Why all the hate?

palerider wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 16, 2019 10:40 am

Nathansmith50 wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 16, 2019 4:21 am

Why do the people who want to spoof a sleep study get so much hate on here?

Why should we encourage stupidity from a sociopath?

+ONE MILLION
Not hate, per se--but disgust, scorn, and ANGER.
How DARE you put the lives of others at risk--just for your own comfort and convenience!
How DARE you encourage others to put their own lives in danger!
How DARE you inhale valuable oxygen!

TropicalDiver wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 16, 2019 11:53 am

Setting aside treatment and occupational choices for the moment, the OP feels he doesn't have apnea because: a) he doesn't feel tired during the day; b) the bed was uncomfortable; and c)he is a light sleeper the first few nights in a new place.

Daytime drowsiness is one indicator of possible apnea -- but it is possible to have apnea and feel like you are not drowsy during the day. And daytime drowsiness is not the only negative consequence of untreated apnea. There is an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The DOT physical also screens for hypertension -- because of those same risks.

Now, the light sleeping thing. The test doesn't simply measure how many times you woke up. It measures instances where you paused breathing longer than normal (and where typical respiratory effort provided less tidal volume).

I just wanted to add a couple things. I thought I slept pretty well., Sure, I woke up a few times a night, and I was tired. But I thought that was due to not enough hours of sleep. I thought my quality of sleep was fine, and I wasn't sleepy, just tired.

It was only after my split night study with 6 hours on the cpap that I realized just how bad my sleep was before. It had gotten worse over time, so I didn't realize how bad it was. I only got tested because I saw a news story that said that sleep apnea causes high blood pressure which leads to heart attacks and strokes. My doctor had been warning me for 2 years that I was at a higher risk for stroke because my blood pressure was high. I was on 3 medications, and it was still high. i think she assumed I wasn't taking the meds. I knew I had sleep apnea since I snored, but I didn't understand what it really meant.

I can totally understand why somebody would believe they don't have a serious medical problem when they really do.

Also, light sleeping is often a SIGN of sleep apnea. One way the brain tries to prevent damage from sleep apnea is to keep the events from getting too long and causing low oxygen. So, instead, it remains vigilant and causes the person to stay in light sleep and rouse a little each time to prevent the events from getting bad. My oxygen went below 90% for 13% of the diagnostic phase. The lowest was 84%. But I had a high number of short events. And I never reach deep sleep or REM without cpap. My sleep was too light. It's a defense mechanism to avoid deep sleep.

zoocrewphoto wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 4:06 am

Also, light sleeping is often a SIGN of sleep apnea. One way the brain tries to prevent damage from sleep apnea is to keep the events from getting too long and causing low oxygen. So, instead, it remains vigilant and causes the person to stay in light sleep and rouse a little each time to prevent the events from getting bad. My oxygen went below 90% for 13% of the diagnostic phase. The lowest was 84%. But I had a high number of short events. And I never reach deep sleep or REM without cpap. My sleep was too light. It's a defense mechanism to avoid deep sleep.

That was an eye opener for me. I always wrote off my light sleeping as "just the way I am" and didn't think it meant anything. Looking back, I realize now that it was my brain keeping me awake just enough to keep breathing.

Find a sleep doc who spoofed his way thru med school. Perfect match.

I have never understood the vehemence against CPAP. I have known others that have been adamant about "I'll never use CPAP!"

I have responded in the past with: I broke my arm, but I'll never have a cast on it. I can't see anything more than 3 ft. away, but I will never wear glasses while I drive. I'm hungry, but I will never eat.

I guess I am one of the lucky few. I fell in love with my CPAP the first night I used it. No more waking up with a migraine headache, no more arriving late to work because I could not see well enough to drive (or even walk to work) until I sat still in a darkened room for an hour or more.

My CPAP machine is now 23 years old and I am scared it might one day quit and I'd be miserable until I could get a new one.

