I am new to this forum and must express the wonder I have with the RemStar Pro2 with H. I have used it for a month now and feel great. I have had OSA all my life and snored like a grizzly, much to this displesure of my buddies in the Guard. I got my RemStar from the VA at no cost to me and said this was the best machine on the market, I believe it is. I feel great and at first did not believe a sleep study would turn up anything but it did.
My wife can sleep at night now instead of waking me up to go to sleep. I have read quite abit and have learned alot, thank all of you.
Semper Fi
Gary T.
OSA..There is a cure!
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GaryTDavis
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- Location: Maumelle, Arkansas
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wading thru the muck!
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Sleeping With The Enemy
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When I saw this post I guess it kind of pissed me off, nothing personal directed toward the author of course.
The fact that people think CPAP/APAP is a cure is INSANE.
The medical world, including everyone right on down the line, does not want to find a cure. Finding a "real" cure would mean no more revenue for the companies who make the crazy aparatus we are subject to wear every night as well as the MDs, the sleep labs, etc. There is a reason why sleep apnea is on the rise, I don't know what it is but its got every Tom, Dick and Harry CASHING IN.....
I believe this is the same for the Diabeties. The research labs don't want to find a cure because they are the same ones who are getting filthy rich off of insulin and all of the other things that go along with diabetes.
My son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes last March at the age of 8 years old. I was diagnosed with OSA January 5th.
With that stated, I hope everyone understands why I get so fired up by this "fake cure" stuff.
The fact that people think CPAP/APAP is a cure is INSANE.
The medical world, including everyone right on down the line, does not want to find a cure. Finding a "real" cure would mean no more revenue for the companies who make the crazy aparatus we are subject to wear every night as well as the MDs, the sleep labs, etc. There is a reason why sleep apnea is on the rise, I don't know what it is but its got every Tom, Dick and Harry CASHING IN.....
I believe this is the same for the Diabeties. The research labs don't want to find a cure because they are the same ones who are getting filthy rich off of insulin and all of the other things that go along with diabetes.
My son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes last March at the age of 8 years old. I was diagnosed with OSA January 5th.
With that stated, I hope everyone understands why I get so fired up by this "fake cure" stuff.
don't worry
I have both OSA and type 2 insulin diabetes. I do what I have to to test, adjust and get used to the therapies to help myself. You are on the right track, but hit, unfortunately with not so great news diagnoses in 1 wk. You are entitled to be angry, aggravated. that's what we're here for to vent, and keep you motivated.
Trust me if this board can help me (and it has) and I'm only a 3 wk new apap'er, it can help anyone. We just have to allow it to help us!
The diabetes is another whole issue. But guess what? My dialy numbers have gone DOWN on apap, a coincidence, I THINK NOT. I've been a d. for 10 yrs, 3 on insulin, so in 3 wks to drop numbers is significant and keeps me motivated, especially when my mask/hose ANNOY THE LIVING S___ out of me.
So keep writing, ok?
sign me: sort of a newbie
Trust me if this board can help me (and it has) and I'm only a 3 wk new apap'er, it can help anyone. We just have to allow it to help us!
The diabetes is another whole issue. But guess what? My dialy numbers have gone DOWN on apap, a coincidence, I THINK NOT. I've been a d. for 10 yrs, 3 on insulin, so in 3 wks to drop numbers is significant and keeps me motivated, especially when my mask/hose ANNOY THE LIVING S___ out of me.
So keep writing, ok?
sign me: sort of a newbie
Sleeping With The Enemy wrote:When I saw this post I guess it kind of pissed me off, nothing personal directed toward the author of course.
The fact that people think CPAP/APAP is a cure is INSANE.
The medical world, including everyone right on down the line, does not want to find a cure. Finding a "real" cure would mean no more revenue for the companies who make the crazy aparatus we are subject to wear every night as well as the MDs, the sleep labs, etc. There is a reason why sleep apnea is on the rise, I don't know what it is but its got every Tom, Dick and Harry CASHING IN.....
I believe this is the same for the Diabeties. The research labs don't want to find a cure because they are the same ones who are getting filthy rich off of insulin and all of the other things that go along with diabetes.
My son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes last March at the age of 8 years old. I was diagnosed with OSA January 5th.
With that stated, I hope everyone understands why I get so fired up by this "fake cure" stuff.
All I can tell you folks is that for all but the last 3 years of my life I thought everyone woke up in the morning with severe headaches, sore muscles and a sore throat and everyone mad at you because they couldn't sleep. Now waking up w/o any pain and being able to drive home w/o falling asleep or falling asleep at stoplights is wonderful. I feel the same way in that I would love to see a cure because the ol'Mirage just ain't sexy to my wife ( the snoring never bothered her but the RemStar does ?) and having to carry the machine when I travel is a pain but I'm thankful to feel this good and mad that it took 47 years of pain to figure it out..... my .02 worth. I'm new to the list and amazed to hear from some of the "old Timers" and thankful for any help along the way.
