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Good for you! One lesson I learned early on is to take control of my condition and treatment - NOT wait for my doctors. You have done this and are going to start moving towards a healthier you vs. wasting time you can never get back waiting.

pootsie wrote: He completely understood my insurance issue, and said that since the TMJ may interfere with the night appliance option and there is a time issue with coverage, we can go ahead and give CPAP a try before any pills.

Pills? I sure hope your doctor is not suggesting some long-term pills to help you sleep.

Do you have your test results from your sleep study? Did you blood oxygenation [SpO2] ever drop below 90%? If so, how many times, and for how long? Do you snore heavily and regularly?

Based on your picture, I"d guess that your age indicates that your sleep apnea might get worse over time. I snored like a freight train, yet didn't stop breathing at night until I was 48 (last year). I'm glad I nipped it in the bud. The long-term impact of sleep apnea can be quite bad.

I don't know how much of the rest of the forum you have been reading, but be sure to push for a machine with full efficacy data. Many medical suppliers give out machines that don't have complete therapy data. Without that data, it is difficult to see if your machine is really doing you much good. It certainly makes it harder to tweak your settings if necessary. Also, ideally, have a prescription written for an Auto-CPAP machine. Having a machine that can vary pressure through the night can be very useful, allowing you to sleep with a lower pressure most of the time, but lets the machine ramp it up if necessary. For me, that means if I'm on my back instead of my side, or even, in a strange bed at a hotel.

Good luck!

John

Thanks, all.

I will be sure to ask for a full-data model.

I have excellent coverage as a government employee. The standard for DME coverage is whatever the doctor orders. Seriously. I called after reading the [*]guidelines just to find out what the fine print was, and there was none!

And I quote:

The Plan pays for Durable Medical Equipment (DME) that is:
■
ordered or provided by a Physician for outpatient use;
■
used for medical purposes;
■
not consumable or disposable;
■
not of use to a person in the absence
of a Sickness, Injury or disability;
■
durable enough to withstand repeated use; and
■
appropriate for use in the home.

If more than one piece of DME can meet your
functional needs, you will receive Benefits
only for the most Cost-Effective piece of equipment.

Tonite is my second study, with the CPAP machine this time

I am very excited. I "slept" for 9 hrs last night and don't feel rested at all. I can't wait to get hooked up!

Yay!

I'll be around if you're boared ... LOL! I was chatting at my titration study too.

pootsie wrote:Tonite is my second study, with the CPAP machine this time

I am very excited. I "slept" for 9 hrs last night and don't feel rested at all. I can't wait to get hooked up!

Good luck!! I hopefully will go in for my FIRST sleep study soon lol

I am wired up and ready to titrate!

Thanks all for your kind support!

Hope all goes well tonight, pootsie!

I have a hose on my nose set at 4. If feels fine.

Is it odd that I just can't wait to get a machine he?

Six years ago, I was diagnosed with OSA and refused treatment. Now I am embracing it. Thanks in large part to you fine folks, I must say.

I was feeling a little sorry for myself tonight after not making friends with my mask (My first night home with my machine) and your post made me laugh. Thanks. I needed that.

ellen1159 wrote:I was feeling a little sorry for myself tonight after not making friends with my mask (My first night home with my machine) and your post made me laugh. Thanks. I needed that.

Keep on smiling!

Welcome Pootsie!!!