HELP! TORN HOSE!

gorkon · Post by **gorkon** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:15 pm

I am going to live without it, for now, but I went to go hook things up tonight and noticed my hose looked odd. Bent over to check it and noticed a nice tear around the top where it connects into the machine! I could probably repair it if I had some duct tape. It's a heated hose from Fisher-Paykel. I left a message for my DME which also happens to be my doctor's office in my case. I'll see what happens tomorrow.

Odds are either the cats treated it as a play toy or my son accidentally did something to it. If I see him awake in the morning, I'll quiz him on it.

Anyone know if the insurance company will help out with it?? I checked CPAP.com on the replacement Fisher-Paykel Thermosmart hose and it costs 49 bucks through them. Maybe my DME will cut me a discount. JUST when I was starting to get used to the blasted thing.

Something always seems to screw with my sleep. I was READY to go to sleep and put the mask on and everything and OH CRAP! Now I am worked up and it will take me another hour to calm down....dammit.

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tuna · Post by **tuna** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:40 pm

you had it atleast 30 days, I would think the insurance would cover it. Atleast BCBS will..

Hunter1 · Post by **Hunter1** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:43 pm

Gorkon

Do not know if insurance will help you or not. My experience is that you will be dead before they get back with you. About the DME giving you a break, I would not expect that either.

When I need something, I get on the phone and order it over the internet and pay for next day shipping. The extra money I pay for next day shipping is worth every penny. Life is too short to suffer any longer.

Hunter1

jennmary · Post by **jennmary** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 1:21 am

BCBS will cover a standard hose every 30 days.....though a heated one is a different story. Your DME will have a pretty good idea of what your insurance will cover. They want the money....so they know how often your insurance will cover new items. Wouldnt hurt to ask. Otherwise you might just have to pay for it on your own or go back to a standard hose.

geoDoug · Post by **geoDoug** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 2:01 am

jennmary wrote:Your DME will have a pretty good idea of what your insurance will cover. They want the money....so they know how often your insurance will cover new items.

No offense, but there are several rather bold assumptions in there. While it logically makes sense, you have to remember that we don't live in a logical world.

As tempted as I am to go off on a rant right now about DME laziness/incompetence that's been heard here a million times, I won't because I'd just be hijacking the thread.

Doug.

gorkon · Post by **gorkon** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 6:41 am

jennmary wrote:BCBS will cover a standard hose every 30 days.....though a heated one is a different story. Your DME will have a pretty good idea of what your insurance will cover.

In my case, the standard hose would be a heated one. I COULD use a non heated one, but then I would definitley have rainout issues as I run a fairly high humidity level.

Thankfully, I don't feel any worse now then I do with the machine. Maybe my apnea is getting better? I don't know. Since my study, I have probably lost about 20 more punds with a total lost weight since February nearing 70 lbs lost. I have a check up on the 22nd and I am going to ask about getting a new study and when can that happen with insurance and all of that. If my apnea goes away or gets better with the lost weight, then no more CPAP for me! That PLUS my desire to get off of any drugs (currently taking protonix for acid reflux and Diovan HCT for High BP...) is keeping me motivated to lose weight. I don't want to wear a hose for the rest of my life and would even consider getting surgery to get rid of the hose. I know it's not 100 percent that surgery would cure it, but I will try anything to not have to wear the hose.

Oh I am about used to it by now, but it's a pain because I like to camp and my son is in Cub Scouts and will be going to Boy Scouts. There's not battery that can get me through 2 days on ANY machine be it my Fisher Paykel or the Everest Aura (I think thats the one) with the battery.

JeffH · Post by **JeffH** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 6:51 am

Duct tape it. The hose I'm using right now is fixed with duct tape and works just fine. I sure would not miss treatment over a hose with a tear in it that is easily repairable.

JeffH

___H · Post by **___H** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:25 am

gorkon wrote:... I could probably repair it if I had some duct tape. ...

You could probably make an emergency repair with Saran Wrap if no duct tape is handy.

VenDexter · Post by **VenDexter** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:33 am

I apologize if the humor is inappropriate but when I first looked at the tile of your post, I saw torn NOSE.

