for knowledge) and I got back some very informative answers so don't worry about it. Don't lose any sleep over it LOL, I was helped and I thank those knowledgeable people who helped me.

I'd like to say to those who could have helped, who could have posted a reply but didn't that this reminds me of the story of a bear who walked into a bar one night, goes like this:

Bear walks into the bar and walks over to the bartender who can't believe what he's seeing. Bear says to the bartender "I'd like a shot of gin". Bartender is speechless, he finally says "Eh, hold on a minute" to the bear then the bartender takes his cell phone, walks into the men's room and calls up the owner of the bar.

"Hey Jack"
"Yeah, what's up".
"A bear just walked in here".
"So?"
"He ordered a drink".
"Yeah, so?"
"What do I do, Jack?"
"Ya serve him...............but ya charge him 20 bucks, ya get it?"
"Duh, ok."

Bartender walks out of the men's room, gets a shot of gin, serves it to the bear and then says "that'll be twenty dollars".

Bear pays the twenty, takes the shot, sits down and sips it.

Bartender sees business is slow, walks over to the table, sits down and talks to the bear.

"How do you like the drink"?

"It's fine".

"How do you like the bar?"

"Not bad".

"Will you be coming back here?"

"Probably not".

"Awww, how come?"

"Twenty bucks. That's an awful high price to charge for a shot of gin".

Moral of the story: You can't expect anyone to go back to a place if the place overcharges him or her..........And you can't expect new people to like your forum as much as you think they should if you can answer their posts but you instead ignore them. If people need help, if you can post them an answer that can help them? For goodness sake, then do it! I mean don't pass another by if you are able to post a reply that will help them............I'm not a beautiful girl or a handsome, rugged man who you might want to score points with, I'm just an ordinary, average old man who gets used by his doctors. I'm no status symbol for you to get on the good side of but aren't we all here to help one another?

Isn't it easier to trust that a forum is beneficial to you when some of its members respond to your questions and don't we need forums which we can trust? Didn't you once need answers when you were starting out as an apnea patient and didn't you get those answers when you needed them?

For those who enjoy posting the more humorous, lighter things: There's a lot of benefit to having humor in forums, true, and the lighter things make us feel better but those of you who come to enjoy humor, can you pass up the serious questions of those who need your knowhow if you have that knowledge?

Weren't you too once like I am?

Yes you have the right to decide what you are, what you aren't going to answer. That is your right. And it is your right to be sensitive, to be kind, to be caring, to be hard, to pass up this post you presently are reading if you want to and that is your right. Just like it is my right to write what I feel, that too is my right and it is your right to respond or to not respond.

And just as others have the right to sway you into being and into staying at the present definition of what is "cool" which is being hard and uncaring then I too have the right to try to appeal to your better and more helpful side which all I can do is try.

I hoped I helped some of you reading this by telling you what I feel, I hoped I helped you to become a better person. Pass it on, help others if you can and pass it on, maybe someday it will be returned to you.

Thank you,
Riv

[SharkBait]

I know the feeling. I posted something once and after awhile I bumped it and asked again, but without all the diatribe and more direct to the question. It never occurred to me to compose a novel about animals instead...

But strangely, I ended up receiving lots of replies from people. I think we all have a bit off ADD to tell the truth...

[bdp522]

It is very possible, given the number of people who read posts, that none of the 58 people knew the answers or felt comfortable enough here to post an answer. I'm sure you've read posts and not posted answers, we all have.
It is possible that you just needed to wait a bit longer for someone to answer your post. Many of us just check in once or twice a day. You posted on a Sunday evening, Many of us are busy with family and getting ready for the work week ahead. Many posters don't check in over the weekend at all, meaning an answer may not be there until monday evening. You could at least have waited till a reasonable time on Monday to post your rant.
Many of us don't read every post and the title of yours ' Finally bought Encore Viewer' might have gotten more responses if you added 'need help' or 'have questions'. When my time is limited I look for posts requesting help first, I'm sure others do too.
Just my thoughts...

Brenda

[Guest]

I think the machine records from noon to noon the following day.

[Goofproof]

Brenda, brings up a valid point, also 50+ views doesn't mean much, considering a thread on "wanting to quit" by a person that doesn't respond to their thread, (Drive-by Poster) is viewed by 600 and answered by 75. Many of us use Encore Pro not Encoreviewer, so we don't have first hand knowledge of all the cut down product settings.

However the answers to you questions are given over and over, the search is handy as is the light bulb at the top. I never saw you post as I too have a strange sleep time 3A.M. to 11 A.M. Answers on a forum don't come with instant gratification, "All things Come in Time", Grasshopper. Sometimes a Chill Pill comes in useful. Jim

[GumbyCT]

I have mixed feelings about getting a PM with the entire post in it.

It seems we are now demanding service from a FREE forum - talk about spoiled Americans demanding instant gratification.

