Where to sell barely used Remstar Auto w/ A-flex

[goose]

Two nights??? You haven't even figured out how to turn it on and strap the mask on yet!!!!
Take a chill pill, read the book and figure it out.....Your health depends on you figuring it out!!!!

I'm with the others -- 2 nights isn't enough to even figure out if you can do it or not.
Can't get used to the air being "forced" down your throat......
uh. Hello??? If you have even mild apnea you need that air being forced down your throat to continue breathing. Take a google on Sleep Apnea and start reading -- learn what the condition is really all about. Heart disease, Stroke, High blood pressure, diabetes, hormone imbalance......That's a few, you'll find more if you educate yourself......Try the icons above - Our Wisdom or the newbies info.....you'll learn a bit there as well.....

2 nights??? Give me a break......
Me thinks there's something else going on.....

cheers
goose

[Guest]

If insurance provided it, it is probably on rental for the first 90 days until you prove you will use it, then they buy it. If you sell it, they will likely want to collect the full DME price from you...be careful.

Be sure you know you own it outright before selling it.

[captainq]

Wow,

I didn't think I was going to start a whole discussion on this subject. I appreciate those that are concerned and I value your opinion. I've been thinking a lot about what everyone has said, and I am thinking about giving it another shot, but, this is the situation...

I couple years ago I got a sleep study done because I've had a girlfriend who told me that I sounded terrible when I slept. I am now 31. The slept test did show that I had some instances where I was having trouble breathing and they put a machine on mid-way through the night and they said I breathed fine after that. My doctor then told me that the best thing for me was to have surgery to remove the excess tissue in back of my throat as well as the tonsils. I said that I probably would not want to mess with a machine my entire life.

I asked him if I would notice a difference if I used a machine, and he said probably not. He did hand over a prescription for one anyways. At that time, I couldn't even think about surgery because I had no insurance. So, life went on, and I continued to hear from my girlfriend and anyone else that happened to hear my sleeping that it was getting worse. So, last year I bought this machine. I tried it several nights, but most often ended up taking it off in the middle of the night either my accident or on purpose. Total use was probably a couple nights. I like to breath through both my nose and mouth, so the most uncomfortable part was only having a nasal mask. I think if I try this again, I need a full face mask, because its just too hard for me to breath just trough the nose.

Time went on, and eventually I just never tried it again. People have said that I don't snore or stop breathing very much, if any,anymore. I've heard this from several people and they say it usually only happens if I am on my back or have been drinking. If I can get 8 hours in, I usually feel great. 7 or less, and at the end of the week I'm beat. Of coarse, how can I tell if I can feel even better with a machine? I don't know.

In order to not have to go back to the doctor, I was thinking about recording myself sleep to see if I can hear myself. If I do give it another shot, I think I will have to get a full-face mask.

I found out quickly, after searching around, where I can sell the machine if I finally decide to. I wasn't trying to sell it on the forum. I appreciate everyone's input.

[jules]

SO your vote is C - denial and an idiot - surgery rarely works



so you think yours did huh?

[robrdavis]

First and foremost, let's stop with the name calling. If this forum falls into the juvinility of most other forums out there, I'll be greatly disappointed and won't think twice about never logging in again.

Now that that's done...

captainq - Welcome to cpaptalk.com! You've found a great bunch of people who are here to help each other deal with a common problem. Think of it as a support group that you never have to stand up in front of and say "My name is captainq and I have OSA." ("Hi captainq.")

Everyone here is usually pretty well behaved and you can get more questions about OSA/CPAP answered here than you can in most doctor's offices (or any DME!).

I have to say that I'm very disappointed in the advice that you received from your doctor. Him telling you that a cpap machine will probably not do you any good is the same as if he'd have said that it's pointless to put a splint on your broken arm. It sounds as if your doctor looked up the quick definition of the problem and gave you an uneducated opinion. Unfortunately, due to the common preconception that doctors know everything, we take the answer that we are given by them as the golden truth. Unfortunately (for you), your doctor almost assuradely has no personal experience with sleep apnea and the resulting sleep deprivation that he can base his opinions on.

Fortunately (again, for you) this forum is full of people that may not have a doctorate in medicine, they have something much more reliable: a countless number of sleepless, oxygen deprived nights and fog-headed days, in-your-face experience with cpap treatment (I couldn't resist!) and the trials that come with the whole package.

Also, here you can learn how to set up and use your machine. The first step is to get the complete results of your sleep study. That will help you to know if your machine is set up correctly for you. The second step is to learn what it all means. The third step is to learn how to set up and adjust your machine, find the correct mask for you and deal with all the little nuances of OSA.

