Furious with Sleep Clinic

[chunkyfrog]

Funny; a few years ago, busloads of elderly Americans were traveling to Canadian pharmacies to get their medicine.
Maybe one of the online providers needs a storefront in North Dakota.

[Loreena]

LIKE!

What does this mean, in this context?

How to deal with bad medical care...what else?

[elessadil]

Well, guess I'm screwed!!! Called my GP, but he says he can't write me a prescription. I have to wait and get it from the clinic. What a joke!!! I hope the Director of Diagnostic Services has had a good vacation cuz she is gonna get an earful on Tuesday!!

[oak]

so sorry that you are getting the runaround. they should have planned better with all of the vacations. patients come last?

[avi123]

elessadil, the question now is what you should do until you get your Doc's Rx. The wife of my friend from Revelstoke Drive says that he snores quite a bit during sleep. Their son who holds an MD in Geriatrics from John Hopkins suggests that he should sleep on his sides. This could help you too until you get the CPAP. Any thoughts?

[nanwilson]

My time line....
Went to my gp in July for a referral
Went to the sleep doc in Nov.
Had my study in Feb
Got my machine mid April
And I was still alive and kicking when I got my machine and mask in April, I lived through it and so will you, getting angry and frustrated is a sure sign of sleep apnea but you WILL make it. You can buy a new PR system one auto from STLMark one of our members here for $400 and he will ship to you without an rx Just do a search for STL Mark in the members list and you will see it. I waited for 9 months (gee... same time it takes to have a baby ....naaa ... I'm, way too old for that luckily) I just slept on my side and if I really felt bad I went to my recliner and slept there. No sense you getting so frustrated you raise your blood pressure beyond normal limits and have a stroke or heart attack...... relax you will get there.... You have had sleep apnea for a very long time and didn't know it, now that you know it, you are in a panic, no need to be.
Cheers and good luck...
Nan

[elessadil]

by avi123 on Wed Aug 28, 2013 12:19 pm
elessadil, the question now is what you should do until you get your Doc's Rx. The wife of my friend from Revelstoke Drive says that he snores quite a bit during sleep. Their son who holds an MD in Geriatrics from John Hopkins suggests that he should sleep on his sides. This could help you too until you get the CPAP. Any thoughts?

I am a side sleeper, but according to the original PSG it doesn't matter whether I sleep on my back or my side. I have events either way.

by nanwilson on Wed Aug 28, 2013 12:38 pm
And I was still alive and kicking when I got my machine and mask in April, I lived through it and so will you, getting angry and frustrated is a sure sign of sleep apnea but you WILL make it. You can buy a new PR system one auto from STLMark one of our members here for $400 and he will ship to you without an rx Just do a search for STL Mark in the members list and you will see it. I waited for 9 months (gee... same time it takes to have a baby ....naaa ... I'm, way too old for that luckily) I just slept on my side and if I really felt bad I went to my recliner and slept there. No sense you getting so frustrated you raise your blood pressure beyond normal limits and have a stroke or heart attack...... relax you will get there.... You have had sleep apnea for a very long time and didn't know it, now that you know it, you are in a panic, no need to be.

Not really in a panic, I know I will survive until November. I am just really angry that they didn't tell me of the delays beforehand. The first time I called the clinic they said the report was on the Dr`s desk and he would look at it when he came back from vacation on Aug 8. The second time I called they just said the study wasn`t scored yet call back in 2 weeks. Now when I call they finally tell me the truth and don`t even apologise. The total disregard for patient health is scary and extremely frustrating.

I was thinking of buying a machine off of Kijiji. There are a couple of Resmed S9 Autosets for sale in my area. One comes with a brand new Respironics Comfortgel Blue nasal mask. I might just go and check them out.

[BlackSpinner]

I was thinking of buying a machine off of Kijiji. There are a couple of Resmed S9 Autosets for sale in my area. One comes with a brand new Respironics Comfortgel Blue nasal mask. I might just go and check them out.

It is always useful to have a back up machine and especially if you travel a lot.

I have bought from posters here on the board. The Kijiji posters in my area think because they paid an arm and a leg locally that they are sitting on gold. Check out our host for online prices.
Also clininicalsleep.com in Vancouver - you have to sign in to get prices.

