Dealing with your peers

[quietmorning]

None of my co-workers know about my OSA and at the risk of sounding snarky....Frankly my personal health is none of their business.

All of my family (cousins, Aunts and Uncles) know and most are positive that OSA is a family trait.... we all have a relative that snored, stopped breathing, etc & died from something related to the issue.

Dave

Thanks, Dave!

Yep, totally agree - none of their business. I think this 'none of their business' is going to be an important activity for the newbies.

[chunkyfrog]

Maybe I can get a flipper in the door of the local senior center;
I could also speak to the personnel manager of some of the local retailers;
hopefully, I could at least leave a self-help poster in the break room, with contact info.

[quietmorning]

Maybe I can get a flipper in the door of the local senior center;
I could also speak to the personnel manager of some of the local retailers;
hopefully, I could at least leave a self-help poster in the break room, with contact info.

We're rolling!!

[Denial Dave]

My # 1 distrust is with DME's & is closely followed by my distrust of employers & their "Human Resource" departments.

They'll do anything to justify the saving of $$. When comparing 2 co-workers for possible upcoming lay-offs,eliminating the worker that has health issues would be a swaying point to save corporate health care costs.

If a co-worker confided in me that they had OSA, I'd be willing to discuss tips and provide them with links to here, pad-a-cheek, etc...

[quietmorning]

My # 1 distrust is with DME's & is closely followed by my distrust of employers & their "Human Resource" departments.

They'll do anything to justify the saving of $$. When comparing 2 co-workers for possible upcoming lay-offs,eliminating the worker that has health issues would be a swaying point to save corporate health care costs.

If a co-worker confided in me that they had OSA, I'd be willing to discuss tips and provide them with links to here, pad-a-cheek, etc...

LOL. . .I think I'd still preface it with "My sister has OSA - here's some info I got from her." !! I've been very lucky with employers as far as health issues are concerned.

[chunkyfrog]

Any "cold" public notice would best be directed toward those who have a member of their family" with OSA,
and offer sources for affordable supplies, and informal advice (here); all with no sign-up, and small
optional face to face discussions at a neutral location, with anonymity permitted. (Dutch treat at a food place)
---"Hi, I'm (pseudonym, nickname, or whatever), and I (or a relative) need to get treatment."
Or just use a meeting room at the senior center, public school, park shelter, or rec. center

[Christine L]

When you deal with your peers (as dealing with the affects of sleep apnea) what are the main assumptions they tend to hold about apnea and about your day to day challenges both day and night with it?

I told my workmate who shares a two-person cubicle with me that I had a sleep study and would be getting a CPAP machine. He asked me if this meant I would be farting up the cubicle every morning and then laughed his head off.

At the time I did not know what he meant but he said he is a CPAPer and explained what aerophagia sometimes does to him.

He is a great joker and keeps me laughing all the time.

[imfletch]

I've had people assume CPAP means oxygen.

[kaiasgram]

I've had people assume CPAP means oxygen.

Ah yes, and that a CPAP machine breathes for you.

[quietmorning]

** laughing ** though I really shouldn't laugh. I had never heard of the acronym CPAP before I was diagnosed. I can see how it can be confused with a breathing machine.

[mgaggie]

I wouldn't tell my boss I had sleep apnea, unless it would affect my work.

When I told my brother and his partner I needed a cpap machine, her majesty (thats what I call brothers partner) piped up with "Oh so does this mean you won't be so cranky?". I really felt like saying to her "Yes, so I better get one for you too"

[Chilimon]

[quote=]I usually don't tell anyone anymore except very close friends and close family. I think non hoseheads just don't get it. If I see someone having problems I might talk to them.[/quote]

I don't understand, I tell everyone that wants to know, I am surely not ashamed of it. I told the guys I work with and some did not know how it works but they were concerned, interested in finding out more. I tell my friends if we are in a conversation about health, even strangers if we are in a group talking. The more people that are made aware of these problems, the more people that can be treated before it is too late. We tell people if we had a heart attack, stroke, kidney ailments, rotator cuff tear, what makes CPAP any different.

I certainly tell any new Dr I go to or any test I go for like when I went for an MRI today.

This is not the 30's anymore where people did not talk about mental illness because it was deemed a horrible thing if someone in your family had mental health issues.

[archangle]

Well, my mother immediately told me it "was a racket" basically that sleep studies are just a new fad, the centers are popping up everywhere, doctors are sending everyone to get a study, and of course the results will be that I have OSA because it's all a money making scheme.


BTW, I was diagnosed last summer, my brother was diagnosed this winter, and I'm pretty sure my mom and dad have OSA too. But it's not genetics, "its a racket"

Well, I think it is a fad, it is a racket, the people who go in to get the tests and treatment get screwed by the medical mafia.

Unfortunately, a lot of people do have apnea and have bad health problems, even death, and a poor quality of life without apnea treatment.

It's a real shame that there are a lot of parasites and scam artists in the process of getting treatment that so many people really desperately need. It's like trying to get your car repaired and trying to find an honest car mechanic.

The parasites are a part of the reason a lot of people don't get CPAP or quit using it. People get screwed, get poorly managed, ineffective treatment, and then they tell their friends.

[archangle]

Responses I've got.

1)"Oh, yes, that sounds like what I've got. Snoring, tired all the time, etc. Oh, no, I don't want to go get tested." Even after I explain it's not all that bad, no action.

2)"Yes, I'm using CPAP. It doesn't work that well for me. No I'm not interested in learning more about how to make it work. I have a licensed therapist who is the only one who touches it."

3)"Yes, I used CPAP, but had problems and quit. I'm really feeling bad now and should try it again." I offer to give them hints on how to make it work, no action.

4)"Yes, I'm going to be getting one of those." I offer to tell them how to not get screwed with a brick machine. No action.

I wish there was a way to get through the impenetrable wall of ignorance, but I haven't had much success.

[kaiasgram]

Responses I've got.

1)"Oh, yes, that sounds like what I've got. Snoring, tired all the time, etc. Oh, no, I don't want to go get tested." Even after I explain it's not all that bad, no action.

2)"Yes, I'm using CPAP. It doesn't work that well for me. No I'm not interested in learning more about how to make it work. I have a licensed therapist who is the only one who touches it."

3)"Yes, I used CPAP, but had problems and quit. I'm really feeling bad now and should try it again." I offer to give them hints on how to make it work, no action.

4)"Yes, I'm going to be getting one of those." I offer to tell them how to not get screwed with a brick machine. No action.

I wish there was a way to get through the impenetrable wall of ignorance, but I haven't had much success.

I've heard all those things too, and I have one to add: Someone recently told me that she was diagnosed and went on cpap for a couple of years and had problems with it. So she went off and felt fine, and (here's the good part) -- her daughter, a physician, said that she probably got "retrained" how to breathe while on cpap and doesn't need it anymore.