For new people, be aware of even your sleep center.

[MichelleFL]

Hello friends, as you know my sleep center is handling this whole thing as far as my script goes and is sending it off to my GP for him to sign off on. Well I called my sleep center today to tell her what I want on my script. My results are straight cpap with a titration level of 6. I am thinking my sleep center just wanted to make money off of me as my tech told me the night of my titration that in order for someone to be considered for a cpap titration that you had to be at a level 5. Mine came in at 4.9... But anyhow, I call her today to tell her what I want and at first am very nice about it. She said well our doctor here wants you on straight cpap and not an auto. I told her that since I will be loosing weight now that I will have the energy I don't want a straight as you need to come back to get it readjusted I would rather the machine know it and adjust accordingly. She said yes that happens with a straight cpap.. More money for them.. *cha-ching* Not! I then told her that since my GP has his whole focus of my health on my loosing weight that he will sign off on anything that I ask of him and that this auto would be good for my health. When I asked for the software and reader to be put on my script she became shifty and said.. ahhhh, welllll, I am not the DME and don't know there guidelines but ummmmm, I think you HAVE to take it to them for the reading because ummmmm, I don't know but, I think it's illegal to read it yourself... *rolls eyes* I told her that problems some people have faced when taking there cards in to be read and or machines with DME's mixing them up and how I want the software and reader so I can take printouts to the doctor myself and not my card and machine unless it needs to be serviced. PLUS I told her if it was illegal why would they sell the readers to go along with it?? DUH! She was making me very mad because she does not want to do an auto for me! I told her that the pressure I had that night at titration, which was a 4 was enough for me. Now this doctor wants a 6, I am going to freak! I told her how the auto figures it out breath by breath.. She then says to me I don't know if this machine because it's an old one, the ResMed S8 AutoSet II, is even avaliable or if we can get it. I told her NO, this is a brand new machine out on the market. She did not say a word... Because I was getting mad I told her that if I DO NOT get what I want, I will not do it! Plain and simple! I am paying for this machine myself and I should get what I want. So finally she writes a note and tells me that she will make a secondary script but will still fax to my GP what there doctors orders are. I said fine but I am telling you that because of the weight loss issue my doctor will agree with me and sign off on what I want! I then told her I do not want the prescription sent out and I will pick it up myself to make sure what I want is written on the script! I was also told to have this put on the script.... EPR setting 2, Ramp ON, advanced patient menu ON.. She said well when you meet with the DME they will do all of that for you. I told her NO I want it on the script as some have had problems with that as they do not have to turn it on. (This way I have to come back to them for more adjustments, aka switching my excellent machine out for a cheapo , and then the charge me yet again!) I said to her firmly, I WANT IT ON THE SCRIPT! Again, if what I want is not on the script I will not do it! My point to her being.. Hey! Do you want to make some money from me, or NONE?? Your choice!

EDIT TO ADD: The sleep study doctor did not even put a humidifier on this script! How is that for keeping this machine cheap??

So anyhow I call my GP's office to warn her of what was coming from my sleep study. She said oh no honey don't you worry at all!~ When we get their script you are done with them! What we do is send you to Dr. Irvine's people and whatever you want you will get as they love Dr. Irvine so much they will do whatever he asks! I believe her because this is a doctor who on my first visit took 2 hours to examine me and took all of my history and actually listened to me. I am not going to make a fuss over this and let my Dr handle it all.

So first off, THANK YOU all from the bottom of my heart for helping to educate me about all of this! {{GROUP HUG}} If it were not for all of you I would of been stuck with a straight cpap and lousy service. These people who I thought were super nice and helpful and friendly are a package deal between the sleep center and the DME. Just a warning to others out there who are new..

EDUCATE YOURSELF!

[AuntieNae]

Michelle -
I am in my 4th week of CPAP. Of course, the DME gave me the M series Plus machine. I have had awesome nights ..and then every couple of nights I have a "bad" night where I wake up feeling like I used to. After finding this forum and learning so much, I starting asking for the Pro machine. The DME "humored me" last week and put a data card in the Plus machine - maybe they think I am stupid or something?

Well, after two weeks of persistence with my primary doc, I am now holding a prescription for the M series Auto CPAP machine!!! I pretty much said the same thing you are, I want the data capable so we can figure out what is happening on my "bad nights". I tossed in the information about the benefits for the Auto especially with weight loss. And, well, he decided after the problems I had with the humidifier, let's quit the dorking around and just do it!

I am now deciding the best course of action. The DME will only give me the Auto on a "60 day loaner" basis. I am getting pretty tired of all the hassle!

(Humidifer story - first they gave me a machine that had a "reconditioned" sticker on the bottom, I questioned it, so they gave me another one but it was the older model, so I again questioned it, and I got the one I now have.)

