My visit to the sleep Doc today

[jec]

Been on CPAP for 1 year so I went in for a 6 month follow up today, look at compliance etc.

I asked for a fitting for the mirage full face since the nasal mask is not working very well for me (mouth venting) and that went well so then I asked to talk about the possibility of getting an Auto Cpap and what they knew about them.

This is a big office with many patients and I thought from the articles I have seen on their walls that this Doc was a leader in his field and I expected the staff to be up to snuff as well.

Well the PA brought in the CPAP tech for the office (tag team) and they told me only two patients of theirs use them and the only reason they have them is because they had trouble getting them titrated.

Well the more we got into it I quickly realized they knew very little about them.

Tech: Why do you want one?

Me: for one I want the smart card interface so that I can take control of my treatment and see what is really going on rather than coming here every 6 months and getting a graph that shows only compliance.

Tech: Well if you get a mask leak the Auto goes full out and you will get faulty readings.

Me: Well at least I would know something isn't right when I see the report, as it stands now what happens when I get a leak on straight CPAP?

Tech: Uh... well it maintains a constant 7 cm pressure

Me: Yea and I never know that I had a leak and therefore my treatment is compromised.

Me: I also want the flexibility of the changing pressure, how do you know 7cm is still enough for me?

Tech: Well that is what the titration said last year.

Me: That's great but that was one restless night in your lab and let's say that my confidence in one nights results is very low.

Tech: looks at PA and shrugs shoulders.

It went on from there but the bottom line is I got them to fax a prescription to my DME which I probably won't get insurance to pay for since I have only had my current machine for a year, but I also got them to write me one for me to have in case I decide to buy it myself.

All in all I suppose it was a positive result and that is what matters the most.

So glad I found this site, I have learned alot but still have a ways to go.

OH! I had a print out from this site of the REMstar Auto C-Flex CPAP so I could show them exactly what I wanted and when they saw the price they were astounded at how cheap it was.

[MartiniLover]

Good Job