I took the plunge and changed my pressure.

I decided to change my pressure. The liberty mask didn't work for me at all. The ultra ff is okay as a backup, but I find myself back again using my swift II for sheer ease and comfort. Still hovering around 13 AHI, I decided to up my pressure. I'm at nine now, and have an AHI of about 5 or less consistently. I'm very happy with that.

My DME wanted me to have them do a PulseOx test, have the sleep doc interpret that and then have me come in to change the prescription for me. I decided not to do that because it seems like a crock of BS and would take months.

I figured this way: there are children out there who are self-regulating their diabetes meds. This is by far, more complicated than anything I'm doing, and probably less likely to cause permanent damage. If I have half a gray cell of a kid, I can figure out how to regulate my AHI as well as anyone. Maybe I don't need somebody in a DME to tell me something the machinery is made to tell me if I'm given half a clue.

How can I be happy and outraged at the same time? It's weird. Part of it may be that the machine was set NOT to show me the AHI. Apparently my DME's method is to not let the patient see these numbers. When I thought I'd seen those numbers on the box, I was told by my DME that I shouldn't be able to, like it was a secret. What kind of service is this? How is that helping me? They're making it a mystique. I'm so done with them.

Anyway, higher pressure, better AHI - better sleep. I'm happier!

Dude! Don't you know the DME police will be on you in no time flat?

Yea it is weird ... those silly DME think all OSA sufferers are stupid.

Good luck optimizing your therapy.

I was told by my DME that I shouldn't be able to, like it was a secret. What kind of service is this? How is that helping me? They're making it a mystique. I'm so done with them.

Self service of course.

Yea it is weird ... those silly DME think all OSA sufferers are stupid.

I believe that is called "Projection".

Congratulations on taking that plunge, diver

O.

Diver.......

As I see it, you only need one more piece of equipment to complete the system.

You might want to consider a SPO 7500 Pulse/Ox recording Oximeter. You can buy them for just under $500 including VERY adequate software.

I purchased mine for two reasons:

First, I wanted to check my own O2 about once a month to be sure my therapy was working.

Second, I knew my soul-mate was having breathing problems....and I needed a simple way for her to prove this to herself.

Unexpectedly, I have loaned it to my neighbor so that he can run tests on himself. He found that he has a problem with desaturations while sleeping and just finished a sleep test.

My soul-mate gathered nightly O2 data on herself for about a month.......and when she decided she needed to join the "hose-heads", she couldn't wait for me to set up my spare machine for her.

She's doing very nicely now. We're running a pair of "M" series Auto's with CFLEX. She's using a CL-2 mask....and I'm using an Aura mask.

The software we're using is Encore Pro 1.6 along with James Skinner's "Analyzer" software.

If you are running Encore Pro 1.6 or 1.8, you can use "Analyzer". It's "free", but I sent him $20 or so.

If you are using Encore Pro Viewer, "Analyzer" won't work.

In my opinion, "Analyzer" is absolutely VITAL when trying to determine where your "sweet spot" is to be found. My definition for the words "Sweet Spot" (in the context of CPAP therapy) is "that set of pressure settings that deliver the lowest possible AHI with the highest amount of comfort".

To competently manage your own therapy, you only need the following: A few pieces of equipment, good software, good common-sense, logic, reasoning, the will to experiment, and the intellectual honesty to act on your findings.

You can do it far better than the so-called "experts".

Gerald

Gerald,

I'm with you. I got the 1.8 and EPA and I've paid $20 to James too. Without the software, I wouldn't know where that sweetspot is. What a difference. I agree about the pulseox, but I'm going to have to wait on that, since it would come out of my pocket and not insurance.

Chris

Gerald wrote:...
If you are running Encore Pro 1.6 or 1.8, you can use "Analyzer". It's "free", but I sent him $20 or so.

If you are using Encore Pro Viewer, "Analyzer" won't work.

In my opinion, "Analyzer" is absolutely VITAL when trying to determine where your "sweet spot" is to be found. My definition for the words "Sweet Spot" (in the context of CPAP therapy) is "that set of pressure settings that deliver the lowest possible AHI with the highest amount of comfort".

To competently manage your own therapy, you only need the following: A few pieces of equipment, good software, good common-sense, logic, reasoning, the will to experiment, and the intellectual honesty to act on your findings.

You can do it far better than the so-called "experts".