Adjusted on my own..

I've had my machine for a total of 3 nights, laying awake at night staring at the ceiling was getting old --

My issue was that the sleep tech had set up my machine to ramp up from 4cm and I felt like I was suffocating.

I adjusted it myself to start at 8. I fell asleep within a half an hour last night. Now, it could have been sleep deprivation or the adjustment (I actually enjoyed having the machine instead of felt like I was dying).

I am just dreading the next visit to my doctor...I hope i don't get a tongue lashing for being proactive.

In addition to this, I am unsure if she is setting me up with a DME or just giving me a machine. They are very withholding of information. I'm planning to call tomorrow (if I can get through their crazy answering machine service) and I don't know how to ask for the machine I want, or what is really going on.

They are a great lab with excellent turnaround. I just can't help but wonder why they aren't giving me more information.

Hey...it's your life and your health. If your doctor gets upset with you feeling better....you've got the wrong doctor....Time for a change.

A lot of people don't even use the ramp, you can turn it off if you want. I use 14 cm pressure & no ramp.

You can adjust your settings and you can request the machine you want. If you get a tongue lashing, find a new doctor. Please read Janknitz blog "Everything you need to know before meeeting with your DME." There is so much valuable info in there you need to know.

Dazzles, here's a link to Jan's blog that apneawho mentioned. It really is important reading:

LINK to Janknitz's excellent - "WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU MEET YOUR DME Part I"
http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/what-y ... me-part-i/

Welcome Dazzles. If you really want to be proactive, start reading everything you can here and come back and ask questions. Knowledge is power that will help you to successful therapy. Keep us posted.

Dazzles:
Seriously, if you truly do get a 'tongue lashing', stand up, gather your things, look the doctor straight in the eye and say, "You are the doctor, and I am the patient. It's MY insurance premiums that pay your bills, and it's MY body and MY health we are discussing. You do not talk to me that way. We are done. Good-bye." And walk out. Get set up with another doctor, get a referral through your insurance company to another doctor, do whatever it takes to get a doctor who is willing to work WITH you, not dictate TO you. Make it clear to your insurance company why you are changing doctors. File a complaint if necessary.

I am not usually this cranky, but I am getting really tired of the medical gods telling us what we can and cannot do.

And DO read Janknitz post. Also, click on the "CPAP Wiki" icon above for a further wealth of information.

Good luck!

Dazzles, Ditto on what the others have said. What machine did they "just give you'? Please list your equipment. You don't want to get stuck with a substandard machine.

Of course you get to adjust your machine on your own. I wouldn't anticipate a longue lashing. My doc was surprised, but not unhappy when I told him I knew everything about making adjustments on my machine.

I think you are worried for nothing. I can't imagine a doctor giving you any grief over changing your ramp setting. It's not a hidden control, and it's there to be adjusted for your comfort. I turned my off too because I didn't feel as if I was getting enough air until it was all ramped up.

I turned off the ramp within the first 2 hours of having the thing on my face..

Its a comfort setting just like the EPR or Flex settings. they are for the users comfort.

I changed my mind about calling the doc. it's really not a big deal. Be comfortable so you can use the thing.
Good luck

It's highly unlikely they'll look at anything other than the number of hours you used the machine. That's called "compliance hours" and determines whether the insurance pays or not.

There's a series of exercises that help you in dealing with the stress of tongue lashing.

Hold your hand up with the palm facing you. Fold your first finger down, extend the next one, and fold the last two ones. Repeat until the stress goes away.

Dazzles, fill in your equipment on your profile and you'll get better help here. There's a link in my signature line on how to fill out your profile.

archangle wrote:
There's a series of exercises that help you in dealing with the stress of tongue lashing.

Hold your hand up with the palm facing you. Fold your first finger down, extend the next one, and fold the last two ones. Repeat until the stress goes away.

I developed a new product to help with that. It is a pin. The fingers are adjustable. It sold well at the craft fair.

hands by lenabreijer, on Flickr

Lena, I love them, especially the black pair!