"Hold on honey, someone on the forum has a question. Oh they really have ten questions, sorry dear I'll be just a little longer."

I think Jim and Brenda summed it up pretty well. I can only add that I have never used Viewer and that it is really important you take the time to help yourself.

There is "NO Wisdom pill" but a good place to start is on the top of the forum homepage -
Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start
viewtopic/t35702/Where-A-CPAP-Newbie-Should-Start.html

What is not there can be found if you take the time to -
Learn to search
use Google & the syntax "search words" site:www.cpaptalk.com
or the Advanced Search at the top of each page.
or here - viewtopic/t35702/search.php

I know untreated OSA clouds the mind and slows the thought process but you have to be your own advocate too. You have been a member for quite some time now. If you've found a place you like better - by all means go there for help.

Reminds me of a saying -
Give a man a fish,
You feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish,
You feed him for life. Unk.

Good Luck, my friend.

[gaujaai@aim.com]

if you right click any section in the report and select help it will bring up a description of all of these things.

[Riv]

viewtopic/t39274/Newbie--Interpreting-E ... ffect.html

How come he gets feedback?

Maybe I should offer to buy a drink to whoever gives me some feedback?

[ColinP]

I'd say he received replies because his post was brief and to the point, with the questions clearly visible without having to scroll down through reams of narrative before coming to them. Also his title indicated that he was a newbie, which primes people to the fact the there are likely to be questions. Your post looked to me as though it was just a report of your new toy (and your usual rant about your doctor). And on that topic, I must admit that I can't remember when I last saw someone with the ability to whine as much as you do. If people don't reply to your thread, but do to others, then one can assume it's not the forum at fault. Following this logically, it must be the nature of the post that either attracts replies or not.

• Try to phrase your questions more clearly and more concisely. Make them stand out from the descriptive text.
• Don't put rants in posts that you are asking questions in - people see the rant and assume that that is the whole point of the post.
• Make the title a hint of what is required - used the word "question" and people who are inclined to giving answers will look more closely.
• Don't attack the forum because you didn't get as much interest as you'd hoped - it just pisses people off.
• Your thread has been dormant for two days, and if you didn't get the answers you wanted, why not ask them again instead of comparing your response
• with that given to others. It's a forum, not a competition to get the fastest response on a slow Sunday afternoon.
• Read the replies to other peoples questions - often you'll get the answers you need there.

Colin

[SharkBait]

viewtopic/t39274/Newbie--Interpreting-E ... ffect.html

How come he gets feedback?

Maybe I should offer to buy a drink to whoever gives me some feedback?

Did you read my response?

I like Shiner Bock...

[Riv]

I'd say he received replies because his post was brief and to the point, with the questions clearly visible without having to scroll down through reams of narrative before coming to them. Also his title indicated that he was a newbie, which primes people to the fact the there are likely to be questions. Your post looked to me as though it was just a report of your new toy (and your usual rant about your doctor). And on that topic, I must admit that I can't remember when I last saw someone with the ability to whine as much as you do. If people don't reply to your thread, but do to others, then one can assume it's not the forum at fault. Following this logically, it must be the nature of the post that either attracts replies or not.

• Try to phrase your questions more clearly and more concisely. Make them stand out from the descriptive text.
• Don't put rants in posts that you are asking questions in - people see the rant and assume that that is the whole point of the post.
• Make the title a hint of what is required - used the word "question" and people who are inclined to giving answers will look more closely.
• Don't attack the forum because you didn't get as much interest as you'd hoped - it just pisses people off.
• Your thread has been dormant for two days, and if you didn't get the answers you wanted, why not ask them again instead of comparing your response
• with that given to others. It's a forum, not a competition to get the fastest response on a slow Sunday afternoon.
• Read the replies to other peoples questions - often you'll get the answers you need there.

Colin

No, this was not a report about my "new toy" and no, Encore is not a "toy".

I was asking for information, I feel I have the right to ask for information and the right to express my disappointment when my post is ignored.

May I say "man oh man, are you CYNICAL!" Your cynicism comes through loudly and clearly. A man asks for help, you reply with such an unfeeling response?

You and one other gave me the most cynical responses I have ever seen on the internet yet.

People who use the ugly terms "rant" and "whine" when a person expresses himself are people who are too hard for me to deal with and I'm not surprised that your kind of hard mentality replies to me in such an unfeeling manner.

If you bothered to read my post, you'd realize it was written in a clear manner, maybe you couldn't understand my post but that's not the fault of the way I worded it.

Let your reply stand next to my posts, let all that read this thread see and decide who the nicer person is. The pity is that many will see things your way but these will be hard, uncaring, insensitive people while the kind of people who'll respond "Why don't those people just ANSWER his questions"? will be the kind of people who won't want to even bother with such hard people.

[Riv]

I have mixed feelings about getting a PM with the entire post in it.

