Best sleep in weeks!

daddyof7 wrote:The only way I can ever go to sleep is on my stomach. Any other way is just impossible. I have tried but can't make it work. I have ordered a feather/down pillow. Thanks for pushing me and opening my eyes!

This is the machine that insurance would pay for. I don't have the $$ to get one that everyone has suggested.

You guys are great~!

NO.....That's the machine your DME screwed your insurance into paying for. They are going to collect the SAME amount of money for whatever CPAP machine you get. They wanted to maximize their profits so YOU got the shaft.

With this therapy, you can't afford NOT to have decent equipment.
How much is your LIFE worth?

And, I can't imagine that you couldn't sleep on your stomach with the mask you have.

GIT R DONE!

Den

Daddy,

I can't think of a better way to say it than Snoredog ... 'smatter of fact, I couldn't have said it nearly as well.

Sometimes it's hard to push the docs and DME's but it's your life at stake so act accordingly!!

Mindy

Maybe it will help you get the drift of what is going on in your body if you go to this URL. It takes quite some time to download so be patient.

Understanding Sleep-Disordered Breathing

1. If you've been diagnosed with OSA, you just have to use your machine, no matter how you feel or don't feel, or how well you sleep. Truth be told, even though I feel better after 9 months of therapy, I still don't feel great, but I will never sleep w/o the machine unless a new sleep study shows I no longer have any type of SDB. I had a very difficult time at the beginning trying to get a my masks to fit right, to get comfortable, to go to sleep! I remember several nights where after hours of trying the different masks I had, with nothing working, I started hurling them across the room! Everything is okay now and my masks and I generally get along just fine.

2. You need to get the DME to give you a GOOD machine, just like everyone else has said. Have your doc prescribe a good one. CFLEX can be a lifesaver, literally, because it can help one become compliant because it makes it so much easier to exhale. An AFLEX machine would probably even be better..

3. Pretending the problem isn't there will not make it go away. Sticking one's head in the sand never works for very long.

4. Uh, did you know sleeping on your stomach is bad for your back?


Pam

Slinky wrote:Maybe it will help you get the drift of what is going on in your body if you go to this URL. It takes quite some time to download so be patient.

Understanding Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Understanding Sleep-Disordered Breathing


O.

I sleep on my stomach....and my back cant handle any other position.

I think I could find a way to sleep comfortably on my tummy no matter what mask I had on....because I HAVE TO. I never saw CPAP as an OPTION. It is what I have to do...period. There is no choice. I have a small child and I need to be here to see her grow up. There is no way off the CPAP hook for me.

No one here is going to give you permission to quit, no one is going to say "oh, its hard for you...its ok to give up". But no one here can force you to open your eyes, stop living in denial, grow up, take your health and dx seriously, or put your mask on every night before bed.

No matter how good you THINK you feel after your little night of rebellion....I promise you it doesnt even come close to how good all of us felt after we became 100% compliant and started sleeping all night every night with the mask. Not even close.

But I fear this is a pointless post. If you really wanted help you would ask for it and listen to the responses. You would keep fighting and let us help you. Like your comment about insurance not paying for a better machine. WRONG! and we keep telling you that. You are still likely on a capped rental period. The machine can still be returned. ALL CPAPs (not bipaps) are on the SAME billing code. The insurance does NOT care what machine you get....they just read the code. That code is the same no matter which machine you get. It is the DME that is giving you a crappy machine to help pad their profit margin. This is coming not just from a patient....but from a woman who has a degree in the medical field, and who has worked with DME and insurance providers. If you want a better machine take that one back and demand the one you want. If you want you can give me the info and trust me....I will be happy to get it straight for you.

But it doesnt sound like you want help....just approval of your decision to throw your health away and put your CPAP to rest in a closet.


I am going to bed, I have a hot date....with my CPAP mask.

Thanks for the great information. Last night was 3 weeks with the machine and I looked, it has less than 20 hours on it. Seems the problem is when I exhale while the machine is blowing, the mask moves then starts to leak. I fight this ALL night long.

From what I understand, the machine is mine, not rented.

Also, my Dr. recommended no sleep aides as they are too dangerous. Anyone else been told this?

[quote="jennmary"]I sleep on my stomach....and my back cant handle any other position.

I think I could find a way to sleep comfortably on my tummy no matter what mask I had on....because I HAVE TO. I never saw CPAP as an OPTION. It is what I have to do...period. There is no choice. I have a small child and I need to be here to see her grow up. There is no way off the CPAP hook for me.

No one here is going to give you permission to quit, no one is going to say "oh, its hard for you...its ok to give up". But no one here can force you to open your eyes, stop living in denial, grow up, take your health and dx seriously, or put your mask on every night before bed.

No matter how good you THINK you feel after your little night of rebellion....I promise you it doesnt even come close to how good all of us felt after we became 100% compliant and started sleeping all night every night with the mask. Not even close.

But I fear this is a pointless post. If you really wanted help you would ask for it and listen to the responses. You would keep fighting and let us help you. Like your comment about insurance not paying for a better machine. WRONG! and we keep telling you that. You are still likely on a capped rental period. The machine can still be returned. ALL CPAPs (not bipaps) are on the SAME billing code. The insurance does NOT care what machine you get....they just read the code. That code is the same no matter which machine you get. It is the DME that is giving you a crappy machine to help pad their profit margin. This is coming not just from a patient....but from a woman who has a degree in the medical field, and who has worked with DME and insurance providers. If you want a better machine take that one back and demand the one you want. If you want you can give me the info and trust me....I will be happy to get it straight for you.

