Risks of frequent travel with CPAP

[TheDreamer]

I suppose some day, I should replace the hose in my travel bag....because its still the original one I put in there 2.5 years ago when I took my first trip with CPAP.

Though now that the old CPAP is my travel machine, I probably should also remember to replace the filter now and then.

They used to require you to take CPAP's out, in bin alone, and let them swab it for explosives. But, now I can leave it in the bag and they just x-ray it. Happened around the time people were swamping them with forcing them to do pat downs. So far in my travels, I've always done just WTMB. Suppose its just a matter of time though....

Lately on some planes, I'm been putting my CPAP bag in the overhead...namely the ERJ-145, my other carry on won't fit in the overhead, though it'll fit under the seat....so CPAP bag goes up. Found out the CPAP bag only fits one way in the overhead too....other way, the door doesn't quite clear it.

Having a travel machine is much nicer now....the only thing I have to remember to toss into the bag in the morning is the mask I'm using. Used to always worry that I forgot something in the morning rush (even when my flight isn't until noon.) Well, I still worry....lately, I keep finding that I have no toothbrush when I get there. I've used an electric toothbrush so long, that I can't seem to use a manual one anymore....in October, I found it broke. Got a new one for November trip. Then forgot it for December trip. No trip in January...but wonder what'll be the tale for trip in February.

OTOH, having a separate travel machine, messes up compliance reporting....

I'm still 100% compliant, but now the reports don't show that. And, they won't spend the time to look through the multiple reports to put it all together....

Though I don't know why my primary is obsessed with seeing just my compliance report. (I include the full data when I bring it to him...but he just quickly flips to the compliance page, and then hands just that to be scanned into my file and disappears with the rest.) It has been 3 years, I sleep worse, feel worse....but nothing much is being done. And, yesterday he again wanted to take me off of meds prescribed by my sleep doctor, claiming they contribute to my 'fatigue' (I keep saying sleepy - EDS, but he always says 'fatigue'...) Last time he made stop, and sleep doc got angry....said primary should talk to him, he's the specialist that's treating the conditions. (though I have my issues there too....) Again the primary wanted to fiddle, I told him this time that sleep doc says he needs to actually talk to him first. Not just say he's going to and not.

Wonder when the doctors will get to doing something about the original problem, that CPAP hasn't done anything for (I sometimes think it may have made it worse)....though CPAP has fixed other problems, except that I didn't know I had those problems. IE: getting up 3-4 times a night to pee is normal in the family I grew up in...now I'm the weird one, that 0-1 is more normal now. My BP has always been high....but the doctor has never said anything about it before, so I thought the numbers were normal. Though they probably assume white coat syndrome than something else.

Not sure if the not sleeping the whole weekend away is because the CPAP fixed something, or its just imposing a constraint.... I had popped online to cpap.com to see about adding another humidifier to my setup today...though ended up getting a mask that I've been wanting to try (since I got a popup for free return insurance... )

The Dreamer

[chunkyfrog]

Sorry you are up against this frustration, Dreamer.
Sounds like your two docs are not on speaking terms--or there's a turf war going on in spite of your health.
Ask the doc you like about a referral to another guy for the other job.