CPAP Destruction and Disastrous Doc office visit.

[doubleg137]

I woke up this past weekend after having destroyed my cpap machine with a bat. I don't really remember doing it. I have tried for what seems like millennia trying to get the machine to work, and I only have had one true night of restful sleep in the past decade (last night of restful sleep in Sept 1997). I kept ripping the mask off my face no matter what I would try. I also had to repair the seven holes in the drywall from swinging the bat around, and replace the lamp I broke. Thankfully the bose radio is on the dresser across the room. So, not only am I out the costs of the lamp, drywall repair, new texture and paint, I'm down to no cpap machines, and now I've given up. I also can't get my doctor's office to understand how dire my situation is, and I'm afraid I have to find a new one since I got mad at the receptionist and yelled at her at a very loud volume while at the office complex. After going to the office and several minutes of attempting to explain the situation to her (not wanting to wait four months for the first open appointment), she didn't really understand the gravity of the situation.
I said that I had to see my doctor as soon as possible and that I would wait the entire day for any appointment that happened to open up. She told me it was not useful to wait around.... I cut her off and started yelling " I would try to explain my situation in simpler terms, but since I left my 'English to complete f**king moron' translation dictionary at home, I find myself at a loss." I think I tossed in the "c" word.... I don't really remember. I then left the office, and people cleared from my flight path as I walked away.

I'm not normally a hothead. My fatigue is getting so bad that I'm afraid that I will lose my job when I explode after hitting a trigger point. I might take a sick day here and there to attempt to sleep sitting up. maybe one night of sleep per week is all I need.

Has anyone ever had this much trouble getting to see a doctor? I'm thinking about just paying for it out of my own pocket rather than let and health benefit insurance handle it.

[jules]

Ask for a copy of your Rx for a machine (sleep doc or PCP). Call and ask to be able to pick it up at noon or first thing in the afternoon. Be polite.

Get out your plastic money, order a machine from cpap.com. You will need to get that Rx to them (email a scan or it or have it faxed).

You pick and choose how much you want to spend. There are machines that are very cheap and some which cost much much more. It all depends on what you want to break next tantrum.

If you order a straight cpap, you need a pressure on the script. If you order an APAP the script needs to just say CPAP I believe.

You can pay for expedited shipping and get it in a day or two.

This rx used a cpap.com will be good for the next time you have to do this again (you won't have to go back and harass the doctor's staff again).

[5aces]

Sure,I went to my GP with all my CPAP gear and when I was finally seen in the small treatment room,plugged in the flow generator,put on the mask,told him it wasn't working,yanked off the mask,threw it at the wall and bellowed at the top of my lungs "I just feel like crap!" as he slunk into his private office...

Waited for an hour and a half to see a cardiologist.Waited to see the Respirologist from the sleep clinic.Waited to get into an Ear,Nose and Throat Specialist.

Still waiting for test results.Still waiting for sinus surgery.Still waiting to feel 'right'.

I have spent all I can afford to improve the situation.I hope and believe it will be put right.

The waiting is the hardest part,but it too shall pass...hang in there.


Ya...it sucks to be this.I hear you.
This is my setup-and I can't enjoy the benefits until my sinus surgery...

[randyd501]

This is a joke right?

[nobody]

My doctor is difficult to see, but not quite that difficult. It might take me a month or two to get an appointment, but I know he covers a very large area and he's a great doctor so lots of patients and he's spread thin. I know for me it wouldn't make any difference how it was paid for, whether cash or by insurance. It would still take a while to get an appointment with him. I do think you need to get an appointment with someone soon if you are doing things like that in your sleep, you could hurt yourself or someone else so you need to get that taken care of. In the meantime I'd suggest some anger management classes or something. You can't be treating people that way and expect them to help you.

[J Neutron]

I cut her off and started yelling " I would try to explain my situation in simpler terms, but since I left my 'English to complete f**king moron' translation dictionary at home, I find myself at a loss."

Now THAT is a good one!