I was amazed that you would think to duct tape it rather than use a band-aid.

Nevertheless, thank for the unintentional humor for me this morning.

gorkon · Post by **gorkon** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:32 pm

JeffH wrote:Duct tape it. The hose I'm using right now is fixed with duct tape and works just fine. I sure would not miss treatment over a hose with a tear in it that is easily repairable.

That's the thing....I COULD repair it, but then I would have likely had a rough time grtting it off and on the machine. The tear was right above the slide up connector.

I have a hose now. I didn't have to pony up bucks (yet). According to the tech, they'd bill the insurance company so I guess if I get a bill in a month or so I know what it's for! This was the same way they treated it when I went and got the chin strap after having incredible dry mouth one day. Sucks to be a mouth breather...damn strap prevents most openings but I still do it every once in a while. Not sure if I want to get medieval on myself.

I actually slept pretty good without it lastnight which I am amazed. I have never had the miracle feeling some people have had yet. I guess I am still in the adjustment phase or it's very possible I may not need it. My case was mild (only 11 per hour during first study) and I have been losing weight. I have probably lost about 20-30 lbs since my study. So it would not surprise me if the doc wants to do another study in another month or so to see if I really need it any more.

Oh and I asked my son straight up and he said he "fell" on it. That's how it got torn. Now to hang the sucker up every day so he or the cats don't get at it any more.

Duct taping would only be a very temporary fix in my case as my Fisher-Paykel has the heated hose. I'd never want to use it with out a heated one as I would definitely get rain our as I run the humidity only one tic below max. The element looked ok, but the wires for it are thinner then most head phone cables and I wear out a pair of ear buds every 2-3 months with my iPod and it's usually a break in the wire. So it's likely the heat would not have worked.

Flamingo · Post by **Flamingo** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 6:47 pm

Get a small bottle of liquid bandage and with the applicator brush put several coats on the torn part. It will work for you.

jennmary · Post by **jennmary** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:04 pm

I run my humidifier on the max and have never gotten rainout once. I dont think it is all about how high the humidity is up, but a combo of different things. For instance those with lower pressures tend to have more of a problem, and the time of year plays a part as well.

Doug....I understand. I did make an assumption there. My DME is really great, and I think I forget sometimes that there are those out there who have horrible ones who cant even dial a phone properly....let alone get a CPAP order or list right.

Glad you got a new hose.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:35 pm

Maybe duct tape the boys feet, then when he's goofing off in your room, maybe he will fall in another direction. Jim

gorkon · Post by **gorkon** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 7:41 pm

Flamingo wrote: Get a small bottle of liquid bandage and with the applicator brush put several coats on the torn part. It will work for you.

That would not have worked....the tear went right along one of the coils right along the spiral....it was like you took the end of the hosed and bent it completely over the plastic slider that connects to the machine....duct tape or packing tape might have been a good solution.

On the upside, it was a great exercise to try since I may be without the machine this weekend on a campout....I'd need a HUGE battery to run my SleepStyle 604 for the night. I DO have electric at the site and am contemplating taking the machine and an extension cord, but it may rain this weekend. I might take it and then if it looks like it will rain overnight, not run it....or try and get the tent closest to the electric. It's just one night so I probably would be fine if I had to go without. I asked my DME about the Aura and I may have to ask again to see if they can carry it. As it is I am going to try and see if she can get a ResMed Liberty for me as I AM a mouth breather!

geoDoug · Post by **geoDoug** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:21 pm

jennmary wrote:I run my humidifier on the max and have never gotten rainout once. I dont think it is all about how high the humidity is up, but a combo of different things. For instance those with lower pressures tend to have more of a problem, and the time of year plays a part as well.

Relative temperature is a biggy. It's like the opposite of a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. The difference in temperature causes the outside of a glass to "sweat." That's why if the room is cold and you've got hot moist air running through the hose, you'll get some condensation.

So winter sucks unless you like paying to run your room heater all night.

Doug.

HELP! TORN HOSE!

HELP! TORN HOSE!

Re: HELP! TORN HOSE!

Torn Hose

Re: Torn Hose

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