my DME is harrassing me !

[49er]

You sure have an XL bag of excuses No one else wants to say but I will. You're only doing yourself a disservice by not maintaining your treatment. DMEs and doctors hear excuses all day long on par with teachers, cops and judges

I guess you are perfect Cosmo and never do anything wrong.

All sarcasm aside, your post isn't encouraging new people to want to post about their problems on this site.

49er

[cosmo]

I'm not an enabler, thats all. And getting a robocall is not harassment, just needed to get that off of my chest

[Summer Rain]

I'm not an enabler, thats all. And getting a robocall is not harassment, just needed to get that off of my chest

! Hope ya feel better then! !

[jencat824]

Summer,

I just read this thread, start to finish & wanted to add my thoughts. You are dealing with a lot & are trying hard. Many people find CPAP so hard they just give up & don't try at all. Your posting here is proof you want this to work. From reading your posts, it seems to me you want to try & succeed, but can't do it all at once. That's OK, its been 12 yrs for me, but I do remember the beginning, it is hard, I had to keep trying to find the right mask (or at least one I could tolerate), then try to sleep with a foreign object on your face, have DME's & drs asking questions & pushing you to wear it more hours, etc. All this IS stressful & I would think something is wrong with you if you didn't find this process both hard and stressful.

I want to offer you a shoulder to lean on if you need it. If you need to unload & don't want to do it on the board, in fear of someone giving negative feedback, PM me, I'm ready & willing to be a friend with that shoulder you may need to lean on. Many of those here have giving you great constructive advice. Some think the process is a funny, laughing matter, I don't.

My hubby in going through the learning phase now. I'm so proud of him, but is not all easy. He is making it through the night and feeling better, but at first he had nights of waking me up in a panic, saying how do you do this? I responded with gentle help and consideration for what he is feeling & going through. That is what I needed when I went through this and it sounds like its what you need to. This forum is here for you, but if you just need to 'talk', PM me, I'll be here for you.
Jen

[cosmo]

Just 2 weeks ago she was questioning the very essences of our treatment.

I am a little "cynical".....
"It makes me wonder if it's even effective? Or maybe not so effective for everyone.....? Now I know that it is a billion dollar industry....so probably not much reliable info. on how "ineffective" they are? Would love some "credible" research? "
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=85664&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

In one study, only a third continued cpap treatment beyond 3 months. DMEs and sleep docs are probably expecting so see people being non compliant than compliant. Sad job seeing your efforts going down the toilet each day.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2702727/

In this study, 59.4% of OSA patients with indications for PAP therapy started using PAP after a trial period and 34.7% of patients continued to use PAP for more than 3 months. Factors influencing compliance were hypertension, sleep posture (shorter nonsupine sleep time), and AHI reduction during PAP use. The PAP pressure modality selected did not affect mode choice or compliance.

Besides being detrimental to ones own health, driving while non compliant is a danger to others. We've all been there, driving before diagnosed and treatment....You're lying and your nose must be pretty long if you're going to say you were unimpaired

Daytime grogginess can put people with sleep apnea at increased risk of falling asleep behind the wheel. People with sleep apnea are up to five times more likely than normal sleepers to have traffic accidents.
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sl ... conditions

[Summer Rain]

Just 2 weeks ago she was questioning the very essences of our treatment.

I am a little "cynical".....
"It makes me wonder if it's even effective? Or maybe not so effective for everyone.....? Now I know that it is a billion dollar industry....so probably not much reliable info. on how "ineffective" they are? Would love some "credible" research? "
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=85664&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

In one study, only a third continued cpap treatment beyond 3 months. DMEs and sleep docs are probably expecting so see people being non compliant than compliant. Sad job seeing your efforts going down the toilet each day.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2702727/

In this study, 59.4% of OSA patients with indications for PAP therapy started using PAP after a trial period and 34.7% of patients continued to use PAP for more than 3 months. Factors influencing compliance were hypertension, sleep posture (shorter nonsupine sleep time), and AHI reduction during PAP use. The PAP pressure modality selected did not affect mode choice or compliance.

Besides being detrimental to ones own health, driving while non compliant is a danger to others. We've all been there, driving before diagnosed and treatment....You're lying and your nose must be pretty long if you're going to say you were unimpaired

Daytime grogginess can put people with sleep apnea at increased risk of falling asleep behind the wheel. People with sleep apnea are up to five times more likely than normal sleepers to have traffic accidents.
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sl ... conditions

I Think you have had your chances to say what ever you like and "get things off your chest"....Sooo now it is my turn......LEAVE ME ALONE!!!! I won't ask again! I MEAN IT!

[kaiasgram]

Summer, what Jencat said goes for me too. Feel welcome to PM.

[Slinky]

SummerRain, when you ran into difficulties right off the bat WHY didn't you ask for advice and help from your DME provider's RT? Why didn't you call your sleep lab or sleep doctor and ask for help? The good Lord helps those who help themselves. Why put off the help from that CPAP that you need in order to sleep safely and comfortably?

While a robo call on a Sunday afternoon doesn't sound ideal I hardly consider it as harassment. Insurances do require compliance, if you are having difficulties this was your chance to make them known and ask for help.

