Now I understand!!

[caffeine please]

I am so not impressed with the RT. I called him this morning to ask if he would review my data because that will be the real picture of whether I have resolved all of my problems with leaks etc. He said "in a nutshell", if I don't think I am having any leaks then I probably am not and if I was they would wake me up. Then I said...but I have an autopap that compensates for the leaks (thinking if I still have a high leak rate etc. my pressures may be higher than they need to be). He said he does not think it is necessary to review my data but that he would be happy to if I wanted him to. Now I understand I know some of you guys review your own datat etc. because of lack of insurance but know that some of you do just out of sheer frustration with the "system" and knowing you will not get anywhere!!

For a real zinger, my whole situation started with 2 techs, during my titration study telling me that I did not need a cpap because I only have hypopneas and that the study is a waste of my time (they didn't just come out and tell me that, it was after I asked during the night if they were seeing any apneas) Unfortunately at that time I was probably in denial, they were very convincing and I believed them. We finished the study with me still hooked up to everything so the insurance would pay for the study, but I did not keep the mask on. By the time they were done talking to me (they said all of the other techs feel the same way but they are the only ones who will say anything, that I am not the only patient this has happened to (only having hypopneas) and that it is all about money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was wide awake and just watched tv and cut out recipes from a magazine (oh brother)!!!It was such as mess. After that I did not know whether I was coming or going because the diagnosis of the OSA came from a well respected sleep doctor with a long history in the community. My referring doc finally convinced me to try a cpap for 2 weeks and that is when I went to another clinic and had a 2 week trial on a autopap. (I never did tell the sleep md what happened (another long story)

[Wulfman]

I am so not impressed with the RT. I called him this morning to ask if he would review my data because that will be the real picture of whether I have resolved all of my problems with leaks etc. He said "in a nutshell", if I don't think I am having any leaks then I probably am not and if I was they would wake me up. Then I said...but I have an autopap that compensates for the leaks (thinking if I still have a high leak rate etc. my pressures may be higher than they need to be). He said he does not think it is necessary to review my data but that he would be happy to if I wanted him to. Now I understand I know some of you guys review your own datat etc. because of lack of insurance but know that some of you do just out of sheer frustration with the "system" and knowing you will not get anywhere!!

For a real zinger, my whole situation started with 2 techs, during my titration study telling me that I did not need a cpap because I only have hypopneas and that the study is a waste of my time (they didn't just come out and tell me that, it was after I asked during the night if they were seeing any apneas) Unfortunately at that time I was probably in denial, they were very convincing and I believed them. We finished the study with me still hooked up to everything so the insurance would pay for the study, but I did not keep the mask on. By the time they were done talking to me (they said all of the other techs feel the same way but they are the only ones who will say anything, that I am not the only patient this has happened to (only having hypopneas) and that it is all about money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was wide awake and just watched tv and cut out recipes from a magazine (oh brother)!!!It was such as mess. After that I did not know whether I was coming or going because the diagnosis of the OSA came from a well respected sleep doctor with a long history in the community. My referring doc finally convinced me to try a cpap for 2 weeks and that is when I went to another clinic and had a 2 week trial on a autopap. (I never did tell the sleep md what happened (another long story)

Welcome to......."reality"!


Den

[rested gal]

my whole situation started with 2 techs, during my titration study telling me that I did not need a cpap because I only have hypopneas and that the study is a waste of my time (they didn't just come out and tell me that, it was after I asked during the night if they were seeing any apneas) Unfortunately at that time I was probably in denial, they were very convincing and I believed them. We finished the study with me still hooked up to everything so the insurance would pay for the study, but I did not keep the mask on. By the time they were done talking to me (they said all of the other techs feel the same way but they are the only ones who will say anything, that I am not the only patient this has happened to (only having hypopneas) and that it is all about money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was wide awake and just watched tv and cut out recipes from a magazine

Wow. Wow. WOW. How unprofessional of those sleep techs. That's just awful.

That's an example of why NO ONE except the doctor is supposed to "diagnose." (Hey, I diagnosed myself and put myself on treatment, by myself...but that's different. )

Anyway, that's a sterling example of why sleep techs are supposed to tell people "you can discuss that with your doctor" and not talk about what does/doesn't show up on the study....much less say what THEIR diagnosis is.

Geeze.

Thank goodness you kept thinking about it, caff, listened to the doctor, found out more and more, and found your way to this message board. Whew, what a disservice those particular techs did you.

[caffeine please]

Thank-you "Rested Gal". I can't tell you how much this forum has helped me.

THAT was a nightmare (no pun intended). Talk about a "systems" problem and the head doc has no idea. I made the mistake at the time of telling tech I would not implicate her(because she was sincere and felt like she was advocating for me) and I BELIEVED HER!! So....Its my integrity. I have struggled with the idea of not telling the head doc. My doc said she should have never let me make that promise because she was so out of line. Noone in my circle of family/providers etc. was at all happy with the situation and said she had no business saying what she said as a tech and that is what doctors are for.

I guess like the rest of you guys I'm going to have to suck it up and get one of those programs for my machine. (there needs to be a smilie for frustrated!!)

[dieselgal]

My tech was alright I think during my test . At least she didn't leak info that she shouldn't or try to diagnose me herself. I even asked for info and she was pretty evasive. The only thing she did wrong was talk on the phone in the other room and I could hear her while I was trying to sleep.

[Bets]

Wow - my sleep tech wouldn't even tell me if I snored!

[RipVW]

Yep. Unfortunately, this is SO typical!

[rested gal]

He said "in a nutshell", if I don't think I am having any leaks then I probably am not and if I was they would wake me up.

I've been helping a couple of women who live near me with their cpap stuff.

One is using a VPAP III bilevel. The other is using the M Auto with A-flex. Both are using FF masks.

I downloaded their data (carefully setting Encore Pro to not erase the Auto's card... ) and was appalled at the massive leaks both were having - consistently.

I asked them, "Do you wake up much during the night with a lot of air leaking out of the mask, or with your mask off?" Neither of them did. Both slept through massive leak situations without being aware of any "leaks" at all.

We worked on that and both are doing much better now.

[roster]

.......
I've been helping a couple of women who live near me with their cpap stuff.

........

Those two ladies are lucky to have the CPAP angel looking over them like she has done for so many of us remotely! God bless RG.

[track]

ditto what you said,rooster.

[boston]

my insurance $$$$$ should go to her, not the bastard DME who is getting it.

[DoriC]

RG, I can understand that because my husband sleeps through LL too, but they usually wake me up and I adjust his mask while he's still sound asleep but then I can't get back to sleep. Tell me, how far is TN from NJ??(LOL). Those ladies are so lucky.

[Violet]

Can't say that I had difficult sleep techs at my study, they were nice. However, I can say that I was creeped out in the a.m. After I took my shower and entered the bedroom I felt uncomfortable about changing in the sleep room due to the observation globe in the ceiling, so returned to change in the bathroom. Good intuition! As I was leaving, walking down a very empty hall, empty offices, nobody around, quietly calling hello how do I get out of here.......... finally found someone in the technical room with machines and monitors. A creepy guy in a white coat with his back to me sitting in front of monitors. Icky / Creepy!