[Paul56]

She then says to me I don't know if this machine because it's an old one, the ResMed S8 AutoSet II, is even avaliable or if we can get it.

Wow... talk about them trying to put you off at every turn. I just got my S8 AutoSet II earlier this month (October).

I basically wanted the Auto machine for the same reason... going to be losing weight and I wanted the auto abilities. Turns out my titration pressure is a little too low.

"Ramping" is called "Settling" on the Resmed Auto boxes. Getting into the Clinical Menu is a snap so don't worry if they don't set the machine correctly.

[Guest]

Michelle: Your doctor knows what's best for you...NOT a forum full of well-meaning strangers who have NO IDEA at all about each personal situation. An Auto is not the answer for everyone. Also, the sleep lab in your situation could care less from a financial standpoint which machine you'd get unless they were atatched to the DME.

If you lost weight, chances are your pressure would drop from 6 to 5 on an Auto? You wouldn't even notice a difference. In your situation and low pressure, you don't need an Auto.

Also, I don't think Resmed's software is for patient use. It certainly shouldn't be put on a script! Software isn't a medical device!

I encourage you to listen to your doctor and not some people who have bad, one-sided DME stories.

[Paul56]

Michelle: Your doctor knows what's best for you...NOT a forum full of well-meaning strangers who have NO IDEA at all about each personal situation. An Auto is not the answer for everyone. Also, the sleep lab in your situation could care less from a financial standpoint which machine you'd get unless they were atatched to the DME.

If you lost weight, chances are your pressure would drop from 6 to 5 on an Auto? You wouldn't even notice a difference. In your situation and low pressure, you don't need an Auto.

Also, I don't think Resmed's software is for patient use. It certainly shouldn't be put on a script! Software isn't a medical device!

I encourage you to listen to your doctor and not some people who have bad, one-sided DME stories.

Yes, we should all just bend over and listen.

I think the patient/Doctor relationship has changed an awful lot from back in the 60's when that IS the way it was... one simply listened to their Doctor and never questioned anything.

Today more and more Doctors are expecting patients to take an active role in their own health care.

Diabetes for instance... patients are equipped wtih blood glucose meters and need to monitor their blood on a regular basis and adjust their meds/food as per the readings. Whatcha gonna do... run to the Doc after each reading for analysis?

Same with high blood pressure... the Docs encourage their patients to do self monitoring and get their own blood pressure meters to monitor what is going on with their blood pressure.

Software IS a medical "device" when it compiles and crunches the numbers from a medical device gathering the statistics.

But what I find most interesting of all is your first comment about "Your doctor knows what's best for you...NOT a forum full of well-meaning strangers..." ...but then after that statement you go on to offer advice.

[Wulfman]

Michelle: Your doctor knows what's best for you...NOT a forum full of well-meaning strangers who have NO IDEA at all about each personal situation. An Auto is not the answer for everyone. Also, the sleep lab in your situation could care less from a financial standpoint which machine you'd get unless they were atatched to the DME.

If you lost weight, chances are your pressure would drop from 6 to 5 on an Auto? You wouldn't even notice a difference. In your situation and low pressure, you don't need an Auto.

Also, I don't think Resmed's software is for patient use. It certainly shouldn't be put on a script! Software isn't a medical device!

I encourage you to listen to your doctor and not some people who have bad, one-sided DME stories.

Ooooohhhh.....come on now. You've been reading this forum long enough to see the whole spectrum of issues that people have encountered with their doctors, DMEs and insurance providers.
A few have actually had "good" experiences with their medical professionals.
I do agree.....to a point.....about the pressure issue and needing an Auto. However, what if they got her pressure totally wrong? We've seen that happen in far too many cases. On the other hand, since it's going to be HER therapy, why shouldn't she be able to get the machine she wants? Doctors don't always know what's "best" for us. They're trained to prescribe medications (write prescriptions) and very few of them rarely think "outside the box". Most of the ones I've encountered in the last 20 years have been pretty clueless about all sorts of things.

With regard to this therapy, with a certain amount of knowledge and awareness, most of us are capable of taking control of it.

Den

[Guest]

Den, with all due respect, please let us know what assessment you've made concerning MichelleFL's health. How much does she weigh? What's her lung capacity? Any admormal physical traits? What about whether central apneas or irregular breathing was presented in her past? Yes, I get it,,,it's HER healthcare. Why it is that she'd trust a forum full of strangers over her doctor is beyond me. She's obviously confused on many issues. Some doctors prefer to prescribe straight pressure just to see how it's tolerated (to confirm the PSG). But hey, according to you guys, it's just air. RestedGal--why don't you send her a provider's manual!