Steve
Steve
Wow. I never thought I'd be in a room where I was the LEAST cynical and jaded person there.
I agree that CPAP is a treatment, not a cure, but I don't believe there's a vast conspiracy to find treatments rather than cures.
I think treatments are much easier to find than cures.
Look, with OSA, our throats close and we stop breathing. What's an obvious treatment? Something to hold our throats open. Be it high pressure air blown in our mouths or some sort of aparatus to try to keep the airway open, it's OBVIOUS.
Now, what's an obvious cure? Well... you might think cutting out some of the fleshy area of the soft palate that tends to collapse. They've tried that and had about a 10-15% success rate, with a high level of relapse.
Or, to look at diabetes, the problem is that your body isn't producing insulin (or isn't producing enough, or the right kind, depending on your type of diabetes). So what is an obvious TREATMENT for that? Supplementing the insulin. Putting back some of what the body isn't making for itself. It's OBVIOUS.
Now, what's an obvious cure? Well, obviously you want to make the body start creating it's own insulin again. But why is it NOT? And how do you make it do something it's not doing?
There are lots of examples in life where treating a symptom is easy, finding a solution is difficult. I had a car once that developed a slow leak in the oil system. About every two weeks, it'd be down a quart. It was blatently obvious that the TREATMENT was to throw in another quart whenever it got low. I had a friend (who was also a mechanic) take a look, and try as he might, he couldn't figure out how to make the leak STOP.
So rather than casting such wide aspersions (is it really me saying this?) let's be happy that there is at least a TREATMENT. I don't like the idea that I'll be taking something for my cholesterol for the rest of my life, but I'm damn sure happy that BECAUSE of that something, I'm pretty likely to HAVE a nice long rest of my life.
Liam, apparently in a non-cynical mood.
I agree that CPAP is a treatment, not a cure, but I don't believe there's a vast conspiracy to find treatments rather than cures.
I think treatments are much easier to find than cures.
Look, with OSA, our throats close and we stop breathing. What's an obvious treatment? Something to hold our throats open. Be it high pressure air blown in our mouths or some sort of aparatus to try to keep the airway open, it's OBVIOUS.
Now, what's an obvious cure? Well... you might think cutting out some of the fleshy area of the soft palate that tends to collapse. They've tried that and had about a 10-15% success rate, with a high level of relapse.
Or, to look at diabetes, the problem is that your body isn't producing insulin (or isn't producing enough, or the right kind, depending on your type of diabetes). So what is an obvious TREATMENT for that? Supplementing the insulin. Putting back some of what the body isn't making for itself. It's OBVIOUS.
Now, what's an obvious cure? Well, obviously you want to make the body start creating it's own insulin again. But why is it NOT? And how do you make it do something it's not doing?
There are lots of examples in life where treating a symptom is easy, finding a solution is difficult. I had a car once that developed a slow leak in the oil system. About every two weeks, it'd be down a quart. It was blatently obvious that the TREATMENT was to throw in another quart whenever it got low. I had a friend (who was also a mechanic) take a look, and try as he might, he couldn't figure out how to make the leak STOP.
So rather than casting such wide aspersions (is it really me saying this?) let's be happy that there is at least a TREATMENT. I don't like the idea that I'll be taking something for my cholesterol for the rest of my life, but I'm damn sure happy that BECAUSE of that something, I'm pretty likely to HAVE a nice long rest of my life.
Liam, apparently in a non-cynical mood.
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Oh, one more thing I meant to work in there:
How often do we KNOW what the cure is, but it's too difficult? To use the example of my cholesterol, they have kind of identified a "cure". If I would lose this extra 35 lbs and exercise and stop eating those tasty "McHunksOLard" for every other meal, I'd probably have a normal (or at least much closer to normal) cholesterol level.
But I don't do any of those things, or at least not consistently enough, and so the cholesterol stays high. How much sense does it make for me to keep kicking the wall, taking advil, and then complaining as I get set up for another kick that the doctor's won't find a CURE for the pain in my foot?
Liam, kicking the wall? I'm running HEAD FIRST into it.
How often do we KNOW what the cure is, but it's too difficult? To use the example of my cholesterol, they have kind of identified a "cure". If I would lose this extra 35 lbs and exercise and stop eating those tasty "McHunksOLard" for every other meal, I'd probably have a normal (or at least much closer to normal) cholesterol level.
But I don't do any of those things, or at least not consistently enough, and so the cholesterol stays high. How much sense does it make for me to keep kicking the wall, taking advil, and then complaining as I get set up for another kick that the doctor's won't find a CURE for the pain in my foot?