Jim

[crossfit junkie]

I've waited over 2 years to get in to Sleep specialist and this is a normal wait time in Altantic Canada. If you talk like that at work or anywhere else, you deserve to lose your job. Sorry! But my empathy stopped when you started the profanity.
CFJ

[library teacher]

I agree. No one deserves the profanity. And, it is not the receptionist's fault. The fault started when you destroyed your equipment. You need to seek some anger mangagement classes soon.

[swcompassionate]

All I can say is sleep deprivation gravely impacts emotional stability, physical problems, and daily functioning. I have a feeling if you were sleeping you would feel more stable. On the other hand, you could be having night terrors. I am not sure if the stuff with the bat occurs when you are asleep or awake. If you do have night terrors I would suggest pursuing another doctor that is able to be responsive sooner whether that is your primary care physician or another sleep doctor. As much as none of us want to, have you thought about taking a break from the CPAP for a little while until you get some sleep albiet not great so that maybe you can feel a little more sane to try again. Just a thought. Hang in there. I do hope it gets better for you soon.

Maria

[5aces]

Pushed to the brink of...don't have to look too far into the world of CPAP to come up with plenty of anger 'gems'

When I first got this mask I thought it was great. Now only after a few months I want to smash it into a million tiny pieces. The head gear stretches, and the head gear will pop off. It is now leaking at many different points and it is very uncomfortable

The plastisol smells are known to be irritants and I'm convinced that they are responsible for me waking up every morning at 2 am wanting to smash my cpap to pieces with a hammer and never being able to put it back on.

I've had the same thing--not so much panic but just some real irritation/claustrophobia. I used to wake up at 2am every night and want to throw my whole cpap against a wall and smash it with a hammer.

Now, when I wake up without using the BiPap, I feel beat up. Getting to sleep with the contraption on is a true ritual at best - many times, I get worked up and want to smash my resmed.

And Finally:

Re: What is your feeling towards Sleep? Do you enjoy it?Wed, May 14, 2008 - 8:01 AM
L:"I don’t mean to bitch here and maybe this is the appropriate place to bitch. <shrug> "
=========================
As far as I am concerned, yes. I am this is a place where people can vent their frustrations about living with apnea.
Its nice having people around who can comprehend, from experience, what I might be talking about in regards.

Re: What is your feeling towards Sleep? Do you enjoy it?Wed, May 14, 2008 - 9:29 AM
Amen to that.

Bitch on, brother.

Bitch on, sister.

We're here for you!

Snippets from the Internet:Smash+CPAP!

[jnk]

And THAT, boys and girls, is why ALL apneic major leaguers who are juicing need to keep their baseball equipment locked in another room while they sleep.

[skittles]

oh my - seems like you need a time out, or if that does not work, act your age.

skittles

[Wulfman]

I went back to look at your previous posts in this thread (Sept. 2008):

viewtopic/t37943/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34 ... 11#p299011

It doesn't appear that you did or tried anything that was suggested at that time.....including having a REAL dialogue with us about your therapy. You said you were close to taking a sledge hammer to your machine back then. You still haven't filled out your profile.....machine, pressure setting, etc......or gave us a complete list of masks you've tried. Obviously they were the WRONG ones or else you haven't figured out how to wear them.
You should have taken charge of your own therapy a long time ago. It sounds like you're trying to blame anyone but yourself.

"Get a grip on it".......and use some of that gray matter that holding your ears apart.
We tend to have little compassion for those who FIND the CPAP forums but then refuse or ignore the help that is offered.

Your call......

Den

[mindy]

I wonder if this guy is for real .... or just someone pulling our collective legs?

Mindy

[imsleepynomore]

Are you sure you want help behaving in a doctors office like you did will not get you what . Your lucky they didn't have you arrested for that violent abussive language. I doubt if they will ever call you . I would suggest you get your credit card out and pay out of pocket for a new CPAP and then sit down take a deep breath; eat some crow and ask politely for help in adjusting to a new life style and then follow those suggestions. No one can do this for you but your self. If you really have a violent behavior problem maybe you need some guidance in this area or meds.