[MurphysLaw]

I am now deciding the best course of action. The DME will only give me the Auto on a "60 day loaner" basis. I am getting pretty tired of all the hassle!

Hi AuntieNae,

When I read your post I had to look to see if you lived in my area because your story sounds so similar to mine. After having problems, I wanted to switch from the CPAP to the APAP. The sleep doc wrote me a script and said the DME would only give me the APAP for a three-week trial, then swap it back to the CPAP after it is determined what pressure the APAP shows I need—as if the DME controls the whole situation, not the doc. The DME noted to me that it didn't say "trial" on the RX, so assumed it must be an outright swap. Tomorrow is three weeks with the APAP. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep this machine so that I can buy the software and reader. There has been a major improvement in my sleep with the APAP.

Perhaps, if your scripts doesn't say trial or loaner, you can get around that? Good luck.

Lynne

[Paul56]

How much does she weigh?

Hey... wait a second.

Call me old school but not considered polite to ask a lady how much she weighs... even indirectly.

[fortomorrow]

How much does she weigh? What's her lung capacity? Any admormal physical traits? What about whether central apneas or irregular breathing was presented in her past?

Uh, my doctor doesn't even know half of those things about me and yet he still prescribed the CPAP machine.

Most health care professionals don't care about patients anymore. We should feel lucky that we've found other people that DO.

[Guest]

So anyhow I call my GP's office to warn her of what was coming from my sleep study. She said oh no honey don't you worry at all!~ When we get their script you are done with them! What we do is send you to Dr. Irvine's people and whatever you want you will get as they love Dr. Irvine so much they will do whatever he asks! I believe her because this is a doctor who on my first visit took 2 hours to examine me and took all of my history and actually listened to me. I am not going to make a fuss over this and let my Dr handle it all.

So first off, THANK YOU all from the bottom of my heart for helping to educate me about all of this! {{GROUP HUG}} If it were not for all of you I would of been stuck with a straight cpap and lousy service. These people who I thought were super nice and helpful and friendly are a package deal between the sleep center and the DME. Just a warning to others out there who are new..

EDUCATE YOURSELF!

In case you missed it Dr. Dean -

"I am not going to make a fuss over this and let my Dr handle it all."

[Guest]

Well, it's such poor grammar that I was unable to understand what was meant in that whole paragraph...sorry.

[AuntieNae]

Actually, my Family Doctor is not a sleep specialist. We are working together with treating my apnea. He did further research after I asked questions and was seeking a solution to my "bad" nights. I think it is that partnership that is essential to CPAP therapy.

[Wulfman]

Den, with all due respect, please let us know what assessment you've made concerning MichelleFL's health. How much does she weigh? What's her lung capacity? Any admormal physical traits? What about whether central apneas or irregular breathing was presented in her past? Yes, I get it,,,it's HER healthcare. Why it is that she'd trust a forum full of strangers over her doctor is beyond me. She's obviously confused on many issues. Some doctors prefer to prescribe straight pressure just to see how it's tolerated (to confirm the PSG). But hey, according to you guys, it's just air. RestedGal--why don't you send her a provider's manual!

Read the last line (again) in her original post......"EDUCATE YOURSELF"
THAT'S what forums are (supposed to be) about. And, the more we can help people with awareness of these conditions and treatment, the better off they'll be to be able to deal with their medical professionals.

As far as my own doctors.....they never even asked me if I could "breathe". It was over the first few years on this forum that I learned about turbinates and deviated septums.....although I may have heard the terms before, I didn't put together the causes of my lifetime of mouth-breathing and the physiology of how I got to where I was in early 2005. I don't know if a visit to an ENT (and some surgery) would have eliminated my need for my CPAP equipment or not.....but, at least I now know that there may be an option out there for possibly getting more air into me when I sleep......and I wouldn't have been able to put that together without this forum.
I've never advised people NOT to consult with or seek help from their doctors, but when you repeatedly hear how "the system" keeps trying to keep people in the dark and being controlling over their therapy, you become jaded and more determined to give people as much information as possible so they'll be able to hold their own with those that are less forthcoming with information.

Den

[Paul56]

Read the last line (again) in her original post......"EDUCATE YOURSELF"
THAT'S what forums are (supposed to be) about. And, the more we can help people with awareness of these conditions and treatment, the better off they'll be to be able to deal with their medical professionals.

Oh yes yes YES! I so agree with that.

Have I mentioned yet how much I appreciate all you knowledgeable and helpful folks in here? Well I do.

After about a year of being treated for high blood pressure... I finally clued in and linked it to my sleeping issues. My GP sent me for a sleep study immediately... and that confirmed it.

So now I'm a hosehead.