Is two days enough to know if this machine is doing any good? For some, yes. Others will tell you that it took them months to realize the benifits. Hang in there. Get good advice. Stick it out. You'll feel much better for it.

[packitin]

How right they are (in the advice given). You have to remember, captainq, that apnea never gets better on its own, so you'd better keep that machine (which is a very good one).

I was like you once, thinking I could handle it on my own, and turned back in a machine I was renting - how foolish I was.
The people on this forum are experienced, and they will tell you the truth. It may not always be what you want to hear, and it may sometimes be brutally honest, but I think you, like myself, would rather hear it straight, and not soft-petaled.

Also remember, that as young as you are, you'll probably gain some weight as you age, as I did. Like you, I always had a snoring problem and I wasn't diagnosed until later in life. I inherited it from both my parents. And when I hit about 55 or 60, after gaining some weight (I now weigh about 165 at 6 ft. even), it became much worse. For example, my neck size ballooned from 14.5 to 16 and I even had my deviated septum fixed to try to help with the snoring. The extra fat probably contributed to it. I now use a cpap, and I've faced the fact that I'll probably use it for the rest of my life. But it becomes easier with usage.

As for myself, I would never consider surgery. Fortunately, I've never had surgery (the nose fix was as close as I came) on anything, and I still have my tonsils and appendix. I had one of my friends who sings in the choir at church to tell me that when he had surgery to cure his apnea, that it was a big mistake and that he now cannot sing like he used to. But not all people feel that way, and some have had success with it.

Keep with it, man, and good luck to ye.
Jay

[bdp522]

People have said that I don't snore or stop breathing very much,

Are you kidding me??? ?? Do these people watch you all night, listening for every breath? If you think you don't need the machine anymore, you need a new sleep study to confirm it. Keep in mind untreated OSA can lead to many other problems, like a stroke. Will these same 'people' come and feed you and change your diaper if need be?

how can I tell if I can feel even better with a machine? I don't know.

Sure you do!!! Ya gotta try the machine! Use it for a month or two and see the difference!

No one can make you do this. YOU have to WANT to do it. You have to realize that you NEED to do this. If you choose to sell your machine you will only be hurting yourself. If you choose to keep and use the machine, there are an awful lot of people here who can and will help you every step of the way. The choice is yours to make!

Brenda

[goose]

Doesn't sound like he ever had the surgery Jules, but to think it's just "gone away" is folly......
I wish I'd been diagnosed at 31.......I can only imagine the afflictions I have now that would be no issue today!!!!!

Apnea isn't the kind of condition that just goes away captainq -- you sound like you're really just trying to talk yourself out of treatment. It's your life!!!!!!

A full face mask should help with mouth breathing - if you have facial hair that may cause a problem, but that can be dealt with -- I can't use a FF mask myself, but I don't mouth breathe so it's not an issue.
Good luck!!!

cheers
goose

[jules]

Going back and rereading, I think you are right Goose. He didn't ever have the surgery and isn't using CPAP so he isn't getting any kind of treatment.

As others have pointed out, this site is for SUPPORT for using cpap. I don't disagree with that at all, but sometimes you get someone who comes in and says after a WHOLE 2 nights they aren't going to do it any more.

Can we really allow them to quit? We can't force them to use the machine but we can try to point out how stupid an idea that really is.

Those of us who post here, post to help others get the treatment WORKING whether it be ideas on dealing with masks, how to try to get a feeling for the data the machine can provide - LED or software output, and so forth.

We aren't for quitters. CPAP is for life.

CPAP is a commitment that you got to have the right attitude to get to work. If you think it won't work, well, it sure isn't going to is it?

[yorkiemum01]

I wish I'd been diagnosed at 31.......I can only imagine the afflictions I have now that would be no issue today!!!!!



This is soooooooo true, as my father wasnt diagnosed until his heart attack in 1998 (age 55), that resulted in
a long hospital stay. I'm very pleased to report for the last decade, he's been a faithful CPAP user, as
well as my younger brother, and I only went in for my sleep study this year after constant prodding from my family
and a business trip with a colleage who remarked how scarey it was to sleep in the same suite as me.
For years, my children (very nicely) complained how my snoring disrupted their sleep, and with all these factors,
I was LUCKY to be persuaded in my late 30's to have the study done. Consider it a blessing that those
who care about you...care enough to tell you that something is WRONG. Be patient with the therapy, with
persistance, it truly pays off.
Keep posting, and continue to return to the forum, the folks here can make all the difference.

[captainq]

Thanks again for all the advice, except for the name calling.

