How often should I take my card in or talk to a doctor?

I started this whole sleep apnea/CPAP business last February, over 8 months ago. No one at the clinic told me that I need to come in and check on things, get cards read, or have check-ups of any sort. Then again, I haven't had much direction of any sort. They simply did the sleep study in December, called me back a month later and said, "Wow! You should be dead," and then set me up on the machine a month after that.

I have a Respironics REMstar AUTO M Series A-Flex, set at 13.0 cm of pressure.

How often am I supposed to be going in and getting things checked?
Do I take the whole machine or just the card?
What are people talking about when they say DME?
What are these card readers people are talking about, and what advantage does it provide having a reader?
How does one change the settings or pressure on the machine?

Yeah, 8 months of being at this, and I'm just now asking these questions because I had no idea about these things (and more).

**edited for clarity that this is not about maintenance**

All your machine will need is the filters cleaned (Foam one) and the white one replaced, about every three weeks. You can get your needed supplies at the B & M DME or out of pocket at CPAP.COM. Spares are nice! As in spare mask too.

If you get the Software and reader, (which I would), you won't have to take anything back or be bothered, unless you have to prove compliance. With the software you can printout a report if needed. The less time I spend dealing with a B & M DME, the better. Jim

Goofproof wrote:If you get the Software and reader, (which I would), you won't have to take anything back or be bothered, unless you have to prove compliance. With the software you can printout a report if needed. The less time I spend dealing with a B & M DME, the better. Jim

Ok... so where does one get the correct software and reader? Also, what is a B&M DME?

Well, from what you said in your first paragraph.......THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR THERAPY.

"How often am I supposed to be going in and getting things checked?"
How often? I download my card EVERY morning. (it became part of my morning routine) However, since the card will only hold about seven days of detailed data.....you should be looking at it once a week, at most.

"Do I take the whole machine or just the card?"
If you get the card and software, you'll save yourself a lot of money and headaches.

"What are people talking about when they say DME?"
DME stands for Durable Medical Equipment (provider, contractor, person, or place).

"What are these card readers people are talking about, and what advantage does it provide having a reader?"
Here is a link to the card reader and software:
https://www.cpap.com/productpage-bundle.php?BundleID=64

"How does one change the settings or pressure on the machine?"

Hold down the <- -> buttons while plugging in the little power cord in the back, wait for 2 beeps release buttons. Then press the + key to enter setup mode, use the <- -> buttons to move to the next field, use the -/+ keys to decrease/increase values, when set press the On/Off button to exit Setup.

Therapy Mode = CPAP/AUTO (If Auto is selected, there will be A-Flex or C-Flex options)
CPAP Pressure = NN (only appears in CPAP mode).
AutoMax = 20 cm (default)
AutoMin = 4.0cm (default)
C-Flex Setting = Off, 1, 2 or 3
Ramp Time = (0:05 to 0:45)
Ramp Start Pressure = 4.0cm (can be from 4cm to AutoMin pressure).
Mask Alert = On/Off (beeps on large leak, mask removal).
Auto Off = Off (turns off machine on large leak/mask removal) Suggest leaving it "Off"
Split Night Time = Off (options are Off, 120, 180, 240) Should be "Off"
Show AHI/Leak = On (enables logging to display) Suggest leaving it "On"
Patient Reminder = Off (days to remind you that you get a new mask w/Insurance).
returns to Therapy Mode =




==========Resetting LCD Display Data====================

To reset LCD Therapy data (does NOT erase any data from SmartCard):

1. Hold down the (<-) (->) buttons while plugging in the power on the back,
wait for 2 beeps or 5 seconds, release buttons.
2. Press the (->) key and navigate to Therapy screen.
3. Press and HOLD down the (-) minus key for 5 seconds and/or until therapy data is reset to Zero.
4. Press the (->) key to scroll back to main menu, press (+) key to enter Setup or
On/Off button to exit.




Den

Wulfman wrote:How often? I download my card EVERY morning. (it became part of my morning routine) However, since the card will only hold about seven days of detailed data.....you should be looking at it once a week, at most.

I could be wrong but I think Den meant "at least once a week". Or else the detailed data is gone and replaced by the current 7 sessions.

B&M means Brick & Mortar as in a store with walls; That you can walk into. On a street near you.

Your DME really doesn't care about your care, just how much they can bill your Insurance. The ONLY time they want to see you is when they CAN bill your Insurance.

fwiw- My DME comes to my house to read the numbers right off the machine. I take my card out so he doesn't zap it by accident or switch it out. I print my own reports to take to the doctor.