It seems we are now demanding service from a FREE forum - talk about spoiled Americans demanding instant gratification.

"Hold on honey, someone on the forum has a question. Oh they really have ten questions, sorry dear I'll be just a little longer."

I think Jim and Brenda summed it up pretty well. I can only add that I have never used Viewer and that it is really important you take the time to help yourself.

There is "NO Wisdom pill" but a good place to start is on the top of the forum homepage -
Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start
viewtopic/t35702/Where-A-CPAP-Newbie-Should-Start.html

What is not there can be found if you take the time to -
Learn to search
use Google & the syntax "search words" site:www.cpaptalk.com
or the Advanced Search at the top of each page.
or here - viewtopic/t35702/search.php

I know untreated OSA clouds the mind and slows the thought process but you have to be your own advocate too. You have been a member for quite some time now. If you've found a place you like better - by all means go there for help.

Reminds me of a saying -
Give a man a fish,
You feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish,
You feed him for life. Unk.

Good Luck, my friend.

My apology for emailing you asking you for an answer. I knew you were a knowledgeable person when you answered another poster with a similar post to mine, but I thought you were a feeling, helpful person and not one who chooses who to help and who to be cynical towards...It won't happen again.

No, i'm not DEMANDING service, I'm asking for information. But maybe the difference is lost on you so I won't belabor the point.

I checked the top of the page, none of what I read answered the questions I had nor was I able to find out what I wanted to know by running a search, so I posted my questions and to my COMPLETE shock, nobody answered me. No, I'm not demanding anything but I'm expressing my.................never mind, you won't understand it.

No, I don't have untreated apnea. I use a machine. Machine treats apnea. Just wanted to let you know that I caught the nastiness of that remark to me. It was uncalled for but heck, if you're going to be nasty and cynical then I should expect those kinds of remarks.

All I can say in closing is that if I knew as much about apnea as you seem to know, if someone posted a question, I'd answer him or her rather than have that cynical way of seeing things which you show you have.

[ColinP]

You and one other gave me the most cynical responses I have ever seen on the internet yet.

Hell, I was holding back...

People who use the ugly terms "rant" and "whine" when a person expresses himself are people who are too hard for me to deal with and I'm not surprised that your kind of hard mentality replies to me in such an unfeeling manner.

If you bothered to read my post, you'd realize it was written in a clear manner, maybe you couldn't understand my post but that's not the fault of the way I worded it.

I not only read that post, I went and read every other post you have made on this forum before replying as I did, and the general tone in most of those posts is that you believe that you are entitled to answers and you get upset if they aren't forthcoming, and pretty darned quickly too. You keep digging up your old threads, and continue to be upset that you didn't get the answers that you wanted, while noticing that others do get answers. The logical conclusion is that they did something different from what you did, and I made a genuine attempt to tell you what differences I saw which might account for the lack of response to your threads. If you can't handle a little objective criticism, then there is nothing I can do to help you, I have no knowledge of the software you are running. If I was so cynical, why did I bother to read all your posts and to attempt to explain the way they came across to me?

The original post is long and wordy, the actual questions are near the end, and many won't have read the whole way down, and that is a fact of life. Most people scan the title, and read the first couple of sentences, and if you haven't captured their imagination by then, they move on. If you disagree, then perhaps you have a better theory as to why your posts didn't attract the answers you wanted? And if you do, perhaps you'll share your theory with us. I suspect that you don't, in fact your continued asking suggests that you don't, so perhaps you should read my post again, and try some of the suggestions I made.

Let your reply stand next to my posts, let all that read this thread see and decide who the nicer person is. The pity is that many will see things your way but these will be hard, uncaring, insensitive people while the kind of people who'll respond "Why don't those people just ANSWER his questions"? will be the kind of people who won't want to even bother with such hard people.

I am happy to let my response stand next to your posts, and I am not all that worried that I will be judged harshly for being open but blunt. If I was hard, uncaring and insensitive, I'd have just ignored your posts and moved on, instead of attempting to explain to you how you come across, but it seems you don’t wish to hear that. That is neither my fault nor my problem.

[ozij]

It must be terribly upsetting to you, Riv, to find out that for the first time in your life, you have wandered into a den of unkind people, who spend their time doing nothing but ignoring you.

Your natural kindness seems to have prompted you back here to try and teach how to change our terrible ways, and yet instead of accepting your instructions graciously, may of us seem to have the nerve to tell you how you may do better by changing your own posts.

I would like to ask you, humbly, that before you leave us, please leave a post for other wandering newbies giving them the names of the sites on which you found better answers and kinder, more responsive people, who will treat them with proper consideration. I assume that the surprising fact you haven't shared this info that till now is a poignant expression of how the members of this terrible place have upset you.

We can't help who we are, and sometimes, tips at behaviour change given with the best intentions are misconstrued. Don't feel too bad at not having succeeded in changing us


O.