CPAPtalk.com

Oops, sorry, I go to see a sleep doctor, housed in the neurology clinic at a big teaching hospital. Same place I had the sleep study done (but a different building).

When I 1st started, I remember complaining to my doc that my Remstar Plus (tank) did not have a card to record data. He told me I had a cadillac and they could get the data out of it. He told me to bring my machine in for my next appt.

When I arrived the RT asked me why I brought the machine - after I told her she left the room. When she returned she acknowledged that no data could be retrieved from a Remstar Plus. I drove my cadillac away from those sheisters (yep, they were fired).

And a word to the wise - IF you bring your card (or machine) to anyone, make sure you have a copy of the files BEFORE you leave the house, else risk having the card erased after the download. "Erase" the card is the "default setting" in the software and those in the biz have no reason (or know how) to change it.

Do you take your machine to doctor's appointments?

My machine isn't sick, so it has no doctor's appointments for me to take it to.

As for my doc, if he wants to play with a machine, he can buy his own.

$5000 machine and the doc's in downtown Philadelphia; it gets to stay home (not that the city I live in is much safer ). Last month I brought my smartcard and the tech said it was empty, so my DME told me to bring it to her before my next appointment and she'll fax them the data... says doctor's offices don't always do things correctly and mess up the cards.

I am asked to bring the entire thing to my appointments, because we're still playing the game that I'm "just" a patient and don't know how to enter the clinician's menu to change my own settings or bring printouts of my data.

Wink, wink. The Sleep tech (I"ve never even seen the pulmonolgy sleep specialist at Kaiser) knows I can access my data and change my own settings, but it is "NOT ALLOWED" so we pretend I can't. I've never changed anything without consulting her, but we are both on the same page as far as having access and the knowledge to make changes. She's just not high enough on the totem pole to condone such activity.

No ,My Dr. asks me are you using your cpap ,I say yes everynight without fail and that's about it

I drove my poor DME up the wall asking questions. So with my doctors approval, they provided the software and a cable. I pull the reports and discuss any issues that I see. My doctor made certain I understood the basics of statistical analysis and problem solving and is fine with me monitoring my therapy. He knows I can change the settings, but I tend to be more of a stickler for following recommended therapy than the DME. [They had set the unit incorrectly for the lower pressure (EPAP). I had adjusted it accordingly and could explain the process I used to confirm that the EPAP was best at recommended pressure.]