A Victory? For me at my Job - CPAP - Updated

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:01 pm

Have you determined WHY your therapy has gone downhill?
Do you have the software to monitor your therapy?

The fact that you have a nasal mask listed in your profile makes me suspicious that you're mouth-leaking your therapy air and consequently aren't getting ANY therapy.

If you had the software, you would know for sure......leaking......pressure not right......whatever.

You've been a member of this forum since July of 2006. Surely, you should have read about some of these things (here) that would give you clues as to why. Mouth-leaking is one of THE most prevalent problems for people who wear nasal masks.

Den

RAINSUX · Post by **RAINSUX** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:04 pm

Well, I think the problem here is that we haven't talked about your therapy at all, and that's the main reason we're here. If you had asked us how you could make CPAP work better for you the answers probably would have been very different. Will you let us help you with this?

Do you have a data capable machine and software that will let you monitor your own therapy? If not, get it. It's the best investment you can make.

Do you know what your AHI is, or do you just blindly strap on the hose and hope it works? Do you know if you mouth breathe or if your mask leaks? These things are important and you can't expect the therapy to work unless you monitor it.

Many of us here have found that we were not getting the best therapy due to many reasons. We took the matter into our own hands and our lives are much better for it. This can work for you, too, if you'll let it.

Instead of spending what little energy you have working against your employer, spend it to make your therapy more effective. You have two free months to turn this around. Discuss specific issues with us and let us help you improve your health!

We're here for you.

Sam

brackstone · Post by **brackstone** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:04 pm

Wulfman wrote:Have you determined WHY your therapy has gone downhill?
Do you have the software to monitor your therapy?

The fact that you have a nasal mask listed in your profile makes me suspicious that you're mouth-leaking your therapy air and consequently aren't getting ANY therapy.

If you had the software, you would know for sure......leaking......pressure not right......whatever.

You've been a member of this forum since July of 2006. Surely, you should have read about some of these things (here) that would give you clues as to why. Mouth-leaking is one of THE most prevalent problems for people who wear nasal masks.

Den

Hi Wulfman,

I already responded to Goofs post in the same vein.

Yes I have the software
No it doesn't show anything abnormal (doctors office confirmed this).
I tape my mouth when I sleep so air is not escaping.

I'm waking up about every 3 hours for no good reason. So far no medicine has been able to fix that.

ww · Post by ww » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:05 pm

brackstone wrote:
ww wrote:
Please don't misunderstand intolerance for an intense desire to assist you. Sleep Apnea is treatable and the results are amazing, but treated improperly, the results can be a disaster, as you state.

People on this forum can help immensely, if you are looking for help, they can offer a lot of wisdom on the subject and how to get effective treatment.
That comment wasn't intended for you.

Well, I have told you all the bad things that can happen in the work place and why you will never collect a dime or get an attorney to take the case, so why not get down to seeing what is REALLY going on with your therapy.

I challenge you to read the forums and learn HOW to post your charts for AHI and Leaks vs time in the forum and let the readers see how THEY think your therapy is going. It will take a little work, but less than an hour to do it. I would look through other posts and see if you can post the same data. It is best to remove your name from the plots with an editor before you post them.

I just set my stop watch to see how long it takes to get the first set of plots from your machine posted in this forum........................

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:08 pm

Maybe you have other problems than Sleep Apnea, getting married, that didn't solve any problems for me, but it kept me tired and my nose on the grind wheel, didn't even get water on the wheel to cool it down.

We aren't trying to sound wise, but the Government Sow hasn't enough faucets for everyone. Someone has to milk the Cow. In the U. S. we have more sucking than we have milking. Jim

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:12 pm

Have you had any blood tests to see if there's something else going on?

Are you getting ENOUGH sleep? If I don't get at least close to seven hours a night, my butt's dragging in a few days.

Not trying to "beat up" on you......but it just seems rather odd that something isn't obvious.

Den

brackstone · Post by **brackstone** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:12 pm

ww wrote:
I just set my stop watch to see how long it takes to get the first set of plots from your machine posted in this forum........................

I'll post the data sheets for everyone tomorrow, I'll be surprised if people are finding something that my Doctor's technicians have not.

But if someone can prove them wrong I'll buy that person a steak dinner

jules · Post by **jules** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:13 pm

A real doctor is needed if the reports are fine - something is going wrong with other medical conditions (which might not be diagnosed yet) and/or treatment.

As long as your time is spent retorting all our posts, you haven't accomplished anything towards improving your health. Your health is more important than the job - sorry ----- but that is reality.

Maybe you can get some leads on a real doctor in your area who will take your case and figure out what is wrong. Taking more meds such as provigil isn't the answer imho.

brackstone · Post by **brackstone** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:14 pm

Wulfman wrote:Have you had any blood tests to see if there's something else going on?