And getting a new one, as I understand it, will be difficult because I am now covered by Medicare and they won't honor the old prescription until I do a new sleep study. I'd want to forget the sleep study and the insurance coverage and buy the new machine out of my own pocket, but I have had trouble even getting consumables by paying for it all myself.

The place that sold me that CPAP and I was still using to get consumables, would not sell directly to me... they said they didn't know how much to charge for new headgear until after it was shipped and they could not ship it until I paid for it! But I could not pay for it until I knew how much to write on the check! They would not let me just send them more than what the last headgear cost anybody recently and they then refund the excess, either. They were quite adamant, must be paid for before shipping and they cannot price it until after it is shipped. And they didn't seem to recognize the absurdity of the policy!

I finally got them to give me a price, but after I sent the check, and didn't receive any product for a month, I called and they said I had not sent enough. They then sent me a bill for over twice as much (in addition to what I had already sent), but they also added several items I did not order. I made them return my check, and give me a copy of the prescription and I now buy what I need via the internet and pay out of pocket.

Unfortunately, the paper copy they sent of the original prescription is a Xerox copy of a faxed image of a digital image of the original faxed prescript and is just some vague black swirls that is totally unreadable and is unacceptable to anyone.

Sorry for the 'vent'. That was all about 5 years ago and I am still upset by their stupidity, and worried about my old CPAP wearing out.

SemperVaporo wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 10:16 am

. . .
My CPAP machine is now 23 years old and I am scared it might one day quit and I'd be miserable until I could get a new one.

And getting a new one, as I understand it, will be difficult because I am now covered by Medicare and they won't honor the old prescription until I do a new sleep study. I'd want to forget the sleep study and the insurance coverage and buy the new machine out of my own pocket, but I have had trouble even getting consumables by paying for it all myself.

The place that sold me that CPAP and I was still using to get consumables, would not sell directly to me... they said they didn't know how much to charge for new headgear until after it was shipped and they could not ship it until I paid for it! But I could not pay for it until I knew how much to write on the check! They would not let me just send them more than what the last headgear cost anybody recently and they then refund the excess, either. They were quite adamant, must be paid for before shipping and they cannot price it until after it is shipped. And they didn't seem to recognize the absurdity of the policy!

I finally got them to give me a price, but after I sent the check, and didn't receive any product for a month, I called and they said I had not sent enough. They then sent me a bill for over twice as much (in addition to what I had already sent), but they also added several items I did not order. I made them return my check, and give me a copy of the prescription and I now buy what I need via the internet and pay out of pocket.

Unfortunately, the paper copy they sent of the original prescription is a Xerox copy of a faxed image of a digital image of the original faxed prescript and is just some vague black swirls that is totally unreadable and is unacceptable to anyone.

Sorry for the 'vent'. That was all about 5 years ago and I am still upset by their stupidity, and worried about my old CPAP wearing out.

If you can buy a used machine (for a backup) PM grayghost. He may have something you can afford.
If you want to use Medicare, get started--NOW.

Why do the people who want to spoof eye examinations get so much hate on here?

I found this site trying to spoof eye examinations so as not to show eye glasses are needed because of a DOT exam. And before you people climb up my ass I have no trouble seeing. I Never feel like I have trouble seeing while driving and I feel good after a few drops of Visine though I will admit to about 15 minutes of blurriness at first. I miss the toilet every night when I urinate. Why the hell should the DOT decide that my vision is not adequate and I need to A. Spend money that I do not have on eye glasses that will lead to B. Wearing glasses that will actually prevent me from looking stylish.(I am very sensitive about my appearance and get excited immediately if someone touches me. I have trouble picking up chicks with glasses (on my eyes) and that is a definite no go.

SemperVaporo wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 10:16 am

I have never understood the vehemence against CPAP. I have known others that have been adamant about "I'll never use CPAP!"

Some people are just plain stupid.

SemperVaporo wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 10:16 am

I have responded in the past with: I broke my arm, but I'll never have a cast on it. I can't see anything more than 3 ft. away, but I will never wear glasses while I drive. I'm hungry, but I will never eat.

