What would you change?

[littlebaddow]

...the NHS. Nothing but praise for it ...

Waverley, I also think the NHS is generally very good. If I need to see a GP (General Practitioner) about something routine, it's free and immediate. If I'm ever unfortunate enough to be involved in a serious accident, or be in need of immediate, urgent medical attention, then I know it's also free and immediate. It's in between those extremes that the service isn't always so good and what we know as the postcode lottery applies. If you live in an area that has good resources for a particular condition, then you're OK. In my case, unfortunately, the wait to see a sleep specialist is 6 to 12 months.

I'm happy to hear that you've finally been treated. You must be feeling much better.

I am thank you. After waiting 4 or 5 months, I decided to bite the bullet and pay to go privately. No insurance, sadly, but it has been worth it. I could chose my own equipment, using the excellent advice from people like you in this forum, and I started using it in December.

Already I feel like a different person
Thanks to everyone who so freely offer their experience and advice.

[unclebob]

Thanks for the post Muck!! One way to get people's dander up.

I echo Christinequilts, others and especially SWS thoughts regarding earlier diagnoses and a much higher level of recognition by the entire medical profession that Apnea is a serious condition.

The public is flogged with the perception that high blood pressure, breast and prostate cancer can creep up on you without you knowing and can kill you. A lot of recognition of this and the public is urged to have frequent testing. But Apnea? - What is it anyway and who cares!

Seems to me that the major manufacturer's of CPAP equipment should spend a few bucks/pounds on advertising and make the public aware of this health condition. With all the undiagnosed cases out there they stand to make a bundle!

Just got my CPAP and last night was my first home hosehead experience. After completing the diagnoses and equipment acquisition stage I've walked away feeling - Did that used car dealer take advantage of me or what? There was a distinct lack of professional medical communication and I had to demand whatever I info I got.

So my one thing to change - just what SWS inferred, lets raise the bar on the whole Apnea issue to make the public and the medical profession aware that Apnea kills and is a treatable condition. Early diagnoses and treatment is essential.

[Guest]

Does anyone know how to a Resmed AutoSet T Sullivan machine repaired on Sunday.? It's giving a System Error.

[Guest]

Does anyone know how to get a ResMed AutoSet T Sullivan repaired on Sunday? My machine is giving a System Error.

[Clownshow]

where are you located?

[wading thru the muck!]

Thanks unclebob,

Why is is with those other (more popular) conditions the medical community stresses education, but not OSA. If you have high cholesterol you are taught all the low cholesterol foods and cholesterol lowering foods. If you have high cholesterol in Sleep Apnea land you would be given a box of bland generic low cholesterol mush and when you ask what is in it you would be told that they were not "allowed" to tell you.

Why? Why? Why?

How have we gotten to the point of being left out of our treatment decisions?

[Clownshow]

Seems to me that the major manufacturer's of CPAP equipment should spend a few bucks/pounds on advertising and make the public aware of this health condition. With all the undiagnosed cases out there they stand to make a bundle!

But think of all the money the drug companies would lose with the loss of all their misdiagnosed depression customers?

Who are the major manufacturers of CPAP Equipment? Find the histories of these companies and you'll find the answer?

I've been recently reading this book


great historical read on the conception and development of most of the major drug companies today. Lots of shady nonsense for all those black helicopter watchin conspirocy nuts out there - Yikes

[chrisp]

I like the idea of apnea awareness . However advertising by manufacturers doesnt sit well with me. Look at all the drug company advertisments out there. Take celebrex, all the tv commercials so you can spend hundreds of$$$ for a smalll bottle of pills that doesnt work any better than asparin.
My $750 pB420E package would cost $2400 to pay for all that advertising. Perhaps a few news shows like 60 minutes LOL imagine that sensationalized . How do you do it showing someone not breathing on tv. Like watching the old station identifier at midniight without sound.
We have a good group here. Lets all go out and spread the word..Now if president Bush had sleep apnea. The world would be educated. Remember Ronald Reagans prostate problem. Front page for a week. Every station had their local Expert describing the problem and procedure to fix it. We might get the George Bush national center for sleep apnea awareness.

Cheers,

Chris

[Waverly]

Clownshow, You've got to stop playing your music backwards. Its not good for you.

Waverly

[littlebaddow]

...Now if president Bush had sleep apnea...

so how else would you explain the lack of coherent thought or speech...

[Clownshow]

Clownshow, You've got to stop playing your music backwards. Its not good for you.

It drowns out the voices LOL

[chrisp]

Guest, You might try your local hospital medical equipment department. Call resmed and ask for the local rep. Look under medical equipment repair in yellow pages or ask a local DME. Bad news is if it must go to resmed its gonna take a few weeks at least. They had mine for 5 weeks.

littlebaddow, I think you might be on to something about our prez. I am at a loss to explain the reason for half the stings he does. I think he has been misinformed by his advisors. They sure are some arrogant idiots arent they. Scary part is all the new laws passed are just renamed bills that were thought to "big brother " by republicans and democrats alike under Clinton.

Cheers,

Chris

[SleepyGuy]

Doctors need to be far better educated on this stuff. I can't believe that I spent years going to doctors specifically complaining about severe fatigue and none ever said, "Do you snore? You should get a sleep study." Even after the study, they seemed to lack the sense of urgency that an AHI of 80 would indicate. If my cholesterol numbers were as bad as my sleep apnea numbers, you know they'd be far more alarmed.

The way to get publicity for this is to get it on some of the TV news magazines like 48 Hours, Dateline, 20/20, or 60 Minutes. Someone here had great statisitics about the huge rise in serious illnesses such as COPD that sleep apnea can cause. That should get their interest. There are doctors at top hospitals that they could interview.

[CPAPNAP]

Waverly,

Thank you for letting me vent and for introducing the experienced others.

You are right, "mush" is exactly what I have received in response to my diagnosis---a bowl full of bland, non-descript nothing. Even heartburn gets more colorful helpful attention than Sleep Apnea! I am glad for this place where I can validate my sanity and get good information for treating myself. Paying $1,600 a month medical insurance premium would make you think I should not have to treat myself!

My GP's face looked like mush when I went to him after my diagnosos except for a small moment of interest when he said "Let me see that---I have never seen one before" pointing to my CPAP machine which I brought with me to the appointment---how silly of me to think he'd seen one before.

The sleep clinic neurologist was all mush when I tried to tell him about the painful journey on the long road of misdiagnosis. He could care less about the whole me---once he got the $4,000 for my two sleep studies and understood the nocturnal me---the social, psychological, mental, physical, emotional, spiritual me might as well have been invisible! MUSH!

There should be a public outcry if what we read is true---the number of auto accidents caused by our undiagnosed, untreated co-sufferers---the costly care of secondary diseases of the heart, lung, brain, and psyche---and all the while SO EASILY TREATABLE!!!

I REST my case!

CPAPNAPer

[dankazoo]

I would vote for the so called experts to be better educated on Sleep Apnea and share that knowledge with patients. As it was, I got the machine the DME said I could have and an uncomfortable mask. Because of this web site, I am now better educated and have a good handle on equipment (after the fact).

Since I didn't have a doctor explain test results, I got my regular doctor to give me a copy of the report and then started the research. By the time I am done, I know that I will be a better expert than the doctors I dealt with.

Dan