Are you getting ENOUGH sleep? If I don't get at least close to seven hours a night, my butt's dragging in a few days.

Not trying to "beat up" on you......but it just seems rather odd that something isn't obvious.

Den

Hi Den,

I get at least 7 hours a night if not more usually. But work putting a lot of stress on me has really made it even harder for me to sleep!

brackstone · Post by **brackstone** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:15 pm

jules wrote:A real doctor is needed if the reports are fine - something is going wrong with other medical conditions (which might not be diagnosed yet) and/or treatment.

As long as your time is spent retorting all our posts, you haven't accomplished anything towards improving your health. Your health is more important than the job - sorry ----- but that is reality.

Maybe you can get some leads on a real doctor in your area who will take your case and figure out what is wrong. Taking more meds such as provigil isn't the answer imho.

I agree with you but unfortunately my medical coverage is horrible and finding other doctors isn't that easy. If I lose my job we will more than likely lose our house.

I'm not sure what you mean by retoring posts and not repairing my health but it may just be because I'm tired.

brackstone · Post by **brackstone** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:23 pm

Well my Encore software doesn't work on my Vista installation.

So all I have to go by was me looking at the reports at my doctors and their intrepretation of it.

If anyone knows a way to get this upgraded to Vista feel free to PM me.

I'm at a really low point in my life right now, I'm depressed and fed up and I'm really tired of the situation I'm in. I just want to be normal and not have to do all this fighting just to be treated fairly. Nobody else is looking out for myself so I'm trying to do that on my own.

I just wanted to see if anyone had any advice on my problem and instead I just got lots of fingers pointed at me and lots of assumptions made so I just don't feel welcome anymore.

I don't want to lose my job
I don't want to lose my house
I want to give my fiance the wedding she deserves
I want to live a normal life

I'll just go find a different and keep to myself.

Thanks to anyone who shared kind words.

Bye.

Admins please delete my account as I have no way of doing it on my own in my profile. Thank you.

jules · Post by **jules** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:40 pm

You need some real help. Yes you are tired, and it appears stress is getting to you.

Do you have an EAP program where you work? Can you ask your doctor for a referral to a counselor/ therapist?

Can you find a good internist say at a medical school who will do a complete workup and try to determine if you have other medical problems?

Again, your health is more important than the job - sorry ----- reality sucks sometimes.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 10:52 pm

Brackstone,
I hope you're still reading this. I did get to read your first letter before you deleted it.

If I undersood you correctly this is what's going on:

You volunteered for shift work and the employer promised to hire help.
The employer didn't hire the help promised.
Shift work screwed up your circadian rythm - according to your doctor, and this makes you groggy when you get up, and you feel its not safe for you to drive during the first 2 hours of the day.
You asked to work form home, but had to really fight for it - and you feel the emloyer wasn't being consistent, or fair in deciding who could, and who could not work from home.

And you shared many of your thoughts, and correspondence publicly on this forum.

You were give excellent advice about that by people who know how employers and lawyers look at these things.

If your results apnea treatmnet results are perfect, and the doc thinks its a circadian rythm problem then what you're basically saying is: I can't work shifts. And it is up to you on the one hand, and up to the employer on the other, to decide if you - or they - want to continue in an employment situation that needs shift work.

Your employer reneged on the promise to hire help, took advantage of your volunteering, was apparently very arbitrary in deciding who can and who cannot work from home - and they will do that again in a different way. Some employers are decent. others are not - and "litigation" will not change a nasty employer into a decent one. You will not be treated fairly by this company, because fairness doesn't seem to be part or their business policy.

I suggest you take what they offer at this point, do your job the best you can, and spend this time looking for a job in which you don't have to work shifts. Don't waste you limited energy fighting for fairness with this employer. Make yourself a list of things that you consider fair, and use it when you assess other jobs.

And the wedding your fiancee deserves really has nothing to do with the money you or she spend on it. The real celebration is what happens in your hearts, not in what the guests think of how much you've spent.

Take care.
O.

P.S. No one car PM a non-exitant account.

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:38 am

You seem to be most worried about losing your job. If you are too tired to drive for the first 2 hours you are awake...get up 2 hours earlier. Before xpap I had to get to bed earlier and get up earlier because it took me a couple of hours to fully wakeup and get moving.
If you don't lose your job, you most likely won't lose the house.
My husband and I eloped more than 27 years ago. I don't feel as if I missed anything by not having a big wedding. I got to marry the man I loved and would do it again tomorrow.
Define normal. I worked, raised a child, kept house, did yard work, and did everything everyone else does. I just hook up to a hose and machine at night.
This isn't easy all the time but you have to be willing to do the work involved.

Brenda