Was just diagnosed with severe apnea, travelling soon, help!

Hi everyone,

Just finished my overnight study - the tech gave me a nasal mask after 2 hours, and unofficially told me I have "severe" apnea. (Everything's unofficial until the doctor reviews all the data)
After a night with the mask on, I feel 1000% better, I can't remember the last time I woke up so energetic and alert!

I am leaving for a long trip to Israel in a week, and I would prefer to spend my vacation waking up like THIS. I've asked he doctor to expedite the data review (which he has agreed to do given my "severe" status).

Assuming I can get a prescription before the July 4th holiday, my goal is to buy a travel CPAP machine that I can use on my trip. I suspect that if I go through the usual insurance bureaucracy, it's going to take a few weeks to get my CPAP equipment through an approved supplier. I have no problem paying for a relatively inexpensive travel setup that will get the job done until I return to the states and use my insurance to buy a home use model.

Any suggestions for which unit / which vendor? I'm looking at something like the Devilbiss Intellipap Standard or Auto Adjust models, plus Philips Comfortgel nasal mask from Cpap dot com. Or am I crazy to try and get all this done in a week?

If I were you, I would push for the prescription and order a good travel machine on line from cpap.com. Give your self enough time to get used to wearing the gear and making sure it fits before you travel.

Good luck to you!

My DME turned everything around in one week. I'm not sure cpap can do it any faster.
And keep in mind the following:

1. Most cpap (and apap) units are small enough for travel, especially if you don't need a humidifier.
2. Don't rush and NOT get a fully data capable machine, long term you'll want to monitor therapy, etc.. For ResMed, recommend S9 (newer) or S8 autoset II (my machine, perfect for travel).
3. There are multiple threads re traveling with cpap - stuff like what extra's to bring.

One last personal piece of advice: some folks get used to therapy quickly, others need more time. You might want to consider waiting until your return? Remember it's a marathon....

Safe travels.

If you travel a lot you will probably want to have two machines anyway. One to keep packed up and ready to go, and one to leave by your bed. So go ahead and get a good lightweight travel machine and let your insurance provide your main machine. Why wait until you get back when you could be sleeping so much better with CPAP? It's hard enough to sleep while traveling, you don't need the added disadvantage of apneas.

dtsm wrote: One last personal piece of advice: some folks get used to therapy quickly, others need more time.
Safe travels.

Question about this. I "got used" to CPAP in a hurry last night - started sleep session at 9:40, 3 hours later put the mask on for the first time, 10 minutes later was out like a light and slept till morning. No doubt the unit at the sleep center is absolute top of the line hospital grade and was being remotely controlled to adjust pressure, etc. by the techs. Is there any correlation between this "easy" adjustment in hospital and my subsequent CPAP adjustment at home?

Is there any correlation between this "easy" adjustment in hospital and my subsequent CPAP adjustment at home?

Nope.

Some people take to CPAP like ducks to water, and if you're lucky you'll be one of those. But not too many people are that lucky, by my unscientific observation.

Do you have any idea what kind of mask you used in the sleep study? That might be a place to start, if it didn't make you uncomfortable it might work well for you. But sometimes, sleeping in a mask for a full 8 hours in your bed in your normal sleeping position is very different. If they gave you that mask, try to get another, different mask, so you have two to choose from or alternate. Whatever machine you get should be OK in the short term, it's the mask that can give you problems.

You might want to take along a "survival kit" in case you have issues. Here's what I'd recommend:
1. Johnson and Johnson finger and toe blister bandages(just the right size for the bridge of your nose if the mask digs in)
2. Saline nasal mist (helps clear your sinuses, and rehydrates your nasal tissues if you have to make do without the humidifier).
3. Chap stick--helps stick your lips together and soothe chapped lips
4. A roll of delicate surface painter's tape (in case you need to tape your mouth to avoid mouth breathing)
5. A lot of rubber bands (chained together, you can improvise a hose hanger from anything hanging on a wall--check out YouTube (search CPAP) for how).
6. Moleskin to use for mask padding.
7. Alcohol free baby wipes to clean the mask and equipment.
8. A blow up U shaped neck pillow for emergency pillow--put the open side where the mask is.
9. Spare hose in case you lose one or it gets a hole
10. An extension cord and the appropriate adapter for the electrical outlets in Israel.
11. spare panty hose to use as an emergency strap or tie up if needed.

What about carrying a prescription with you that you can take to a centre in Israel (where their medical set-ups are world class)? You could rent equipment for the week you are there, not have to deal with the whole airline thing, be in a position to ask about problems right on the spot, etc. etc. and have a good holiday?

Dans,

Your doc can fax your script to cpapauction.com and they will process it promptly. (Good People)

The auction site explains how your doc should write the script.

There is an S8 Autoset II auction ending in 1 day. I got mine for $400. It is an excellent machine for travel and otherwise.

Ed

Thanks for all the responses. I spoke to the sleep center office manager before the day staff went home. She explained the next steps this way:

1) Analysis of hundreds of pages of data from my sleep study, which takes a while
2) results are forwarded to my pulmanologist with a recommended prescription
3) my pulmanologist writes the prescription or modifies it, his call
4) I take that and get my equipment.