I took the necessary steps to have a sleep study done and buy this machine, so I'll give it another chance. I have to get a full face mask though.

I remember when I got the results back from the study that they count the number of instances of when breathing stops. I get the sense that for most of you, your opinion is that no matter how severe or mild a person's condition is, it would always help to use a machine?

Let me explain again my situation:
I should also clarify that I never had a surgery. I have to give my doctor some credit, because he used a machine for years and eventually had a surgery that helped him. He also said that someone as young as me wouldn't want to deal with a machine for the rest of my life. He also said that my condition was mild. (I'm not saying that because its mild, I'm not going to do anything)

I know how surgery can have complications, and I'm not jumping the gun on it, nor do I think its the best. Obviously, this forum is not the place where your probably going to find a lot of people who have been "cured" with surgery or are pro-surgery because, this is after all, a forum on cpaps.

My cousin used a cpap from age 15 up until 33 until he had surgery, so I guess this runs in my family. He had bad sleep apnea and couldn't sleep without one. His surgery, at age 33, was a complete success. (again, I'm not a doctor, and I'm just telling you all my experiences).

So with all that said, can anyone recommend a good full face mask? I don't have a beard, so I hope it will work. I always feel like I can't get enough air when I breath through just my nose.

-captainquarternote

[jules]

Glad to see you will try this again.

If you want to try to save a few $$ check out cpapauction.com or check out mask trades, sales on the forum. You can even offer to trade your old mask for a FFM.

You have to find a mask that works for you. You can read other's post on their experiences and of course your experience will be unique.

Your cousin - did he have a follow up study? There are a few ppl surgery does work for but it does depend a lot on the anatomy and severity, and of course what surgery is used. Some ppl end up still on CPAP for life after surgery; some end up at higher pressures.

[Wulfman]

If your doctor was referring to "UPPP" surgery, don't go for it. It opens up your throat so there's a bigger "hole" for your tongue to fall back into. It doesn't "cure" the condition and usually would require even higher pressures to keep your airway open. If, on the other hand, they're talking about turbinate reduction or septoplasty, that MIGHT be worthwhile to help nasal breathing. In the interim, you could try nasal rinsing with a saline solution to clear out the nasal passages before going to bed. Nasal breathing with this therapy is highly preferred. There are oral types of interfaces, but there are problems with them. Full face masks can actually help promote nasal breathing. In my case, I also have somewhat restricted nasal passages and using COLD ("pass-over") water in my humidifier tank helps to open up my nasal passages by shrinking the tissues in there.
We really hate to see people give up on this therapy, so consequently we tend to get a little blunt with those who give that impression. Once you get things figured out and finally get some good sleep, you'll be glad you didn't give up.

Good luck.

Den

[JZ]

capitanq,

Welcome -- I am so glad to see you staying engaged in the forum and keeping an open mind about cpap. I don't use a full face mask and can't advise you on that, but many others here can. However, I can share with you that I have mild sleep apnea (moderate when I sleep on my back, which is seldom). After what I have learned through this forum and through two years' experience with cpap, I believe that it is very important to treat even mild sleep apnea.

I'm a wee bit older than you (OK a lot older), but I understand your not wanting to use a cpap machine for the next 45 years or so. The irony is that a cpap machine may be the very thing that gives you another 45 years or so. Here's my thinking: a) Don't get in the mindset of how awful it will be to use cpap for the rest of your life. Instead concentrate on being able to use it now, first one night, then another, etc. b) Chances are very high that if you get a mask that works for you and your machine is properly set, you will get used to cpap in a few weeks, or maybe months, then it will seem like no big deal. As a matter of fact, once you get used to cpap, you will not want to be without it. c) Most of the "alternatives" to cpap therapy come with their own set of issues, including total failure to work or to work for an extended period of time. But...who knows...a real cure or new treatment for sleep apnea may be found. Sleep apnea is a real growth industry and there will be more and more scientific research on it. If that time comes, you will be glad you used the best available treatment, cpap, while waiting around for something better. I don't know if that will happen, but I can absolutely guarantee that there will be continual improvements in cpap machines (there have been some significant improvements even in my two year of treatment), and, hopefully, there will be improvements in masks.

Hang in there, do your research, ask questions and get advice here, and give cpap another try.

[lvwildcat]

I NEVER thought I'd live through that first 3 months when I had a LOVE/HATE relationship with my CPAP. Mask and machine even got thrown across the bedroom a couple of times back then. Then all of a sudden CPAP became my best friend. Seems my body had paid back all that sleep debt and CPAP was making me a very productive person like I used to be. Nothing is easy...but hope you stick it out long enough to see the good effects of CPAP.