[chunkyfrog]

A lot of people question the diagnosis. It's called "denial".
(one of the stages some people go through at that time)
It can be a tough pill to swallow; but you either swallow it, or pay the consequences.
Kudos to those who work to get it done, ask questions, and persevere, even in the face of all that.
And a sharp slap on the wrist to any who assume smooth sailing for everyone.
We all have a row to hoe; some of us were assigned a rocky one. No need to make it worse.

[Summer Rain]

SummerRain, when you ran into difficulties right off the bat WHY didn't you ask for advice and help from your DME provider's RT? Why didn't you call your sleep lab or sleep doctor and ask for help? The good Lord helps those who help themselves. Why put off the help from that CPAP that you need in order to sleep safely and comfortably?

While a robo call on a Sunday afternoon doesn't sound ideal I hardly consider it as harassment. Insurances do require compliance, if you are having difficulties this was your chance to make them known and ask for help.

Why would you "assume" that I haven't asked for any help? Being called (on Sun.) wasn't so much " harrassment', as the way things were put...It sarted out with them saying that if I didn't answer questions , insurance wouldn't pay" and I wasn't given a person to talk to..... I tried to call and get a person....and the answering service said that they were closed on Sun. I dunno, I called my insurance and the lady I talked to there was very upset that they would treat someone this way....so it isn't just my opinion. My DME provider is a huge net work of "generic' people...you never get the same one twice....so things are very impersonal or done by teleprompters.....who make "threats" and just don't care!

[Summer Rain]

Summer, what Jencat said goes for me too. Feel welcome to PM.

Hi Kaiasgram ! (and I will alo include Jencat, here !)

I actually tried to do a PM...but just couldn't get one to go through? I just wanted to express my gratitude for your offers of support !!
THANKS A MILLION !! It really means alot !! I dunno.....I went from feeling just totally "worn out and exasperated"...to "Karate Chop" mode, after "going through it" with COSMOS ? So, I guess you could say that I am not "down for the count", yet! Everything is pending my appt. with my sleep doctor, tomorrow.....? It will be the first one since I was diagnosed with apnea. I have a lot to go over and hopefully I will get some much needed help with a few things.....especially the insurance thing? As we can't afford to buy a machine right now....something I had no idea was going to get thrown into the "mix"! I didn't see that coming! Yes, I am ignorant....I haven't ever done this before ! So, I am hoping for "no more surprises"!!! It is just such a blessing to me to know that you two are out there!! REALLY!! Thanks again, so much!! xo

[kaiasgram]

Sorry you even had to "go through it" with Cosmo because you were never "down for the count" in the first place. I heard distress but not defeat in your posts.

49er knows quite a bit about the American Sleep Apnea Association's machine donation program. Secondwindcpap has a good reputation too. There's another seller named McDover who sometimes advertises here and according to our fearless leader Pugsy is A-OK to buy from. One way or another you will get this worked out and we will be supporting you.

Not sure why your PM wouldn't go through, it should be pretty much the same steps as if you were posting. If you want I'll send you a test run PM and you can try replying. Otherwise, keep us posted as you work through both the insurance stuff and getting adjusted to the mask/machine.

Oh, and good luck with your doctor's appointment. Give yourself some credit, Ms. "Karate Chop" -- you are not ignorant, only new to this whole sleep apnea/cpap "thing." As you're discovering, there's a very steep learning curve at first.

[Denial Dave]

Did someone mention DENIAL? I am the king of denial!

oh man, 15 years ago, they told me I had OSA & the sleep study showed an AHI of 11. They said I needed cpap.

I told them "They were crazy & "You are not connecting me to an air pump like some freakin tropical fish tank air pump.

fast forward to 2012, AHI at my latest sleep study was 31. After they gave me the latest diagnosis, I still maintained that I did not have the symptoms of apnea.

Bathroom runs in the middle of the night, leg kicks during the night, weeknight and weekend naps, short-temper, irritable, always tired.

"Those are just part of getting older and a fact of life."



Okay, I've been using my mask and machine for 4 months now...Thanks to several supportive folks here along with my wife's nagging/ support..

All of the above "symptoms" are gone...

My memory is returning too. My "CRS" is gone! (Can't Remember S*it)

keeping pluggin away at it Summer Rain, you will succeed!

Dave

[Summer Rain]

Thanks Dave!
I really "wasn't havin it" either...to begin with... and probably am still looking for any possible way out? I just consider it a MAJOR life change....!! i.e.when they were explaining to me all about how to use and care for the Cpap....I just sat there and said "this is sorta like suddenly "giving birth to another child' (that you were'nt expecting!) and finding out that you will be "diapering, feeding and bathing it" for the rest of your life? I just thought that I had gone in to be checked for apnea.....suddenly this whole "new way of life" was shoved on me...and there was no where to run? MERCY!!!! My" plate" was already very over loaded... and I truly was just BARELY capable of making such a huge "emotional transition".....NOT RIGHT NOW !!! Thanks for listening to all this .....inspite of some who have been totally insensitive....I have really needed this forum for the good it does to just "ventilate", if nothing else....and I am so very grateful for those who have been "supportive"!!!!!! ((hugs))

[Guest]

I'm not an enabler, thats all. And getting a robocall is not harassment, just needed to get that off of my chest

Well said Cosmo. Take charge of your treatment, be a demanding consumer, don't be a victim.