Welcome To the Forum, Follow Up Call

[Slinky]

Glad to see you join us. Its always helpful and interesting to learn about "the other side of the fence". An RRT w/10 years in the business should really be able to share some good, helpful information.

Just be forewarned. I hope you have some thick-skin. Most of us found this and other apena support forums BECAUSE we did NOT get the assistance, education, support and advice from our local DME suppliers and sleep doctors. Most of us ran into less than truthful DME supplier RTs or those who don't know the various brands and models xPAPs they provide other than the Quick SetUp Guide.

On the other hand, we sure do appreciate those "in the profession" who have the patience and open mind to put up w/our pessimism and skepticism when it comes to DME supplier RTs and sleep doctors. We've got some really great RRTs, RTs, RPSGTs and even occasionally a sleep doctor who drop in from time to time. I hope you become one of that group! Your ID "suggests" that you "might" be. Hope springs eternal.

[Follow Up Call]

Well thanks for the words. I won't pretend to know everything or every situation, but I know my share. Its too bad that many of you have had bad experiences with their DME companies. Us home care RRT's really want to help you become compliant with your CPAP therapy. Some just more than others. I realize it can be very difficult and uncomfortable to sleep with a mask on your face and air pressure blasting down your airway.

I won't check in here everyday, but I like this site because its so active.

[Slinky]

Glad to see you respond, FollowUpCall. I came down pretty hard on you in the New and Confused thread. For that I apologize, but I do NOT apologize for my reasons on for insisting on ONLY a fully data capable xPAP, especially if it is going to be the client's only xPAP!

And, yep, this is the busiest apena support forum on the web. But as I mentioned we can be a feisty bunch.

[SharkBait]

Well thanks for the words. I won't pretend to know everything or every situation, but I know my share. Its too bad that many of you have had bad experiences with their DME companies. Us home care RRT's really want to help you become compliant with your CPAP therapy. Some just more than others. I realize it can be very difficult and uncomfortable to sleep with a mask on your face and air pressure blasting down your airway.

I won't check in here everyday, but I like this site because its so active.

This is an interesting response. Based on comments like "Why would they give you data capable machine? They both blow the same" and "You can't have another machine but we'll provide you with masks and stuff and be happy to bill your insurance company", I got the impression that you were fishing. I guess we'll see...

[rested gal]

Slinky, I'm glad you started this welcome topic to the new member nicknamed "Follow Up Call."

For anyone who missed his first post and your reply, they can find it in this thread:
Topic title: New and confused.
viewtopic/t39669/viewtopic.php?p=346859#p346859

I guess I'm one who doesn't think that every time a person who says they are an RT, or sleep tech, or works for a DME and voices an opinion different from what many of us on this board think, is a troll who is posting just to try to stir up trouble.

Sure, that can happen. For that matter, anyone can claim to be an RT, a doctor, an astrophysicist, whatever, and be just playing on here.

But there are many, many people who work in the health care field who read this board and genuinely wonder why we do or say some of the things we do here. I'm not surprised when some of them post an opinion that is very different from my opinion, or from that of many others on this board. I'm not surprised when they are alarmed, shocked, puzzled, outraged, or just mildly wonder, "why?" "Why do you all say that, think that, do that?"

It's nice when they don't start in right off the bat with a condescending lecture or shaking a finger in our faces. I didn't see any of that in Follow Up Call's post, so what he said was fine with me. It was his opinion. That's cool. I thought Follow Up Call's post contained a perfectly reasonable comment and a perfectly reasonable question in that other thread, when he replied to Rockin Mama:

"They will be very unwilling to get you the more expensive machine when the S8 Escape II works just fine. Why do you need the Elite and not the Escape? The pressure is the same."

I agree with the reasons Slinky went into on that other thread, about "why."

An exchange of opinions over the fence is always welcome, imho. Expressing different opinions does not a troll make. Not to me, anyway. Heck, I even regard our regular drive-by "call your doctor!!" guest poster (thedean) as a kind of mascot on this board... LOL!!

Glad to see you still posting here, Follow Up Call. Hope you'll continue to do so.

[carbonman]

Us home care RRT's really want to help you become compliant with your CPAP therapy.

Where do they come from???
Why do they come here???
Where have they all gone???

Straparattus???
ApriaRT???
polysomnoman????