[Hawthorne]

That seems to be how it works in Ontario! I went for my first sleep study in 2002. It took from June to September to get a study done. I was to see the Sleep Specialist in December to get results!!!

I was very angry and went to my GP. I told him the situation and reminded him that untreated sleep apnea can have very serious consequences. I said that this was too long a wait, in my opinion.

He phoned the Sleep Specialist on the spot, got the titrated pressure determined by the study and wrote me a prescription, which I still use online to this day.

I did go for a second sleep study in 2008, in the hopes of getting an new prescription so that I could get the Government assistance for newer machine. It took a year from the study until I saw him for follow up. He said that I would get a new prescription, if and when old machine was beyond repair! He just ordered the pressure to be changed. I spoke to a provider. He said he had heard of machines being thrown down the stairs to get a new prescription! I couldn't bring myself to do that. You can't buy a machine in Ontario without a recent prescription.

Since then I have shopped online with my 2002 prescription - got autos and will probably not go back for any further sleep studies.

Ridiculous!

[NeedHelp2]

LIKE!

What does this mean, in this context?

How to deal with bad medical care...what else?

I apologize for asking what is apparently a stupid question. I meant no offense whatsoever.

[elessadil]

I was just speaking to a friend of mine and he told me that his dad who just passed away had a very slightly used xPAP machine. He asked me if I wanted it for free!!! He is going to check with his sister, who has it, to get the make and model number and if she hasn't gotten rid of it I can have it if I want it. Can I get the hose etc without an Rx? As for a mask I believe there are some board members who sell them without needing an Rx?

[49er]

I was just speaking to a friend of mine and he told me that his dad who just passed away had a very slightly used xPAP machine. He asked me if I wanted it for free!!! He is going to check with his sister, who has it, to get the make and model number and if she hasn't gotten rid of it I can have it if I want it. Can I get the hose etc without an Rx? As for a mask I believe there are some board members who sell them without needing an Rx?

Hi elessadil,

The forum members who sells masks without needing an RX are:

1. mcdover
2. Papman
3. JamesAllen828

Best of luck!

49er

[Raphaella]

Your story, this makes me sad as your health is involved. I had the same problem but not as bad as yours-I do not get oxygen and once I called and complained that I need the machine (it had already been approved) to LIVE, hello... I am also a high stroke risk and once I started saying things like "I could pass away and have a massive stroke"-they jumped and fast.

DO you HAVE to go through your local supplier? Get your prescribtion faxed elsewhere that covers your insurance..worried for you.

[Sleep2Die4]

It has been 6 weeks since my titration study and I called the clinic today to find out what was going on. They told me that due to vacations they are 8 weeks behind on scoring titration studies and mine still has not been scored. They only have 1 regular Dr in the clinic and 1 that comes in 1 a month. The regular Dr is on vacation right now, will be back on Sept 9 and 10 and then will be on vacation again for a month. If my study isn't scored by Sept 9 then I won't get a prescription for a machine until November. This is absolutely ridiculous!!!!!!! I understand that people need vacation, but I feel that there is a total disregard for the health of the patient being demonstrated here. I tried calling the Director of Diagnostic Services......but guess what?? She is on vacation too!!! She'll be back on Tuesday and I will be going to see her to make a formal complaint.

In the mean time I am going to call my GP and ask him if he can write a prescription for a fully data capable APAP machine for me. I am just wondering what pressure I should ask him to put on the prescription? Since the machine is going to do the titrating should it be set at 4-20 to start and then I can change it once I have data indicating what it should be?

You have socialized medicine. What do you expect?????

This helps me understand why so many Canadians insist the U.S. should get socialized medicine. Misery loves company!

[elessadil]

You have socialized medicine. What do you expect?????

This helps me understand why so many Canadians insist the U.S. should get socialized medicine. Misery loves company!

I'd still rather have our system than the US one. At least we don't have to worry about whether or not we can afford to go to the Dr or to have a test done. If our system is so bad, then how come there are so many US residents living on the border who get apartments over here in Ontario just so they can get OHIP cards and get free medical care???

It's usually not this bad...I have had other tests done and had the results in a week or less. Recently just had a CAT scan and a number of other tests and got the results in a week.