The Absurdity of Shopping for CPAP Equipment

Cpap masks often come with instructions for cleaning/sanitizing between patients.
Mostly for hospital or lab use, but doable if a DME had a genuine interest in actually serving their clients.
Of course, nothing beats $elling a lot of ma$ks, even if they don't work for the person who buys them.

This thread is a perfect example of the old USENET rule of thumb to "lurk for a month before posting".

When the sleep study showed apnea, I was given a prescription for a 30-day trial of APAP, and I was given a list of close to a dozen DMEs in my area. I picked the most convenient one that also seemed to offer a number of different brands of mask. I made an appointment, and, having looked at masks online, said "Here are the 6 masks that I'd most like to try". They were waiting for me when I arrived. A couple were removed from contention immediately, and a couple more were added at the DME's suggestion. I went home and tried them all over the 30 days, and narrowed them down to 3. I returned the equipment at the end of the trial, and got a brand-new machine, 2 brand-new masks of the ones I liked, plus kept the third, since it was newly opened for my trial.

Ontario's Assistive Devices Program paid something like $750 towards the cost (no income disqualifications in place - everyone gets it), and my work insurance paid almost all the rest. I don't expect to hear from the DME in the near future, and I'll buy my masks online (considerably cheaper than the DME) moving forward.

I adapted to CPAP immediately. I have 100% compliance since Day 1 of the trial. I haven't had any objectionable side-effects (yet... touch wood!)

And yet, THIS ISN'T THE NORM FOR EVERYONE. I could easily have said "jeez, this CPAP thing is a breeze! What are you people whining about?" But because I'm not a belligerent idiot, I held off posting for quite a while, read lots of posts, figured out whose information was useful and who was a bloviating jackass. And will continue to try to be a good forum citizen moving forward by trying to fit in with the existing formula, rather than bitch that people aren't behaving the way I think they should (though I make no guarantees that I won't fall off the civility wagon at some point).

These individuals who appear and start complaining about the forum format, the tone, the reaction they get, etc... it makes me wonder if they often walk into random places, and interrupt strangers' conversations by telling people they're WRONG and HERE'S HOW IT'S DONE and then wondering why everyone reacts like they're a loud fart in church.

ZzzCatcher wrote:This thread is a perfect example of the old USENET rule of thumb to "lurk for a month before posting".
.......
These individuals who appear and start complaining about the forum format, the tone, the reaction they get, etc....

For a young guy, you've accumulated a lot of common sense.

ps, I hope you don't mind my trimming your post quote.

amess wrote:Chunky Frog:; You have no right to underline my post in red. And for those of you out there re who claim to know but dont ---listen up. I am very well insured. I pay nothing-- only to medicare and my supplement. I am on my 4th mask in 3 weeks. I am allowed 5 in the first month when starting up. After the first month I can probably change again if necessary. I will be honest and let you know if/when I change. Thats how it is. I am sorry for those who attempt to treat themselves and and run into trouble. Sleep apnea needs medical assistance . BTW I do NOT make false statements.

On this forum, you can make as many as you want.

ChicagoGranny wrote:

amess wrote:Chunky Frog:; You have no right to underline my post in red. And for those of you out there re who claim to know but dont ---listen up. I am very well insured. I pay nothing-- only to medicare and my supplement. I am on my 4th mask in 3 weeks. I am allowed 5 in the first month when starting up. After the first month I can probably change again if necessary. I will be honest and let you know if/when I change. Thats how it is. I am sorry for those who attempt to treat themselves and and run into trouble. Sleep apnea needs medical assistance . BTW I do NOT make false statements.

On this forum, you can make as many as you want.

But we will all call you on them, because we know the difference. Jim

I found this place online after reading this post. I will check it out because i only live a mile ot two away and will be eligible for a new machine in a year.

https://www.cpapman.com/Seattle-CPAP.php

Snip from website:

We hope our customers in the greater Seattle area will visit CPAPMan for all of their sleep apnea therapy needs. We always like to see CPAP patients, and we've found that our visitors enjoy the peace of mind that can only be obtained from getting to see their prospective equipment in person. We want patients to browse our vast selection, and we'll never pressure a customer into buying anything.

To see our stock, just come to Redmond, WA! Our office is located at 9215 151st Ave NE, right by Willows Business Park and just off of Redmond Way. Our store is open from 8 AM to 5 PM every Monday through Friday on all non-holidays. If you're in the Pacific Northwest and need help treating your sleep apnea, there’s no one better to see than your friendly CPAPMan!

elmunc wrote:And yet there is nowhere a person can go to examine the dozens of different mask models -- pick them up, look at them, listen to them, try them on.

Same thing with the machines themselves -- no showroom where you can look them over, listen to them, have an expert point out different features, and the like.

There is a DME office just down the block from my house. They have a test room with several machines, and 18+ mask types.

Machines are a bit limited because they are expensive and they only carried one or two brands of machines. Also, most patients don't have the RX to choose much more than the machine they are prescribed for. There are not a lot of choices there for machines but then I already knew what I wanted.

As for the masks, I already new what type of mask I wanted before I got there. I had already been using a FF mask for 7+ years and never used a nasal mask. So I was only interested in looking at what was there in FF masks that looked like something I might like and give a try. The selection of FF masks was around 8 or 9 but some are really the same type of mask. I had been using the same barnd and model of mask for almost 7 years, so I was interested what they had and tried on 4 or 5 when I was there.

Everything was medically clean. I tested the masks with my new machine that I was picking up that day and they cleaned them when I was done.

When I choose "the one" I was taking home, they pulled a new one in its packaging to give me.

You really can only do so much testing there though. They don't have a bed there and I sleep on my stomach which is hard to duplicate sitting in a chair.

Point of fact: I have NEVER underlined any part of anybody's post in red--or any other color whatsoever!
As a rule, I rarely quote, and then only to reply when there are intervening posts by others.
What the heck is going on?

chunkyfrog wrote:Point of fact: I have NEVER underlined any part of anybody's post in red--or any other color whatsoever!
As a rule, I rarely quote, and then only to reply when there are intervening posts by others.
What the heck is going on?

I agree. However, I may omit part of the quote if I am replying to only a portion of their post.

Cute, Okie.

I live In NC. Just came back from a medical supply place in Asheville. Blue Ridge Home Care--also in Hendersonville . Theses 2 places are in my area and supply my equipment. I have good insurance so there is a no cost to me. I have traded masks now 5 times --and nose pillows. Depending on if you have insurance and what kind you may or may not have to pay.

If you are self treating and have not seen a doctor, I am sure wherever you live the phone book will list at least one Home Care facility in your area.

Nobody cares.

chunkyfrog wrote:Nobody cares.

Just why I didn't comment on the useless duplicate post! Jim