Take Control of Your Health

[kteague]

FGS, thanks for sharing your experience. When I was new to this site I would read everybody's experiences and glean bits and pieces from each that might apply to me. Even some parts that didn't apply to my situation then have come back to my attention much later and been useful.

I am fortunate that my current sleep doc is a winner. Can't say the same about the previous one. Their actions and words also made me wonder if they weren't somehow invested financially in equipment selection. Way too intense. I do know doctors who have preferred certain vendors for different services, but I think it's usually because issues around confidence and communications have been established and it makes things run smoother. If one has the wherewithal to do their homework on insurance coverage, copays, reimbursements, equipment options, vendor options, etc., they can make choices that work for them, and if that happens to work for everyone else too, that's great.

For me, treatment of my multiple sleep disorders has been fluid, so I long ago gave up on the idea of one last study and/or sleep doctor visit. My OSA has been stable for a long time, but it took years and multiple tests to even get a diagnosis then more to determine its extent once other sleep issues were somewhat effectively treated. I can sympathize with those who continue to struggle despite their best efforts both with and without a doctor's attention. We never know when that one tidbit in a post will prompt a light bulb moment. Welcome, FGS.

[asleep@thewheel]

I am not a Dr. I just play one on TV. All In know is that they "Practice Medicine." Once you have strung together a few good nights of sleep, trust you intuition. For me, it somehow kept me alive until my best friend straight of Med school was vacation with my family and noticed me nod off in front of the TV. To think I fell asleep at the wheel at 60 mph 10 years earlier and somehow walked away from it without killing my friend and myself. I then went to see a neurologist who ran the battery of tests and did a 24 hour EEG." Son you have some slow brain waves, this is normal for someone your age," the Dr. said. Standard text book answer for when they have no answer. If that guy knew how to read the EEG, it would have been real easy to see I didn't have any REM patterns.

There's more. I am just getting started.

[LinkC]

And I would add to that that the reason most find their way to this site is because they didn't have good doctors ...

And what is the evidence you use to make that statement?

Yes, there are many. And yes, we hear from them more often than the satisfied ones...but "most"?
I'd wager neither you nor anyone else knows the patient-doctor relationship of even 1% of the nearly 51,000 users here...nor their motivation for coming here.

Kind of a silly assumption, don't you think?

[mergh]

Thank YOU for your informitive advice and story!!!

Yes how do you know if you have a good doctor when you are new? I guess one that takes time with you about your problem right?
What about one that discounts your other health issues? Do you have other health issues?

I will be trying the comment you made about when you are phobic over your mask using the air.....I try putting it down to 6, but it feels like I am not getting enough air// I have an S9...

[joeattardi]

Good post. Though, I would be careful about advocating the use of pirated software from a torrent. In case other users on the forum don't know, it is illegal to do so.