Yup

SemperVaporo wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 10:16 am

The place that sold me that CPAP and I was still using to get consumables, would not sell directly to me... they said they didn't know how much to charge for new headgear until after it was shipped and they could not ship it until I paid for it! But I could not pay for it until I knew how much to write on the check! They would not let me just send them more than what the last headgear cost anybody recently and they then refund the excess, either. They were quite adamant, must be paid for before shipping and they cannot price it until after it is shipped. And they didn't seem to recognize the absurdity of the policy!

I get all my supplies from amazon or ebay, they're much cheaper that way.

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:06 am

Why do the people who want to spoof eye examinations get so much hate on here?

I found this site trying to spoof eye examinations so as not to show eye glasses are needed because of a DOT exam. And before you people climb up my ass I have no trouble seeing. I Never feel like I have trouble seeing while driving and I feel good after a few drops of Visine though I will admit to about 15 minutes of blurriness at first. I miss the toilet every night when I urinate. Why the hell should the DOT decide that my vision is not adequate and I need to A. Spend money that I do not have on eye glasses that will lead to B. Wearing glasses that will actually prevent me from looking stylish.(I am very sensitive about my appearance and get excited immediately if someone touches me. I have trouble picking up chicks with glasses (on my eyes) and that is a definite no go.

Good one. Feeling especially creative today are we???

Not a hijack, but a smile-jack!
Way to go.

SemperVaporo wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 10:16 am

My CPAP machine is now 23 years old and I am scared it might one day quit and I'd be miserable until I could get a new one.

And getting a new one, as I understand it, will be difficult because I am now covered by Medicare and they won't honor the old prescription until I do a new sleep study.

That's not correct. The old sleep study is accepted by Medicare. You just need a script for CPAP from any of your docs. My GP, who admits to knowing almost nothing about CPAP, writes scripts for me.

Get that new machine. Keep your old one as a backup. Avoid a big emergency.

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 5:21 pm

That's not correct. The old sleep study is accepted by Medicare. You just need a script for CPAP from any of your docs. My GP, who admits to knowing almost nothing about CPAP, writes scripts for me.

Medicare will/can require a new sleep study if the old sleep study was done prior to Medicare age and the sleep study doesn't meet the required guidelines for a diagnostic sleep study. Not all sleep studies done way back then would satisfy Medicare criteria.
Medicare will require a sleep study done to their established criteria along with that RX from the doctor.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 6:01 pm

Not all sleep studies done way back then would satisfy Medicare criteria.

Do we have any examples among members whose study did not meet the criteria?

The criteria are liberal and have become more liberal over time - https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-d ... AAACAAEAAA&

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 6:29 pm

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 6:01 pm

Not all sleep studies done way back then would satisfy Medicare criteria.

Do we have any examples among members whose study did not meet the criteria?

The criteria are liberal and have become more liberal over time - https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-d ... AAACAAEAAA&

I was told Medicare required a new sleep study (but, of course, that was by the same nincompoops that could not ship me anything until I paid for it, but they could not tell me how much it cost until after they shipped it). My sleep study was done in 1996. Ordered by a Neurologist (long since deceased) that had never seen a CPAP (I showed him mine just so he'd know what they were!).

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 6:29 pm

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 6:01 pm

Not all sleep studies done way back then would satisfy Medicare criteria.

Do we have any examples among members whose study did not meet the criteria?

The criteria are liberal and have become more liberal over time - https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-d ... AAACAAEAAA&

A type IV sleep study done with just a pulse ox isn't sufficient.
We have no idea what kind of test was done 23 years ago....back then even in lab sleep studies might not have met criteria.
The criteria for type of sleep study is documented at Medicare's website.

Most likely in the OP's situation here....Medicare would likely be okay with it but it might be difficult to get those records or even more likely lazy ass DME but I just wanted to point out that Medicare does have certain requirements that the sleep study must meet. It's not always a guaranteed coverage. It's all explained under what the requirements are for when someone was diagnosed with OSA prior to Medicare age.
They will want a copy of that sleep study and a RX from a doctor isn't enough.