This strikes me as odd because the techs set their machine to eliminate apneas, so in theory the have the settings dialed in and it's a matter of giving them to me. Of course there is probably more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye. (like billing maximization )

The current timetable calls for my pulmanologist to get the results on 7/6, the day I'm leaving. The office manager is going to see if this can be hurried up, but probably my best case situation is to take the prescription to Israel and rent a CPAP setup there. Anyone have any contacts / experience getting CPAP supplies in Israel - particularly in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv?

You don't say where you are located. Perhaps someone on the forum has a standby machine they would be willing to give you and await your return for a replacement. Find out what kind of mask they put on you... if you were comfy with it you may want to stick with it on an ongoing basis. Personally, I can not imagine a night without my APAP and am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my S9 Auto's to replace my S8 Autoset II's. I am sticking with my Mirage Activa LT nosebags and pehaps going to try a Softgel nosebag as well just for giggles. The Activa is pretty good for me and I'm essentially happy with it.

If you are going to be in Israel you are probably going to want to be using a humidifier if you can manage it (not too big or heavy and most airlines won't count the medical gear as part of your carryon - just make sure it is marked MEDICAL EQUIPMENT - DO NOT BAGGAGE CHECK/CARRY ON ONLY. Works like a charm for me. I give them a song and dance about my laptop being used to check medical data and they don't generally give me grief about it either.

dans wrote:Thanks for all the responses. I spoke to the sleep center office manager before the day staff went home. She explained the next steps this way:

1) Analysis of hundreds of pages of data from my sleep study, which takes a while
2) results are forwarded to my pulmanologist with a recommended prescription
3) my pulmanologist writes the prescription or modifies it, his call
4) I take that and get my equipment.

This strikes me as odd because the techs set their machine to eliminate apneas, so in theory the have the settings dialed in and it's a matter of giving them to me. Of course there is probably more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye. (like billing maximization )

The current timetable calls for my pulmanologist to get the results on 7/6, the day I'm leaving. The office manager is going to see if this can be hurried up, but probably my best case situation is to take the prescription to Israel and rent a CPAP setup there. Anyone have any contacts / experience getting CPAP supplies in Israel - particularly in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv?

My opinion is that in most cases the whole sleep routine is about 90% billing maximization and 10% medicine.

My first appointment with my first sleep doc, pulmonologist, where he was supposed to explain my sleep study went like this- he checked my eyes, ears, nose, etc. and then asked why I was there. I told him that I had just gone to the, (2 night), sleep lab and they said to make an appointment with you. He looked in my folder and then yelled out to the receptionist, "Did we get Mr. XXXX's sleep study?" She found it, (22 pages), and gave it to him. He read the 1 page cover page/summary and wrote out a script. It took him less than 3 mins. for the whole thing. For this he charged hundreds of dollars. What was really bad is that the sleep lab bungled the whole thing and gave me a pressure of I 24 and E 18 which was more than twice as high as it should have been. He didn't pick up on this. My 15 mins. were over and I was out the door. I now have a wonderful sleep doc and I am now on an auto which shows an I of around 11.2 and E around 7-9 with almost always 0 apneas.

I am writing all this so you will learn about sleep apnea and question everything they do.

Ed

dans wrote:Thanks for all the responses. I spoke to the sleep center office manager before the day staff went home. She explained the next steps this way:

1) Analysis of hundreds of pages of data from my sleep study, which takes a while
2) results are forwarded to my pulmanologist with a recommended prescription
3) my pulmanologist writes the prescription or modifies it, his call
4) I take that and get my equipment.

You realize you can get anyone to write that prescription who allowed to write a prescription? This includes your local GP, your dentist ....
There are samples on the board - just dictate them to your favourite and get a machine. If you get an auto you can set it at a range to get your own titration.

torontoCPAPguy wrote:You don't say where you are located. Perhaps someone on the forum has a standby machine they would be willing to give you and await your return for a replacement. Find out what kind of mask they put on you... if you were comfy with it you may want to stick with it on an ongoing basis. Personally, I can not imagine a night without my APAP and am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my S9 Auto's to replace my S8 Autoset II's. I am sticking with my Mirage Activa LT nosebags and pehaps going to try a Softgel nosebag as well just for giggles. The Activa is pretty good for me and I'm essentially happy with it.

If you are going to be in Israel you are probably going to want to be using a humidifier if you can manage it (not too big or heavy and most airlines won't count the medical gear as part of your carryon - just make sure it is marked MEDICAL EQUIPMENT - DO NOT BAGGAGE CHECK/CARRY ON ONLY. Works like a charm for me. I give them a song and dance about my laptop being used to check medical data and they don't generally give me grief about it either.

Toronto - thanks for the advice. I am located in New York City (Upper west side of Manhattan specfically) so if there's anyone out there with a spare machine that they wouldn't mind lending out (or selling cheap?), I'd be most appreciative - I have a car and can drive anywhere within reason to pick it up. PM or call me at (917) 512-5624.

My fallback plan is to bring the prescription to Israel and rent a machine, as others have suggested.