Yet another noob

jaybee72 · Post by **jaybee72** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:38 pm

Ive been reading about 1/2 the posts on here starting with the most recent, and have so far waded back about 6 pages. I had the first sleep study at the beginning of this week, and the titration is going to be next week. I have not met with my doctor yet; only have the info that his nurse read to me over the phone when she called to say I failed and they were scheduling the titration. It's amazing how little info they've shared so far, but I assume there will be a visit with the doctor after he gets the results of the next test...

Anyway, she didn't know what she was reading, but one of the numbers she gave me was 35 and I'm assuming that was AHI? There was also a 65 that she said as being some kind of total. She said it was classified as moderate OSA. She also said the oxygen saturation was dropping down to 79, but that is about all the info I got.

So, I cannot wait to do another sleep study. Read a heap of sarcasm there... It is just not natural trying to go to a place like that, get that many sensors stuck to you, and expect to sleep normal! I cannot imagine how you could sleep with the cpap on top of that, but I guess I get to try...

Oh, 35 year old male, 6'0 and 195lbs, have always had extremely loud snoring and my wife finally got tired of hearing the choking and gasping in between all night...

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:34 pm

Welcome to the forum, JayBee. Glad to read that you've been reading so many pages of posts here. You'll get your edukashun and be ready to understand your results and get the best equipment your insurance will pay for.

lilsheba · Post by **lilsheba** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:36 pm

Welcome....and yeah it will be hard to sleep in a strange place, with all that stuff stuck to you, and a machine you're not used to blowing air up your nose But I find if you tire yourself out enough before going there you'll manage to sleep. And you will feel better when you wake up.

AdmiralCougar · Post by **AdmiralCougar** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:47 pm

JayBee

First of if it was your AHI that was 35 that's considered Severe.

Sleep Apnea Definitions (snoredog and rested gal) (The Absolute Basics) wrote:AHI/RAI** Scale =<5 events /hour = (none); 5-15 events/hour = (mild); 15-30 events/hour = (moderate); >30 events/hour = (severe).

SaO2 scale: >89%=(none); 85-89%=(mild);80-84%=(moderate); <80% (severe).

If you'd like more definitions you can find the entire article under the Yellow light at the top of the forum under:
Get Started Treating Sleep Apnea - The Absolute Basics
cpaptalk-articles/sleep-apnea-CPAP-definitions.html

There's lots of other good information to be found there as well.

Good luck on your second sleep study titration. Now question did they actually say You Failed the sleep study...? or is that just how you feel since you were diagnosed with Sleep Apnea? Oh and call your Dr.'s Office and ask for a copy of your Sleep Study Data, and the report. And do it again after the titration. This info should include graphs, someone else may have more info about what it should have, since I haven't received mine yet. I've only got a copy of the Interpretation Report or what ever it's called that the Dr. wrote after he read what the sleep lab sent.

By the way how long do you have to wait for your Titration? Just curious, cause I have to wait till December for mine even though the Dr. wanted it to be in 6-8 weeks (to re-evaluate my O2 needs and pressures since they have already given me my machine based on a split night study) but they didn't have an opening till December at the sleep lab. Might get lucky with a cancellation like I did the last time though got in a whole week earlier than I had been scheduled.

Anyway keep posting and let us know how things go

Christy

jaybee72 · Post by **jaybee72** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 7:19 am

Well, until I see the doctor and get the straight answers I cannot be sure what the 35 number she gave actually was. At the time I talked to her I hadn't read up enough on this (nor had I found this site) so I couldn't really ask intelligent questions. I have an awesome internist as my pcp, and I am sure I'll be seeing him in person to go over the test results.

This has all been happening pretty quick... I went to the doctor for an annual physical on 8/15 and mentioned my wife was ready to move out with the snoring and gagging all night. The first sleep study was this past monday on 8/27 and they told me it would take about 10 days to get the results back, which would likely drag across the Labor Day holiday. I got a call on Tuesday 8/28 from my doctor's nurse with the results saysing the sleep stufy lab would call to make the second appointment. 2 hours later they called, and said the earliest appointment would be on this monday 9/3, and if I couldn't do it then due to the holiday the next available was 9/17. My second child is going to be here probably about the middle of the month, so I chose to get it out of the way on monday.

