Just diagnosed. AHI 72

[Sperry63]

I was just diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and I am not sure what to think. I was told yesterday that my AHI was 72 and I'm just in shock. I'm not familiar with Sleep Apnea so I'm not sure exactly how severe that is but I'm told it's bad. I spent the better part of yesterday crying and I'm not sure if it because I'm upset or relieved. I go Monday to get my machine. I currently receive Medicaid but only for the next 6 months or so. Will I lose my machine when I lose the Medicaid? Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

[Alicia41964]

Sperry, I myself was diagnosed with an AHI of 83. It is bad, but thankfully, you have caught it in time and you will have the tools necessary to correct it! As for the Medicaid issue, it would help to know what state you reside in. I can give you experience with my personal situation, but if you don't live in New York, it might be not be applicable. I would ask your DME what to expect with regards to your machine. If you would like, you can let me know where you reside and perhaps I can offer some suggestions/advice. The Medicaid system is tricky, but it CAN be navigated. Trust me, I am doing it right now. As for working with a CPAP, lots of people will offer their advice - sift through it and see what works for you. Know that in all likelihood, you will experiment with a couple of different masks until you get comfortable enough to sleep with it on through the night. MOST DMEs are good with this. Good luck on Monday and again, let me know if I can answer anything more.

[Sperry63]

Thanks. I'm in Missouri. I'm actually excited to get my machine since just the 3 hours or so that I was on the CPAP during my sleep study I could feel a noticeable difference. It was unbelievable to me how much better I felt the next day even after having to sleep on my back which is not a good position for me.

[TalonNYC]

Take things nice and slow, this is something that you and your body will need to get used to, but it is the best way to help eliminate the effects of OSA. This forum helped me and many others get through the first weeks of treatment, so hang around and ask questions!

First things first, though, click on the green guy up at the top of the page and set up your profile. You don't have your equipment yet, so ignore that part, but fill in the rest of the stuff you can. Update it with your equipment as you get it. That lets us help you with things like local equipment providers, help specific to your gear, and specific to your location.

There are lots of folks here on Medicaid, and who have also been on it and gone off it, so you'll get a lot of great info.

Welcome, and hang in there, it gets better.

[Alicia41964]

Sperry, here is a link that may/may not be of assistance to you. I guess, without sounding nosey, it's important to know why you think you'll be losing your Medicaid. If it's for excess income, I have a few suggestions. Check with the local hospitals/DME providers. They have "charity care" applications, for discounts on their services. Don't automatically think you make too much. Check their respective websites for income information. If that doesn't work, I can tell you with an AHI that high, I applied for SSDI and had an answer and all retro within 3 months. Of course, I have a few other existing medical issues, but if this keeps you from working for 12 months or longer while you attempt to get therapeutic, well, that's an option as well. After briefly surfing the web, it appears that your state does not have a similar product to New York's Family Health Plus. This is a "step up" after Medicaid, with slightly higher income limits. If I come accross anything different, I will post it here for you. Try to stay positive!

[robysue]

I was just diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and I am not sure what to think. I was told yesterday that my AHI was 72 and I'm just in shock. I'm not familiar with Sleep Apnea so I'm not sure exactly how severe that is but I'm told it's bad.

One of the better books about sleep apnea that is aimed at patients is Sleep Interrupted by Dr. Steven Park. It is well worth the read for a newly diagnosed patient.

Between now and Monday you've got some homework to do. You need to read up on machines and masks. You need to decide which machines are acceptable to you for dealing with the OSA and which masks you want to try. Because of the fact that you'll loose Medicaid in 6 months, you also need to try to get in touch with them today to find out how they cover the equipment and what will happen when you lose the insurance if you are only halfway through the rental period. I know money has to be very, very tight for you (otherwise you wouldn't be on Medicaid), but you may want to figure out the costs of equipment with Medicaid and totally out of pocket. If Medicaid tells you that after the first six months that you will have to pick up the full tab of the rental, you might just be better off financially trying to buy the CPAP and humidifier pocket to just be done with it. The DeVilbass IntelliPAP Standard Plus CPAP Machine with SmartFlex is a straight CPAP that records all efficacy data that lists for a mere $349.95 at cpap.com, our host's store. Users of the IntelliPAP can easily access their full data---including graphs---through the use of a code number that is entered into a web site. The integrated humidifier can currently be added to the purchase of the blower unit for a mere $60. Hence this machine would run you a bit more than $410 out of pocket if purchased from cpap.com.

Depending on the DME and the Medicaid rules, it would not surprise me at all that you could easily wind up spending significantly more than $400 out of pocket when your lose your Medicaid just to keep a compliance-only CPAP from Resmed (the S9 ESCAPE) or PR (the SYSTEM ONE CPAP PLUS with C-FLEX). In my humble opinion, you'd be much better off with IntelliPAP Standard Plus so that you've got the data for you and your doctor to be able to determine how effective your therapy is.

Best of luck in sorting stuff out. Don't be rushed into accepting a machine on Monday that you are NOT comfortable with. Remember CPAP is something YOU do for your health. It is not done TO you.

[Mary Z]

Sperry63, try not to worry so much until you get the facts. You have time today to call Medicaid and the equipment provider who will be supplying your machine and find out what is going on. You might also find out what machine the doctor has ordered for you- it may be quite acceptable eliminating the need for spending the weekend doing research on which machine. I would read every fact I could find about sleep apnea so you understand more about your condition. At the top of the page there is a heading CPAP Wiki Popular Topics that's a good place to start.
Good luck and keep us posted.

[Cuda]

I hear ya friend. Mine was over 80 if I remember right and I only received 2-3 hours during my sleep study and felt like a new man. In fact the last few days getting into this I have all kinds of leaks and problems but I still feel like a million bucks each and every time I get even an hour of decent rest on the machine. Its a journey all this stuff but the bonus I think to having such severe apnea is that people like us feel immediate benefits, many do not. Feeling those benefits makes it easier to stay motivated. I really respect and admire those that stick with all this despite no gain that they can feel immediately. Consider yourself lucky like I do. 1) Treatment works 2) You found this forum!!!!

Good luck and remember you can post any and all concerns here and the people here not only want to help they are by far and away the most knowledgeable people on the subject I have been able to find. These great people will hand walk you through any problems and support you every step of the way.