Liam, kicking the wall? I'm running HEAD FIRST into it.
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I had even another thought:
We're probably creating MORE of these diseases, not less, over time. Medical science, having gotten as good as it has at TREATING our ailments, has made it possible for the weak to survive where in the past only the strong would have.
Diabetics live long enough to pass on their diabetes. People with poor diets and a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol live long enough to pass on that gene.
As a result, we're probably creating harder and harder strains of disorders to even TRY to CURE, but as long as the TREATMENTS still work, at least there is hope.
Liam, who really has to get off his soapbox, particularly since he's now replied to himself TWICE. When he talks to himself on the street, people look at him funny.
We're probably creating MORE of these diseases, not less, over time. Medical science, having gotten as good as it has at TREATING our ailments, has made it possible for the weak to survive where in the past only the strong would have.
Diabetics live long enough to pass on their diabetes. People with poor diets and a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol live long enough to pass on that gene.
As a result, we're probably creating harder and harder strains of disorders to even TRY to CURE, but as long as the TREATMENTS still work, at least there is hope.
Liam, who really has to get off his soapbox, particularly since he's now replied to himself TWICE. When he talks to himself on the street, people look at him funny.
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wading thru the muck!
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Can I interupt Liam's stream of posts to agree with him. CPAP may not be a cure for apnea but it can be a cure for the substandard lifestyle that many sufferers have come to know. I enjoyed Gary T.'s success story and we should all welcome him to the forum by sharing in his success.
Sincerely,
wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!
wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!
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Sleeping With The Enemy
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I am not very good at putting my thoughts into words as far as arguing goes. I do want to respond to this so that everyone understands my stance. Let me think about how to put this into words.
I will post a response either today or tomorrow.
I'm not as good as Wader or Liam with words, sorry!
I will post a response either today or tomorrow.
I'm not as good as Wader or Liam with words, sorry!
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rested gal
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Liam, I think you're right. I, too, think "treatments are much easier to find than cures." I don't think there's a vast conspiracy out there to not try to find a "cure" for sleep apnea. As you said, there have been all kinds of sugeries invented to try to deal with it.
No one with any health problem ever thinks research is moving fast enough toward a "cure" for their particular illness or condition. But progress keeps being made on many fronts. Research and work on sleep apnea is still "young" compared to many other serious illnesses that have been researched for decades. Fortunately, there is growing awareness in the medical community at large about the impact of sleep apnea as a contributing cause of the better known illnesses. An awareness growing too slowly perhaps...but growing.
No one with any health problem ever thinks research is moving fast enough toward a "cure" for their particular illness or condition. But progress keeps being made on many fronts. Research and work on sleep apnea is still "young" compared to many other serious illnesses that have been researched for decades. Fortunately, there is growing awareness in the medical community at large about the impact of sleep apnea as a contributing cause of the better known illnesses. An awareness growing too slowly perhaps...but growing.
Cures are not profitable...!!??
Treatment options are! Think about the equipment mftrs just to make your cpap/apap, supplies, bag hoses, what nots. Diabetes, I have your meters, your test strips, your lancets, your alcohol swabs, your Stix containers, your needles on and on and on it goes.
So why would a cure be looked for when supplying the ailments makes more profits. Its truly the American way!
But, let's go to the flip side, THANK HEAVEN for the supplies, so we can partake of their use (or not) to try and keep us alive and healthier, thus driving insurance health care costs down, we'd hope~
So why would a cure be looked for when supplying the ailments makes more profits. Its truly the American way!
But, let's go to the flip side, THANK HEAVEN for the supplies, so we can partake of their use (or not) to try and keep us alive and healthier, thus driving insurance health care costs down, we'd hope~
Sleeping With The Enemy wrote:I am not very good at putting my thoughts into words as far as arguing goes. I do want to respond to this so that everyone understands my stance. Let me think about how to put this into words.
I will post a response either today or tomorrow.
I'm not as good as Wader or Liam with words, sorry!
Re: Cures are not profitable...!!??
Because it's not the same people. The people looking for a cure are generally researchers, who probably don't care all that much about application or how much money the business guys can wring out of something, they just want to solve a problem. (Trust me, I'm a tech guy, sometimes the problem motivates me more than the benefit to the company, although don't tell my boss that).gailzee wrote:So why would a cure be looked for when supplying the ailments makes more profits. Its truly the American way!
Plus, there's competition aspects. Sure, there may not be any incentive for Respironics or ResMed or the lot to try to cure the disease, but suppose the cure turns out to be a shot? Don't you think the drug companies would LOVE to make money off of this disease, which currently puts nothing into their pockets?
The reason I don't think people are actively avoiding looking for a cure is that there's always someone else who, if they come up with a new way to treat something, a better way, stands to take the profits that are currently going to the old way.
Liam, would you believe I failed economics 101?
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