I had no trouble going to sleep for the first study, but I generally can sleep through anything. I read about 2 pages of a book I'd brought, then turned off the lamp and was immediately asleep. I woke up once, and had an awful time getting back to sleep. But, I have concerns about doing it with the cpap.

From what I've read on this forum so far I am really wondering how the getting the equipment part will go. I checked my current health insurance and it states "all prescribed Durable Medical Equipment is covered 100%". One of the other reasons I am trying to rush this process along is I will be going from a pretty good BCBS plan to a much less desirable Aetna plan at the end of October.

Thanks for all the info! I'll be back for more...

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 7:46 am

I could be wrong but I thought that I read that Bill My Insurance might take BCBS. If so you can get the equiptment of your choice without a hassle.
Have doc write the prescription for exactly what you want. Do that research now so you are ready as your insurance changes very soon.

Hopefully it won't take them forever to read the results of your titration study and put you past the insurance change timeframe.

Check if your current plan will buy the machine fully up front. Otherwise you may be stuck with the cruddy insurance anyway if they require a 3 month compliance. Also what happens if your insurance changes during that compliance period is important too.

With your 100% coverage, you can get your stuff anywhere, but make sure you know what you want and get that stuff right away if they will pay outright. Local DME will probably give you more trouble with the better machine than Bill My Insurance will. With you limited timeframe it is essential that you get all your insurance info so you know how it is going to work and do it fast.

Sleepdeprived · Post by **Sleepdeprived** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:41 am

[quote="jaybee72"]Ive been reading about 1/2 the posts on here starting with the most recent, and have so far waded back about 6 pages. I had the first sleep study at the beginning of this week, and the titration is going to be next week. I have not met with my doctor yet; only have the info that his nurse read to me over the phone when she called to say I failed and they were scheduling the titration. It's amazing how little info they've shared so far, but I assume there will be a visit with the doctor after he gets the results of the next test...

Anyway, she didn't know what she was reading, but one of the numbers she gave me was 35 and I'm assuming that was AHI? There was also a 65 that she said as being some kind of total. She said it was classified as moderate OSA. She also said the oxygen saturation was dropping down to 79, but that is about all the info I got.

So, I cannot wait to do another sleep study. Read a heap of sarcasm there... It is just not natural trying to go to a place like that, get that many sensors stuck to you, and expect to sleep normal! I cannot imagine how you could sleep with the cpap on top of that, but I guess I get to try...

Oh, 35 year old male, 6'0 and 195lbs, have always had extremely loud snoring and my wife finally got tired of hearing the choking and gasping in between all night...

lilsheba · Post by **lilsheba** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:22 am

On that note about getting a copy of your original sleep study and titration, my sleep center says it would cost $16.00 to get a copy to me and it would only be a partial one,, it would be free if it went to another doctor. However they are supposedly mailing a copy of my prescription to me.

Why they can't just run copies of it right there I don't know....

j.a.taylor · Post by **j.a.taylor** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 7:04 pm

jaybee72,

Welcome! You've got a great head start in discovering this forum.

This is a great group of people ready to freely share the wisdom of their experience.

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 9:59 pm

Get your regular doc to ask for a copy. Get his office to get the full copy and make you a copy at a reasonable copying cost.

LukeIamYourFather · Post by **LukeIamYourFather** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:31 pm

jaybee72 wrote: Oh, 35 year old male, 6'0 and 195lbs, have always had extremely loud snoring and my wife finally got tired of hearing the choking and gasping in between all night...

Thank your lucky stars that your wife "nagged" you into getting help. I was probably about your age and size when I began snoring a bit. It became progressively worse over the years.

My wife finally convinced me to go see the Doc. She complained that "you sound like you are sleeping with your face in a bowl of pudding!"

I became very fatigued over the years. and attributed to getting older (almost 60 now). I began falling to sleep in front of my computer at work, took naps all the time. Since begining CPAP, I have slept well, and quietly every night. I have the energy of, say, a 35 year old. One of my biggest regrets is that I did not see the doc years ago........

Yet another noob

Yet another noob

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Re: Yet another noob