Start at the Yellow Lite bulb - Our Collective Wisdom found at the top of the page at http://www.cpaptalk.com
viewtopic/t1430 ... tbulb.html
cpaptalk-articles.php

READ cpaptalk.com FAQ
cpaptalk-faq.php

For Acronyms & Definitions
http://www.sleepnet.com/definition.html

Understanding OSA - worth your time
http://www.resmed.com/en-us/patients/ab ... 40x380.swf

Learn to search
use Google & the syntax "search words" site:http://www.cpaptalk.com


Good Luck

You have certainly come to the right place to learn all about your disorder and how to make your treatment the best for you. Go up to the yellow light bulb at the top of the page and read, read, read. There is also a search function where you can type in a few keywords about questions you may have and you can read old threads. You will find that you are not alone in your experience and somehow that makes it so much easier to cope with. Come back again and again to ask what ever you want. There are always people here who will help you.

Welcome to the forum,

Bev

Guest wrote:use Google & the syntax "search words" site:http://www.cpaptalk.com

An example of how to do that... go to http://www.google.com

In the blank box in middle of page, type this (or any other words you want to search for):

DME site:cpaptalk.com (then hit the Enter key on your keyboard)

By using this phrase at the end site:cpaptalk.com (those words and the colon, all run together) Google will search only on this message board for topics about the word or subject you want to find out more about. Often works better than the "Search" button at top of this message board's page.

Here's another link to tuck away for future use:
ALL LINKS by rested gal
viewtopic.php?t=17435

Welcome to the message board, glyphrunner !!

My edit - corrected wrong URL. No words changed in the post.

rested gal wrote:

Guest wrote:use Google & the syntax "search words" site:http://www.cpaptalk.com

An example of how to do that... go to http://www.google.com

In the blank box in middle of page, type this (or any other words you want to search for):

DME site:cpaptalk.com (then hit the Enter key on your keyboard)

By using this phrase at the end site:cpaptalk.com (those words and the colon, all run together) Google will search only on this message board for topics about the word or subject you want to find out more about. Often works better than the "Search" button at top of this message board's page.

RG, Your wealth of knowledge never ceases to amaze me. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable with computers / internet / etc, and I had no idea about using the "site:" keyword on google. I'll have to share this with some of my co-workers. I bet they will be impressed.

Thanks,
-craig

edit: I just realized this was originally posted by "guest" so I would give credit to him/her, but since I don't know who he / she is, I'll still thank RG.

Craig-Tx wrote:edit: I just realized this was originally posted by "guest" so I would give credit to him/her, but since I don't know who he / she is, I'll still thank RG.

LOL!!! Well, hey, I'd never have known about it, had it not been for two cool cpaptalk posters (gee, I miss them!) nicknamed CollegeGirl and blarg. Not sure which of them first mentioned how to do that google thingy -- probably blarg, with CG doing what I do... passing it along.

I thought it was pretty neat, too. As did "Guest" first in this thread. Thanks, Guest!

On Another "NOTE", I find it handy to create a folder on my desktop to store these words of wisdom. Adding to it as they come along,hoping I can find the one I need, all in one Notepad entry concerning XPAP Things. Saves a lot of hunting and typing. Jim

How often should I take my card in or talk to a doctor?

With that machine? Never.

All you need to worry about is keeping the overall AHI below 5 and mask leaks under control. You only need to see a doctor
if you are unable to function due to residual daytime fatigue. Then, you only print out a report and give the doctor the report,
most have no idea as to interpret what it means. Give them the card and it seems all they do is screw things up.

Once you get your AHI consistently under 5, you are effectively treated for OSA. Now if you are still tired it may be due
to those other non-OSA related items seen on your original PSG the doctor never did anything about, that is what you ask
them about. Then it is usually some other drug that some other doctor gave you to mask something else that ends up being
the cause of what destroyed your sleep.

Snoredog wrote:All you need to worry about is keeping the overall AHI below 5 and mask leaks under control.

I went through the instructions above, enabled the AHI logging, and reset the LCD display information. Keeping in mind that the stuff that was in there was over the course of 8 months, it said that I had a 7-day average AHI of 1.0 and a 30-day average of 1.1. I would guess that that's keeping it managed.

Thank you, everyone, for the information and I'm definitely going to look into the software and reader, because now I am seriously interested in what's going on.

Guest wrote: Learn to search
use Google & the syntax "search words" site:http://www.cpaptalk.com
Good Luck

I learned it from GumbyCT

rested gal wrote:

Craig-Tx wrote:edit: I just realized this was originally posted by "guest" so I would give credit to him/her, but since I don't know who he / she is, I'll still thank RG.

LOL!!! Well, hey, I'd never have known about it, had it not been for two cool cpaptalk posters (gee, I miss them!) nicknamed CollegeGirl and blarg. Not sure which of them first mentioned how to do that google thingy -- probably blarg, with CG doing what I do... passing it along.

I thought it was pretty neat, too. As did "Guest" first in this thread. Thanks, Guest!

After BLARG sold all his junque and went off to the world of OZ -- Has anybody heard from him??

He always had some DIFFERENT Ideas and stuff!

BERT
P.S. The people a DME have NO Idea how to read a card and JUST send anything to the Insurance Companies to GET THE $$$$

Out of Three doctors only one of them was interested and just wanted a print out of 6 month average to put in file after reviewing.. I send it in a week or two befor going in for a checkup.