Hello and Thanks

I just wanted to wave hello and say thanks.

I just discovered these forums about three weeks ago. The information here is very empowering and the atmosphere is great, with helpful informative posts from so many people.

I've was diagnosed with sleep apnea back in 1991, and I had always felt pushed around and neglected by both doctors and insurance. Apnea is a complicated subject, but until I found this forum, I felt like there was very little helpful information I had to draw on. It was as if my Doctor had handed me some complicated machine like Kidney Dialysis and then said, "Run along home now. I'm sure you'll figure it out." No follow up, no advice, constant arguments with insurance over what was allowed and what wasn't.

I recently had a new sleep study done after arguing with my doctor that perhaps the one from 6 years ago was no longer valid since I was sleeping much worse lately. They sent me through the usual hoops. Got a sleep study which elevated the pressure significantly. Got a recommendation for a DME provider. After examining my old mask like it was an antique curiosity, they handed me a new machine (the one I currently list in my profile) and mentioned they would be billing my insurance $1400 just for the CPAP itself.

When I got home and searched around some, I found this forum and the prices on CPAP.com, and now I'm starting to feel like I have a bit of control for once. I've ordered a new machine through CPAP.com that's a better model and cost much less, and I'm making progress in other areas thanks to the good advice given here.

I plan on hanging around. Thanks much to all of you!

Macishman, good for you!!

What you've been through sounds very much like what happened to my uncle, who was diagnosed with OSA over ten years ago. Except that you kept trying. He became largely non-compliant. No one - DME or doctor - was doing any followups. He's had asthma all his life, but wasn't even given a humidifier at all, much less a heated humidifier. And of course, he was given cheap masks that hurt too much to use much.

Last fall, when I found out that he was on cpap but hardly using it, I suggested he ask his doctor to prescribe a REMstar Auto with C-flex and heated humidifier. Thankfully, the doctor agreed to do that. I let my uncle try several masks from my stash. He got along great with the Activa. I encouraged him to go back to his DME and get an Activa.

His wife (my aunt) liked the idea of seeing data results on their computer at home, so she bought a card reader from cpap.com. I installed Encore Pro for her and we began looking at my uncle's data results. Looking great - consistently getting a very low AHI on considerably lower pressures than the straight "12" he had been prescribed so long ago.

Best of all, he's actually using the machine/mask now. Sleeping much more comfortably and feeling good. Hope the same happens for you now that you're taking up control of your own treatment! It's really a shame the way the "sleep" medicine field allows so many to drop through the cracks unnecessarily.

You wrote a wonderful post. Will look forward to hearing how it goes for you. Glad you found the message board!