questions I need to ask

[sydneyP]

I was given a prescription and when I asked the dr to fax it to have it filled- I was told that I would have to choose which provider to use...
So how do I do that???

And since I am recently diagnosed and just now discovering that there are different types of machines & masks and that I have no clue how to compare them.
Is there a question & answer somewhere on the website to help a new user identify the pros and cons of various equipment?

if anyone can offer assitance, I would greatly appreciate it.

[Pugsy]

Check out what member Janknitz has written to give you a start on how to understand what you will be facing. Then ask some more questions.

http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/what-y ... me-part-i/

[archangle]

I'll let others fill you in more, but you've been given a golden opportunity to shop around and get it done right. My doctor sent the prescription to his favorite provider and I got shafted with a cheap machine, etc. Get the prescription on paper and keep it.

Did you get a prescription for a sleep study, or just for a CPAP machine?

Take your time looking for a good provider. If you've gone this long without CPAP, you can take a few extra days. Figure out what they're going to do for you. Figure out what kind of machine you want to get and check with a few providers. Find out what they will charge you.

You'll need to figure out who the approved providers are with your insurance, if necessary. Do you have insurance?

Keep a copy of your own prescription. Don't just hand the original over to the first provider you talk to and let him hold your prescription hostage.

What city are you in? If it's a large city, you can shop around for good providers. People here might have recommendations or warnings about certain providers.

You could buy a CPAP machine online with a prescription, but you'd need to study a lot to figure out how to do it right.

Check the "announcement" threads at the top of this forum. CPAP-Sleep-Apnea-Forum.html

[Pugsy]

One question to ask yourself.

Can I breathe through my nose during the day without having to open my mouth? If yes, you can maybe consider nasal masks (over the nose and nasal pillow type)

If for some reason you cannot breathe through your nose.. bad allergies, deviated septum etc. Then you will need some sort of Full face mask that will include the mouth because if you can't breathe through your nose then the mouth is where the air comes in and unfortunately will exit the body if you are using nasal only mask.

[LSAT]

I was given a prescription and when I asked the dr to fax it to have it filled- I was told that I would have to choose which provider to use...
So how do I do that???

And since I am recently diagnosed and just now discovering that there are different types of machines & masks and that I have no clue how to compare them.
Is there a question & answer somewhere on the website to help a new user identify the pros and cons of various equipment?

if anyone can offer assitance, I would greatly appreciate it.

If you tell us where you live, maybe someone on the board can give you some suggestions.

[Pugsy]

Please take the time to formally register here at the forum. You can then send and receive private emails and then later when you get your equipment can add it to your profile so we can help you better and quicker.

Make sure you understand fully data capable machines and not just hours of use data. DMEs can be real sneaky on that part.

Question... Is this machine data capable?

DME.. Oh yes, see that SD card there? It will tell us how much you use the machine.

Yeah, right, hours of use only. Learn the brand models. Avoid anything with Escape or Plus in the model name unless it is listed as CFlex Plus (plus at the end and not in the middle) confusing yes, but it will get clearer. Other brands we have to look at model numbers more closely.

Mask choice? DME will have some to try. It is a crap shoot at best when starting out unless you did well on the mask used at titration part of sleep study.

[Otter]

I was given a prescription and when I asked the dr to fax it to have it filled- I was told that I would have to choose which provider to use...
So how do I do that???

You could start a new thread with a title like "can anyone recommend a DME in Chicago". Obviously, if you don't live in Chicago, you'll have to substitute your town or area. This is mostly likely to work if you live in a densely populated area, but it's worth trying even if you're out in the sticks.

Do a little research on here and on your own to get some idea of what you think you'll need.

Then call or visit more than one DME in your area. Find one that answers your questions and seems willing to let you participate in your therapy. If they are rude, unhelpful, condescending, or won't shut up long enough for you to ask a question, move on. All of these behaviors indicate a lack of professionalism, competence, and training. Don't waste your time with people like that until you've verified that there isn't someone better in your area.

If at all possible, find an RT who does not give you dire but completely unfounded warnings about how dangerous it would be for you to adjust the settings on your machine yourself. This is important not only because one or two nights in a sleep lab can't take into account all the variables of your life, but also because anyone who thinks you're likely to kill yourself by bumping your pressure a cm or two one way or the other doesn't know what he's talking about. I would not trust the advice of a person displaying that level of ignorance, even if it was well intentioned, and even though it is probably part of the training that most RT's and other DME employees receive. You need advice based on science and experience, not myth and corporate CYA.

[Lizistired]

All of the above plus:
Call the sleep doc's office and tell them you will pick up the prescription and ask for a copy of the complete reports with graphs for both studies. Make 2 copies of everything before you start shopping for a DME. Possession is everything. Having the script in your hand and not theirs is like car shopping with a check in your hand.
If you call your Insurance co, they can tell you who they deal with. They might give you some names that don't deal with CPAP, but it's a start. Then call down the list and narrow it to the ones that you want to check out.
One DME explained to me that the RT would make an appointment with me in about 2 weeks.... and then they would have to submit my ins before they could order me a machine. Of the 2 DME's I went to, both had older M series machines on display. If I hadn't done my homework here I wouldn't have known the difference.
Don't rush this part!

[camman595]

I'll let others fill you in more, but you've been given a golden opportunity to shop around and get it done right.

That statement is so true. After my 1st sleep study, I was handed a CPAP machine and there was no shopping around and getting information. The machine I was given was a basic model. It worked out well but it was not cutting edge then and now it is so old I had difficulty finding a manual for it online. That was 12 years ago. A few weeks ago, I went shopping for a new CPAP machine and this time I did my homework and ended up with a Resmed S9 Autoset. Which ever brand you go with, consider getting one with top notch data recording abilities. You may not need that data now but it can help a lot later.