...and we, the simple, hosehead Yahoo's, remain.....
try'n stuff,
figur'n it out,
pass'n along the gained wisdom of experience,
strapp'n it on everynight.....

taking our brains back,
taking our bodies back,
taking our lives back.

I've said it before, I'll say it again.....

if you haven't felt the fatigue and pain,
if you ain't strapp'n it on everynight,
if you don't know the relief and recovery,
how can you pretend to tell me, how.

[reefdreamer]

Wow Carbonman! How did you come up with all that! I love it

[JimW203]

Well thanks for the words. Us (try We, next time) home care RRT's really want to help you become compliant with your CPAP therapy. ...

Not to be snarky, but therein lies the rub - why the overriding need for the patient to become compliant (read, obediant) to the therapy? Why shouldn't the sentiment be "...really want the therapy to be effective in helping you." Or, perhaps, "...find the therapy modality that fits your needs best and ensure it works for you."

JimW203

[rested gal]

Not to be snarky, but therein lies the rub - why the overriding need for the patient to become compliant (read, obediant) to the therapy? Why shouldn't the sentiment be "...really want the therapy to be effective in helping you." Or, perhaps, "...find the therapy modality that fits your needs best and ensure it works for you."

JimW203

I understand what you're saying, Jim. I've always disliked the word "compliant." Smacks of making a recalcitrant child obey a grownup's orders. The phrases you suggest are much better.

However (and not to be snarky, either) since "compliance" is a word that anyone who works for a DME is used to reading, hearing, thinking about, it doesn't bother me that Follow Up Call would use it. While the word "compliant" makes me grit my teeth (so does the word "patient"...I'm a CPAP "user"...not anyone's "patient" LOL!!) I certainly understand why a DME employee could quite naturally use "compliant" and at the same time have in mind exactly the sentiments you spoke of, Jim.

I saw both empathy and a desire to help people in Follow Up Call's post. He sounds like a good'un to me.

[Babette]

I am an astrophysicist. This has great bearing on my comments on Xpap therapy.

Couldn't resist.... Sorry Laura.

I do agree with your posts on this thread. I just found that hilarious and had to say something stupid.

LOL,
Babs

[Follow Up Call]

So I'm not supposed to use the word "compliant"......I did not know that. See, I've been here less than 1 day and I'm learning useful stuff.

[Wulfman]

So I'm not supposed to use the word "compliant"......I did not know that. See, I've been here less than 1 day and I'm learning useful stuff.

Look at it this way......
The more "effective" our therapy is, the more "compliant" we're likely to be.

And.......Welcome to the forum.

Den

[tattooyu]

So I'm not supposed to use the word "compliant"......I did not know that. See, I've been here less than 1 day and I'm learning useful stuff.

Hi, Follow Up Call. First, welcome. Words by themselves are neutral. It's the intent behind words that makes them what they are. If you feel more comfortable using "compliant", I say use it. I didn't have a problem with your post either. Just know that we are trying to do our best, and be healthy, in a medical system where sometimes the words don't always match the sentiment. I think that's part of the resistance you are meeting here. I think a lot of people are very frustrated, so they become active participants in their own therapy.

I know I did.

[jnk]

There are a lot of medical words that make me grit my teeth. But then again, I may just like gritting my teeth. I have used the word compliant in describing myself to medical people, though. I read/hear the word "compliant" as meaning compliant to the therapy, not compliant to the therapist or the industry. Taking charge of one's own PAP therapy requires conforming oneself to the demands of the hose, and I willingly submit to my machine as its patient.

BTW, Follow Up Call, thanks for sticking around. We talk about everything here. Some threads are like PBS, some are like sitcoms, and some are more like melodramas--but it is all educational and entertaining on multiple levels. I forewarn you that this board can be addictive, though.

WELCOME!!!

jeff (a compliant patient who knows of no cure for his terminological bruxism )

[lizpalika]

I guess I'm the lucky one.

I'm a new user; just about a month now (and have posted here a couple of times) but I had excellent support from my doctor, RT, and DME. My health care system had three classes (an hour and a half each), the RT spent time with each of us in the class and afterwards, and the DME offered me an excellent machine right from the start. He also had me try on a variety of masks and listened when I commented on them.

I'm here not because I'm having problems but because it's the way I am; I just want to know more and so read almost all the posts/threads with interest.

But I do have to mention - for Follow Up Call's sake and the other health care professionals who may lurk here - definately not all are doing their patients a disservice. And for those doing a good job, thanks!

Liz