Tech new to forum

[SleepTechTN]

Hi. I'm Ken, and I'm an RPSGT new to the forum. I was looking for reviews of national (US) DME providers and ended up spending almost my whole shift reading threads. It's been an immense help to me as a tech to read the comments of long-term cpap users. I've already thrown in a few comments, but you folks are the experts here. Thanks for your insight.

[notyorz]

Hey Ken, welcome aboard!

[SleepingUgly]

Welcome! Please stick around!

[SleepyToo2]

Hi. I'm Ken, and I'm an RPSGT new to the forum. I was looking for reviews of national (US) DME providers and ended up spending almost my whole shift reading threads. It's been an immense help to me as a tech to read the comments of long-term cpap users. I've already thrown in a few comments, but you folks are the experts here. Thanks for your insight.

Welcome, and enjoy the reading! Hope you put into practice what you are reading! My recommendation to you is that unless you are also a patient, after you have done some reading, test out the equipment and masks that you recommend. Put yourself in the position of a patient - you are scared, don't know what to expect. Some stranger slaps a mask on your face, and tells you that you will have to live with that for the rest of your life. They will give you a starting air pressure of 4 cm of water, and have it climb up to your prescribed pressure over a period of time. They will tell you to pull the straps tight to stop the mask leaking, and to make sure you don't put the machine on the floor, but have it lower than your head. Just the low pressure alone will be enough to make many people claustrophobic and feel like they are suffocating. So please be aware of that, and your patients will be more likely to continue treatment. As you read through the forum, you will learn more and more that will actually help your patients stay on CPAP longer. Not like, but at least they will continue with it!

[DoriC]

Welcome, hope you'll come here often.

[MaxDarkside]

Yes, welcome ! Your advice would be valuable to me, like if you see something odd in data people post, maybe chime in and suggest a Dr. take a look at it, or indicate how somethings we see might be normal.

[avi123]

When you go back to the BinarySleep forum say hi to labman2 from Avi. This jerk is a moderator there.

"Ted the Sleep Guy" who is also a moderator there is ignorant of the benefits of ASV machines.
See here his post there about it:

[SleepTechTN]

<removed>

[nanwilson]

We have several sleep techs that join in every so often and help put a different perspective on some of the problems patients have. Welcome.

[avi123]

Ken, at one time when this forum was started there was an RPSGT helping posters here. His screen name was Ted the Titrator. He was also from TN. See his profile here:

memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=5

[chunkyfrog]

As you may have already noticed, there are a lot of APAP fans here.
My pressure varies from night to night, and mask to mask. --I sleep wonderfully in every case.
My husband also has an Autoset, with nearly 100% positional apnea.
Software and efficacy data was a deciding factor to get a gadget nut like him to get therapy.
Welcome.
Please note that many here have excellent taste in equipment.

[gertrude]

What does RSPG stand for? Just curious. And welcome.

[avi123]

What does RSPG stand for? Just curious. And welcome.

These are the persons who attend our Sleep Studies in clinics. The poster Delta Dave holds this credential. Usually, they don't suppose to render medical advice but some of them are ready to discuss issues and suggest opinions.

These Techs are working at nights and sleep during the mornings.

I tried to post at their forum named BinarySleep. Most posters there were nice and replied to my questions. But one moderator with the screen name labman2 made fun of me and kicked me out of there saying that the forum was only for Techs.

*************************************

The RPSGT Credential

The Registered Polysomnographic Technologist™ (RPSGT) is an internationally recognized credential representing the highest certification in the field for the health care professionals who clinically assess patients with sleep disorders.

The Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists™ (BRPT) sets the credentialing standards for the RPSGT credential and develops, maintains and administers the Registered Polysomnographic Technologist Examination for Polysomnographic Technologists (RPSGT). The RPSGT ensures that RPSGTs hold the highest level of core knowledge, skills, abilities and attributes.

To become certified as a RPSGT, a technologist must have necessary clinical experience, hold CPR certification or its equivalent, adhere to the BRPT Standards of Conduct and pass the RPSGT credentialing exam.

The BRPT’s credentialing program has grown from eight technologists certified by the first RPSGT administration in 1979 to more than 17,000 Registered Polysomnographic Technologists today. These credentialed technologists have made a commitment to professionalism, competence and ethics by meeting

[xenablue]

Thanks all for the greetings. Seriously, I'm here to learn. I am not an OSA patient, however I have taken apaps home with a few of my favorite masks. I used the machines for several months at a time, night after night, to see what it felt like to live with cpap. This doesn't make me an expert, but it gave me a different perspective.

I have already been advised to be careful on this forum. I came to listen, not to preach. To avi123: I've never been to the BinarySleep forum. And you don't have to convince me of the benefits of ASV for the patient who needs it.

K.

Hi Ken, and welcome!

I'd guess the only reason you'd need to be 'careful' on this forum is that for the most part, sleep 'professionals' are aghast that many here take charge of their own XPAP therapy, change their settings (including pressure), experiment with amazing rigs - all to make this therapy work for "us". In the short time I've been here, several 'professionals' have reprimanded us for daring to make this therapy as comfortable and workable as possible and (GULP) have the audacity to hack into the clinician's settings.

If you can handle this, then you'll be quite safe

Cheers,xena

[DoriC]

Hi Ken, you'll find we're really a nice "family" except for a few "black sheep", every family has a few of those.
It seems you have an open mind and will embrace what we're doing here and I know we'd certainly appreciate your perspective on things from the other side of the bed! We're all here to learn every day in one way or another. I'm in the rather difficult position of being the caregiver for my disabled husband's therapy so I often get into trouble and need help.