Newbie Cash Patient

Hello everyone,

This looks like a place where people tell stories. So here's mine with a couple of questions.

My sleep study reported AHI 50, nadir SaO2 was 80% with 25% of the night spent below 90% SaO2. During the last year I've been getting crankier and a couple of times waking up violently to a tongue halfway down my throat. My brother is a sleep dentist so we'd tried mouthpieces and he prescribed the sleep study.

Kaiser has loaned me a Respironics "REMstar Auto 550P" to gather titration data. They taught me how to use it, gave me two masks to try, one nasal, one full-face and programmed it for me. I was told they selected that machine because its data gathering capability is best suited for their kind of therapy. Something like that. So, y'know, hurray for health insurance.

Two nights so far, and data points are not a trend, but first-blush I seem to be very tolerant of the machine. I tried a nasal mask the first night and a full-face the second, and both times the mask stayed on and let me sleep 8 hours. I'm actually still awake after two hours of "being awake" and don't feel like passing out in my chair, though after the first night the passing-out simply took place six hours later than usual. And I don't feel like tearing everyone around me a new orifice at the slightest provocation. So maybe it's already started to be effective?

There is no DME benefit on my plan, so I'll be paying cash for the machine when they take the loaner back in a month. It looks like going online is better. The questions are:

-- Where online is reliable, especially in terms of the consumables? (Kaiser has offered to set up any machine I buy and give training.)
-- I'm interested in something which does auto-CPAP (doctor's recommendation), and gathers data I can personally examine and use without paying someone more money. I plan to combine that data with a morning hypertension check. What machines fit that description? What should I expect to pay?

-- What can be generally expected from a first week of therapy? Is this something I should *expect* immediate benefit from, or a more gradual thing?

Oob

Our host - cpap.com
Very reliable and helpfull and doesn't make fun of you if you reverse the numbers on your credit card.

BlackSpinner wrote:Our host - cpap.com

I agree with that recommendation.

When I bought my S9 AutoSet in late 2011, the total price at cpap.com was only about $60 more than what my then BC/BS insurance allowed my DME to bill them. Some items were more at cpap.com & some less, but the net result was that $60.

I would have gladly paid the extra $60 just not to have to deal with any DME (I had purchased 2 machines previous to that), but my BC/BS policy would not allow any online purchase. So, to get them to pay their 80%, I had to deal with an approved DME supplier.

Hi Oob -- I'm in the same boat as you with Kaiser and no DME coverage. I bought an S9 Autoset from our forum host cpap.com and I'm glad I did. A few months later I was switched to bilevel from my auto cpap and because I was already broke at that point I bought my vpap from secondwindcpap.com -- an open box, zero hour brand new machine at a considerable discount. I had a very positive experience with them as well.

I purchased my current Respironics AutoSV Advanced model 960P from our hosts, CPAP.COM
I purchased my prior Respironics Auto BiPap model 750P from TheCPAPPeople.com.
I have purchased supplies from both as well as from DirectHomeMedical.com.

All of these are reliable companies

I self pay for my CPAP gear and have utilized our hosts CPAP.com very often. They are great!!

Not only are they kind enough to keep this forum running (which is where I learned everything I know about sleep apnea and CPAP) but they offer products at fair prices and their delivery cannot be matched.

Also, if you are a little tight with money, you may want to look at SecondwindCPAP.com which offers "discounted new and gently used CPAP and BIPAP outlet." I have not heard a bad word about this company.

Good Luck,
TheWino

BlackSpinner wrote:Our host - cpap.com

Yup! I get ALL my supplies from them. They are friendly and reliable, and have the cheapest prices I've seen anywhere.

BlackSpinner wrote:Very reliable and helpfull and doesn't make fun of you if you reverse the numbers on your credit card.

You could write that up as "one of the effects of sleep apnea"

Thank you everyone.