No Sleep Doc Wanted or Needed, but....

Okay, so I've been successfully managing my own therapy with the incredible help of this forum from a month prior to my sleep study and then immediately starting my cpap therapy, with 100% compliance and excellent AHI for the past 2 years.

It dawns on me now, however, that I may be facing some difficult times in the not so distant future as I will need to address retirement (and I am my own single source of support).

I have now entered into my 60's (yike), and see that my memory problems are continuing to a point of professional embarrassment at work, (though better than previously). I am afraid that I may reach a point that I am asked to leave, or see the need myself--and with no other source of support, and no real major savings to live on.

Am I screwing myself by not having a continuous saved documentation over the past two years (and years to come), to prove my compliance and optimal management of my therapy? I've had several machines that I have used at home and while traveling. So although I have pretty much monitored my therapy obsessively with 2 of those machines, I have no ongoing record of the compliance or AHI numbers. Have not needed to bother with the useless Sleep Doc since I have paid out of pocket for all my machines and supplies.

But what is next if I become unable to support myself and I believe it is obvious that my brain cells have diminished due to OSA I never previously knew about? Never in my life would I (or most of you) have dreamed that disability was in the picture, but I truly need help with this. Maybe my age makes disability out of the question......and it's not even something I want to imagine for myself.

Would so appreciate any input and experience--especially with the question I put in bold above.

If you saw a doctor and this was documented now, would that create the paper trail you need for the future? And if you could print out any info from your machines....or if you have in the past y ou could copy that to give to doctor/sleep doctor to be made a part of your medical record which would document this for the future?

With NO Insurance you don't have to prove compliance to anyone but you. You will need a copy of your sleep study for Medicare to pick up payments. If they require another PSG for any reason, it may be cheaper to continue to buy OOP.

ps. If it's any help, I think you have come a long way in your therapy.

I don't know. Could depend on whether a person may need proof or not. After a couple of years of NOT keeping data, it may be a little late to worry about the past.

I've kept pretty meticulous records of my therapy for any possible circumstance that I would ever "need" them. However, those same records could also conveniently disappear, too if need be. I'd rather err on the side of keeping my downloaded data (proof).

I think alot of us are entering that age when it's easier to push us out the door and hire younger blood. Once upon a time, we were valued for our experience and expertise.....we were an asset.......now, we're becoming a liability.

Good luck.


Den