CPAP Machine: $1000, Patient Answer: Priceless

Yesterday in my clinical psychology practice I was working with a man in his late 50s who I have been treating for depression. In addition to his mood issues, he's also being treated for OSA. As near as I can tell, his DME stuck him with a brick, but he uses it regularly and feels better.

At any rate, he had taken something of a turn for the worse mood-wise and as I was reviewing any possible physiological contributors to his mood, I asked several questions about his sleep and his OSA treatment. I asked him, "By the way, how long has it been since you've changed masks?"

"About 10 months now," he replied, "I probably need to get a new one."

I jotted this down and, referring to his mask, asked, "Are you having a lot of leaks?"

"No, doc," he said, "I only have to take a leak once or twice during the night now. It used to be a lot worse"

It's probably an old joke, but it about knocked me out of my chair. He made my day.

New to me!

That's cute!

Some pharmaceutical company is doing clinical trials for a nasal spray to cut down on night time trips to the bathroom. I called and talked to the local urologist's office about it. Sleep apnea is an exclusionary condition. But they do not screen for the possibility of sleep apnea in candidates for the trials. I told the lady they really need to screen for sleep apnea because if someone is going to the bathroom 5 times a night and the reason is sleep apnea that person will skew the test results. She thanked me for my "evangelism" but indicated there was no provision in the trials screening to be pro active in weeding out OSA as a cause. I pity the poor people who may not receive the real help they need.

That's one of the problems with the clinical trial process.

He'd probably be really puzzled if you told him that tightening the straps on his mask could prevent leaks.

"Doc, just what do you think I attach that mask to?"

jnk wrote:

New to me!

To me, too! Funny.

Oh, btw, snoringshrink... you're on my "good'un's" list:

viewtopic.php?p=442957#p442957

Not just for this post, but for what you as a health care professional, have been writing in other threads since you joined.

Is that the same guy that got in trouble for taking a leek in the produce department of the local grocery store?