But it doesnt sound like you want help....just approval of your decision to throw your health away and put your CPAP to rest in a closet.


I am going to bed, I have a hot date....with my CPAP mask.

Daddyof7,

As far as the sleep meds being dangerous, in someone with untreated OSA, (generally speaking) you don't want those throat muscles to relax any more than they already are as that could mean even more and/or worse events. Also, if your pressure on cpap was determined while not on meds, it may not be adequate when taking them. A person with an auto titrating machine who was actually using it would not have those concerns.

As far as your machine goes, the longer you keep it, the more likely it is that they will balk at a trade in. Please call your DME and tell them you are unable to use the machine and mask they provided, as the mask is too leaky and the machine is inadequate in that 1) It is not providing a level of comfort that makes it usable, particularly on exhalation, and 2) It does not provide the data necessary to be able to troubleshoot the treatment - and that you expect both. They can't fix what you don't tell them. And they may still not until you tell them expectantly, and repeatedly if necessary. (Squeeky Wheel) But you may be delaying and dreading dealing with all this when they could be quite willing to help you succeed. If you don't start the process, you won't know. Assuming there's nothing that can be done is fatalistic (hmmm - double meaning there) but the decision to change your circumstance has to come from you.

They can give you another cpap that is fully data capable, the RemStar M Series Pro for instance, without your doc changing the order or insurance approval - without anything happening except you asking for it. They would probably be less resistant to that exchange. That is strictly between you and the DME. An upgrade beyond that to an auto titrating machine or to a bipap I believe is going to involve your doctor. I suggest that whatever machine they agree to give you in exchange, if you're not sure about it, ask on here if there's anything you need to know first.

Good luck. I know most of what I said is not new, just a little reinforcement.

Kathy

daddyof7, I know you might feel as if we're all ganging up on you, but we're just trying to get you to see dangerous it could be if you don't use the machine faithfully. My friend's husband died in his sleep from a heart attack. Guess what symptoms he had beforehand? All those of undiagnosed OSA.

Plus, you've got all those kids.

Think about this...What if an insulin-dependent diabetic just couldn't get the knack of giving himself needed insulin injections, didn't want to mess with making his physician provide more instruction, show him a different way to do it, demand a different sized needle--whatever--and just quit doing it? What do you think would happen eventually? I think you know the answer. This is how you're handling your OSA treatment.

Pam

daddyof7 wrote:Thanks for the great information. Last night was 3 weeks with the machine and I looked, it has less than 20 hours on it. Seems the problem is when I exhale while the machine is blowing, the mask moves then starts to leak. I fight this ALL night long.

From what I understand, the machine is mine, not rented.

Also, my Dr. recommended no sleep aides as they are too dangerous. Anyone else been told this?

Find out FOR SURE!

It almost sounds like you're bragging about the low hours on your PAP machine. Kind of like...."I bought a new car and it's going to sit in the garage so it doesn't get any miles on it."

And, the air pressure and the mask moving are what you NEED to be talking to your sleep doctor and DME about (ie getting a better machine w/C-Flex and different mask).
You've had that machine for less than 30 days.....I seriously doubt that the DME and your insurance provider have even processed the paperwork yet.

Den

I talked to my DME and told them the problem of the 14 pressure and trying to exhale, it just is not working. They are ordering me a REMstar Auto C-Flex CPAP Machine! Does anyone know if this will be better? Will my same humidifier work on this?

Thanks for pushing me to push them!

[quote="daddyof7"]I talked to my DME and told them the problem of the 14 pressure and trying to exhale, it just is not working. They are ordering me a REMstar Auto C-Flex CPAP Machine! Does anyone know if this will be better? Will my same humidifier work on this?

Thanks for pushing me to push them!

Good going, Daddy! Now - are you sure this is going to be YOURS and not just a temporary loaner to "home re-titrate" you? 'Cause, yes, this is a MUCH better xPAP!!

You really do need to take the time to check w/your insurance just what your DME benefits are. Outright purchase of the machine? 3 month rental, then purchase? "Capped rental" for a certain length of time and then it is yours free and clear? The other stuff, the humidifier, mask, etc. were outright purchases and are yours.

It looks like your current Plus is the older non-M series. And if you've given us the right auto name, a non-M series auto w/C-Flex, yes, your current humidifier will integrate w/it, assuming both are the non-M series. The Auto w/A-Flex is an M series and would require the purchase of a new humidifier.

I swear these darn companies enjoy making it easy on the DME suppliers to buffalo us by giving the same name to different "series" machines!

daddyof7 wrote:I talked to my DME and told them the problem of the 14 pressure and trying to exhale, it just is not working. They are ordering me a REMstar Auto C-Flex CPAP Machine! Does anyone know if this will be better? Will my same humidifier work on this?

Thanks for pushing me to push them!

HOORAY!!!!!!!


Assuming the machine you have in your profile is correct and the machine they're ordering is the one in this link.......Yes! Your humidifier will be the correct one for the new machine.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage-advanced.php?PNum=1607

That machine is an excellent machine......I have two of them and wouldn't trade them for ANY of the M Series machines.

Here's one little piece of advice though...... Usually, an Auto is set by default to its widest pressure range which is 4 - 20. At 4 cm, most people are starving for air.....so, be sure to ask your doctor to have them set tie minimum pressure to about 8 cm.......especially at first.

Ya done good! Now just stick with it till you get it fine tuned.

Den